{"id":126754,"date":"2026-07-25T14:29:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T18:29:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=126754"},"modified":"2026-07-25T14:29:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T18:29:28","slug":"cubs-trade-assets-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/07\/25\/cubs-trade-assets-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Cubs Top Trade Assets Heading Into the 2026 Trade Deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 trade deadline is quickly approaching, and teams are looking to decide if they will be buyers or sellers. When examining Chicago’s trade deadline plans<\/a>, it appears they are gearing up for a playoff run. However, if they wish to do so, then some of the top Cubs trade assets will likely be on the move. It is never easy to part ways with players who become fan favorites, but it is a necessary price to pay. Luckily, there is a wide variety of players at both the Major and Minor League levels who could be dealt.<\/p>\n

Cubs Top Trade Assets Heading Into the 2026 Trade Deadline<\/h2>\n

\"Matt<\/p>\n

Major League Level<\/h3>\n

Matt Shaw<\/h3>\n

Matt Shaw<\/a> was once expected to be a star of the Cubs’ infield. However, as Chicago became more aggressive with their roster, his role quickly diminished to a utility role. While he was still seeing solid playing time, injuries dropped his playing time. Now, in the latest Cubs injury updates<\/a>, it was revealed he was not close to a return. This could make it unlikely for him to be traded, but he is still a name to watch. He is a strong defender who has shown offensive promise and is a perfect target for teams looking for versatility.\u00a0 If he is sent to a rebuilding team, then he could become a strong building block for their future infield.<\/p>\n

Pedro Ram\u00edrez<\/h3>\n

Another infielder that could be on the move is Pedro Ram\u00edrez<\/a>. Pedro has started seeing more playing time in the second half and has made it count, hitting .284 with 11 RBI. Similar to Shaw, it is hard to get him on the field every day, so he has mainly been playing DH. However, his versatility at both second and third base makes him an intriguing option. The combination of his young age and major league production makes him an interesting thing for teams to consider. Of all the Cubs’ top assets that have seen major league time, Ramirez may be the most likely to move due to his potential.<\/p>\n

Kevin Alc\u00e1ntara<\/h3>\n

Although he was just sent back down<\/a> to the Minors, Kevin Alc\u00e1ntara<\/a> is another one of the top Cubs trade assets that could be on the move. His usage this season has been a major concern for Chicago<\/a>. His lack of production made it hard to play him, as he did not seem to be able to bring his high power to the Major League level. Alcantara still has plenty of potential, being able to play all three outfield positions while having a strong bat. Hopefully, he will be able to raise his stock in Iowa, but if he can not, he would be more of a supporting piece than a headliner in any trade.<\/p>\n

Top Prospects<\/h3>\n

Jaxon Wiggins<\/h3>\n

Jaxon Wiggins<\/a> has been one of the most talked-about pitching prospects this season for Chicago. Among the Cubs’ trade assets, he does have the most uncertainty. Earlier in the year, he likely would have either been called up to boost the rotation or been a headliner in any major trade. Although injuries and poor performances have held him back, he has still shown the qualities to be an impact player. If the Cubs wish to address the starting rotation, which is one of Chicago’s biggest weaknesses<\/a>, then Wiggins would be a likely candidate to be moved, as other teams could hope to have him become a long-term starter for them.<\/p>\n

Josiah Hartshorn<\/h3>\n

Josiah Hartshorn<\/a> has been one of the Cubs’ hottest prospects this season, emerging as a candidate to be the team’s next big star. The outfielder has shot up the team’s prospect rankings, becoming the team’s top prospect<\/a> and MLB’s 62nd best overall. The star hitter has yet to break into Double-A, but if he keeps up his pace, then he could be there by early next season. His rise has made him one of the top Cubs trade assets, and in any blockbuster deal, it would not be a surprise to see him leave. Losing his potential would be hard, but taking Chicago to the next level might be necessary.<\/p>\n

Jefferson Rojas<\/h3>\n

Until recently, Jefferson Rojas<\/a> has been the Cubs’ top prospect for quite some time. However, his fall is not due to his lack of production, as he is still hitting the ball well and filling the middle of the infield well. MLB’s 65th overall prospect<\/a> runs into the same problem that Shaw has, and that is that the infield is full for a few years. Since he is in Double-A, there is still a bit of time for him to be Major League-ready. Besides Hartshorn, Rojas is likely the top Cubs trade asset. If the Cubs wish to make a major trade, then the depth at infield could make Chicago willing to move on from him.<\/p>\n

Owen Ayers<\/h3>\n

Another top Cubs trade asset that has seen a hot year is catcher Owen Ayers<\/a>. The future of the position is unclear, so unless Chicago thinks Mois\u00e9s Ballesteros<\/a> can improve his defense, Ayers could grab the spot. The 25-year-old has shot up to become the team’s third-best prospect, continuing his success after being recently promoted to Triple-A. His age is the one downside, but for any team in desperate need of a catcher, he could be a likely option. The Cubs’ lack of confidence at catcher could make it harder to move on, but he has certainly put himself in a position to bring in a major haul.<\/p>\n

Cubs Trade Assets<\/h3>\n

Suppose the Cubs wish to catch the Brewers and win the N.L. Central<\/a>, then they may need to be aggressive buyers at the deadline. While it would likely mean that some of the top Cubs trade assets could be on the move, now is the time to win rather than sit on the sidelines while the top teams get stronger. Whether it is Major League-level players or top prospects, Chicago has the pieces to put together intriguing trade packages. With the trade deadline approaching, the team’s next move could shape both the 2026 season and its long-term future.<\/p>\n

Main Photo Credits: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 2026 trade deadline is quickly approaching, and teams are looking to decide if they will be buyers or sellers. When examining Chicago’s trade deadline plans, it appears they are gearing up for a playoff run. However, if they wish to do so, then some of the top Cubs trade assets will likely be on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5855,"featured_media":126837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[24,1071],"tags":[5064,6352,29557],"class_list":["post-126754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cubs","category-mlb","tag-kevin-alcantara","tag-matt-shaw","tag-pedro-ramirez"],"modified_by":"Evan Mazza, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5855"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126754"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":126838,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126754\/revisions\/126838"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}