It's part of the game, it's inevitable, it happens every year and it always sucks. The Cubs are dealing with an injury to a key player, as Seiya Suzuki is temporarily shut down with an oblique strain, but that's nothing compared to a few major blows to two teams in the NL West that could open the door to a Cubs trade.

The latest comes from the Colorado Rockies, who are now on the verge of losing their gold glove second baseman Brendan Rodgers for the entire 2023 season if he needs shoulder surgery, which has become a possibility. Nevertheless, it sounds like Rodgers will be out for a while, as there is more damage to his left shoulder than initially thought.

Rodgers, 26, was outstanding at second base for the Rockies last year, winning the gold glove in the National League, in his first full year up in the majors.

The other significant injury early on in spring training, dominated the headlines earlier this week as the Los Angeles Dodgers lost Gavin Lux to a torn ACL, which will probably cost him the entire season.

And hey, guess what teams has a surplus of MLB-capable infielders??? The Cubs!

We are exactly four weeks away from Opening Day and the Cubs are going to have to make several decisions at the bottom of their roster. Trading one of the many infielders competing for a roster spot was always a consideration, but the likelihood of making a deal increases with every new injury. Of course, fingers crossed that the Cubs don't have to deal with anything serious themselves.

Here are the three players the Cubs could trade before Opening Day, specifically to the Rockies or Dodgers.

Nick Madrigal

Ever since the Cubs signed Dansby Swanson and moved Nico Hoerner to second base we knew there would be trade speculation around Nick Madrigal. Much of that discourse has just been fans on social media, with only a small dabble of "trade rumors" discussed by reporters. The Cubs are trying to find Madrigal a spot where he can help on the roster by giving him a shot at third base. A few games into spring training action, Madrigal has looked fine at the hot corner, but the doubts about his throwing arm continue.

For people trying to come up with a trade destination for Madrigal, Colorado has always been at the top of the list because that ballpark seems like a perfect match to fit Madrigal's hitting profile and now that they are in need of a second baseman, he can go back to his natural position.

Zach McKinstry

The Cubs acquired Zach McKinstry from the Dodgers last season for right-handed reliever Chris Martin. McKinstry, 27, played 47 games for the Cubs and wasn't exactly taking advantage of his playing time. Overall, McKinstry slashed .206/.272/.361 in 155 at-bats, but to be fair, he did improve in his final month of 2022, slashing .225/.303/.438, a solid (for 2022 standards) .741 OPS in his last 80 at-bats.

McKinstry is also versatile on defense, making starts at second, third and short, and both corner outfield positions during his time up in the majors. Unlike Madrigal, McKinstry does not have a minor league option left, so if the Cubs determine he won't make the Opening Day roster, then they may be more inclined to look for a trade with him involved.

David Bote

David Bote had shoulder surgery after the 2021 season and was still recovering from the procedure during the 2022 season. When he came back, Bote was fine at the plate, but the Cubs decided to move him off the team's 40-man roster this past offseason. Now, Bote looks healthy again and is starting spring training on a hot streak. Bote can play all over the field and the Cubs are most likely willing to eat most of the money left on his contract, which could make him an intriguing trade candidate for a team looking to get someone with plenty of MLB experience.

On this week's Pinwheels And Ivy Podcast, we talked about some of the Cubs spring training battles and other early observations, including why Bote may end up getting traded by the end of March.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x71I0GBNHDk

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