The Chicago Cubs haven’t shied away from trading away young players in recent years. 

Cam Smith was the headline return for the Houston Astros in the Kyle Tucker trade. Owen Caissie was the headline return for the Miami Marlins in the Edward Cabrera trade. Moises Ballesteros was the headline return for the Los Angeles Angels in the Ryan Zeferjahn trade. 

Here are three young players the Cubs could deal this offseason. 

Matt Shaw drew trade interest last offseason, but Chicago ultimately kept him despite an up-and-down rookie campaign. The Cubs believed they could unlock Shaw’s full offensive potential after hitting .226 with 13 home runs, 21 doubles, 44 RBI, and 17 stolen bases back during the 2025 season. 

However, Shaw never really put it all together this past season. He hit just .237 with five home runs, nine doubles, three triples, 24 RBI, and four stolen bases across 77 games. The 24-year-old missed time with injuries and wasn’t productive when healthy. 

With the Cubs needing pitching, the team could finally let go of Shaw. He could help the team land a top-of-the-line starting pitcher since he won’t become a free agent until after the 2031 season. 

There is a possibility that the Cubs will look to trade either Shaw or Pedro Ramirez this coming offseason. Both are primary infielders who could provide outfield help, but there isn’t room for both to get consistent playing time on this team in the future. 

Alex Bregman, Dansby Swanson, and Nico Hoerner are all locked up for the foreseeable future. With both players having multiple years of control remaining, Ramirez or Shaw could be moved for pitching help. 

Ramirez could have more value than Shaw, given his encouraging rookie campaign. He hit .261 with six home runs, 12 doubles, two triples, 32 RBI, and nine stolen bases across 80 games in the big leagues this season. 

At this time last year, Jaxon Wiggins was likely untouchable. He was coming off a breakthrough 2025 Minor League campaign in which he posted a 2.19 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 97 strikeouts over 78 innings pitched at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. 

However, his 2026 season was a completely different story. He missed a large chunk of the season due to an elbow injury and had a 6.75 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts over 42 ⅔ innings pitched at rookie ball, High-A, and Triple-A. 

Although Wiggins threw the ball well as a reliever late in the season, the Cubs could use that strong stretch to sell him this offseason. They could trade him for a player who can help them win in 2027.