Now this is one few would have expected.

With the Cubs off to a 3-7 start and sporting one of baseball’s worst bullpens (6.92 ERA), at least one insider is already speculating on a potential fire sale by the Theo Epstein-led front office.

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Here’s what The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal wrote earlier this week about the Cubs following the 2016 Yankees model of selling off to quickly retool, including a potential option for the Phillies.

The Cubs, while not as well positioned as the Yankees were with Chapman and Miller, are loaded with potential free agents who might be attractive trade chips — left-hander Cole Hamels, super-utilityman Ben Zobrist and relievers Brandon Morrow, Steve Cishek, Brandon Kintzler, Brad Brach and Pedro Strop. Hamels can block trades to 20 clubs, Zobrist to eight. Morrow would need to get healthy. Strop has a club option for 2020. But those are minor details in the big picture.

Yes, Hamels.

After passing on the chance to bring the former star back to Philadelphia at last year’s deadline, it seemed all hope was lost for a reunion. That might not be true. If the Phillies continue to have pitching concerns in July, Hamels’ name could resurface in rumors. While the bullpen seems to be a larger concern in the moment, it’s a decent bet that the Phillies will need a starter down the stretch.

Hamels is off to a rocky start (11 IP, 7 ER, 2 HR) this season, but pitched excellent down the stretch for (76.1 IP, 2.36 ERA) for Chicago last year after a late-July trade brought the 35-year-old back to the National League and away from hitter-friendly Texas. In total, Hamels has pitched to a 2.78 ERA in the NL since last summer.

Hamels is in the final year of his deal after the Cubs picked up a $20M option on his contract for the 2019 season. If a trade went down in midseason, Hamels would likely be owed somewhere between $8-10M. The Phillies enter today around $17.8M under the luxury tax threshold.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.