The players that would reduce payroll significantly and be someone another would actually want comes down to four guys:
Quintana and Chatwood are both on the last year of their contracts. Neither will give the Cube any significant return in assets, but if the idea is only to cut payroll, the Cubs can probably find a taker if they simply give them away.
Rizzo has this year and then one more incredibly cheap team option before free agency. He’s a premiere player at his position in his prime and would net huge return. He’s also the team leader and I don’t see how you could trade him and then claim with a straight face that you’re trying to compete this year.
Bryant is a better player than Rizzo. But there’s an active arbitration case which brings into question whether he’s under team control for 1 or 2 years. He’s also more expensive than Rizzo. The Cubs probably have better means of replacing Bryant’s production than Rizzo’s, but probably wouldn’t get the return to make it worth while until the arbitrator rules on his case whenever that might be.
Schwarber, Contreras, Caratini, Hendricks, Happ and Bote are all guys that might net a good return in trade, but none would really do anything to alleviate payroll concerns.
Moving Lester, Heyward and Darvish could all help with the payroll, but might have unmovable contracts. And like Rizzo, it would be hard to see how the Cubs compete this year and move Darvish.
I think the Cubs are way too good of a team to blow it all up. But the noise in the media really makes it sound like that’s the way the team is leaning.