MLB Trade Rumors: Jeff Samardzija Leaving Cubs Before Start of Season?

The Chicago Cubs are still exploring into the possibility of trading starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija in exchange for quality prospects, a reliable baseball insider reported on Sunday.

Samardzija, who has been the subject of trade rumors for the past several months, opened spring training with the Cubs last week. However, many baseball insiders—including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times— believe the 29-year-old hurler will be moved before the start of the season.

"...Teams including Texas and Toronto still have starting pitching needs. And two more industry sources said they believe ­Samardzija could be traded before the season starts," Wittenmyer wrote in The Chicago Sun-Times. 

Despite the possibility of being shipped away, Samardzija is optimistic of pitching and winning ballgames for the Cubs.

"I would be surprised," Samardzija said when asked about possibly he'd be traded. "From what it sounds like, we're going head over heels for this season with this team. Rick's made it very clear that we're here to win, which I love."

Samardzija, who went 8-13 with a 4.34 ERA and 214 strikeouts last season, is also glad the Cubs are looking to win ballgames and contend for a spot in the postseason. He stressed that he wanted to achieve success with the Cubs.

"I love to hear him [first-year manager Rick Renteria] talk about his excitement for winning. Not development. Obviously, development's part of it, but Rick's No. 1 goal is winning, and me and him are 100 percent on the same page when it comes to that. We want to win. We want to win here. And we want to win now," Samardzija told The Chicago Sun-Times.

The Toronto Blue Jays have always been seen as the front-runner to land Samardzija's services, but the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and the Atlanta Braves are also in the mix.