Back in 2017, the Cubs entered the All-Star break with a 43-45 record, 5.5 games behind the Brewers in the division. Fans thought the front office was ready to start trading veterans at the deadline, but after catching fire coming out of the break the Cubs were once again in a position to add at the trade deadline and compete to win the NL Central.

However, Theo Epstein did admit that if the Cubs had fallen behind eight or nine games behind the Brewers, then they would have been prepared to be sellers at the trade deadline.

Theo Epstein Says How Close The Cubs Got To Being Sellers At The Trade Deadline

That was still a pretty big leash, though, almost 10 games back with two months left. That leash will most likely be shorter in 2019, as Epstein is hoping for big bounce back seasons from several Cubs players.

While Epstein remains confident the Cubs will return as a top team in the National League this season, he also said the front office would think about trading a few players if the team wasn’t in a position to win come July.

#Cubs' Theo Epstein on fans' expectations:

"If we take care of business and put ourselves in position to be a legitimate World Series contender, we can put ourselves in position to add. … If we don't play well … there will be open-mindedness to signifcant transactions."

— McNeil & Parkins (@McNeil_Parkins) March 6, 2019

This isn’t really an Earth-shattering development. Of course the Cubs would try and sell if everything went to hell in the first half and unlike 2017, the division should be harder to win this year. Yet, it does bring up the interesting question, who would the Cubs trade?

Now, we’re not talking about the Cubs completely blowing up the roster if everything goes to hell, or if they’re just not as good as they thought in 2019.

So, guys like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Willson Contreras and Javier Baez, along with Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana and just because of their contracts, Jason Heyward, Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood are not going to be dealt.

If the Cubs do trade a few guys, they’ll still be doing it while viewing 2020 and 2021 as seasons they’ll be competitive in.

However, there could possibly be a few fan favorites on the move if the Cubs do indeed decide to sell at the trade deadline.

Here are five players the Cubs could possibly trade in 2019, if everything goes to hell. One common theme among the following players, they’ll be free agents after 2019.

Cole Hamels

Who wouldn’t want a veteran left-handed starter, with postseason experience? Hamels just showed that he can still be a difference maker in a playoff run and if the Cubs are out of it they’d be more than willing to dump the rest of his $20 million contract for 2019.

Ben Zobrist

Another veteran with postseason experience and is still able to play multiple positions. Zobrist could give any team in contention a solid hitter for the final two months of the year. Plus, the Cubs already have a crowded infield, so if they’re not competing, moving Zobrist would open up more playing time for some of the young players like Ian Happ and David Bote. Zobrist will make $12.5 million in 2019, and will then become a free agent.

Brandon Morrow

Brandon Morrow is going to miss the first month of the season, but if he comes back and doesn’t have any health issues, he could become a valuable trade piece in July. He has a $12 million team option, with a $3 million buyout for 2020.

Pedro Strop

This one would hurt a lot. Pedro Strop has been so fun to watch since he was traded to the Cubs by the Orioles. He’s been a steady reliever for the past six years and could be a top arm in the trade market for any team looking to get an edge for its bullpen.

Steve Cishek

Just like Strop and Morrow, Cishek could become an attractive reliever for teams competing for a playoff stop. And really, guys like Brandon Kintzler, Brian Duensing and Brad Brach could all be made available too.

By July, let’s hope none of these are likely scenarios and the Cubs are looking to add instead of trade away veteran players.