The Winter Meetings are next week, and there will inevitably be a Chicago Cubs trade rumor that pops up that catches fans off guard. After all, no one would have expected the Cubs to trade Isaac Paredes last offseason, let alone in a deal for Kyle Tucker. Yet, the framework of that trade was established at the Winter Meetings last offseason.
The Cubs are in a curious spot ahead of next week. The Cubs have a need for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, and the bullpen, while needing a right-handed hitting corner outfielder to balance out their bench, and likely keeping an eye on the market for Alex Bregman, just in case his free agency stalls like it did last year.