The Chicago Cubs (18-32) have one of the worst records in the MLB, and their playoff hopes have almost entirely evaporated for the 2012 season. As such, their top veterans have become the focal points of many trade talks this season. And with the second Wild Card expanding each team's chances for the playoffs, very few clubs will be "sellers" by the 2012 MLB trade deadline, meaning the Cubs could lure a strong haul of prospects.
The analysts at ESPN suspect the Cubs may find their first and most likely trade with the Boston Red Sox, who could have a keen interest for SP Ryan Dempster. According to ESPN, the bad blood between Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and the Red Sox owner -- who disliked the nature in which Epstein departed over the winter -- should not prove to be any major roadblock to the potential trade.
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