Back in 2012, the Chicago Cubs were nowhere near the team that they are today. The team finished the season with a record of 61-101, the second-worst in the MLB behind only the Houston Astros.
During the first half of the season (up until the All-Star Game), the Cubs had a record of 33-52, far from playoff contention. Like any other struggling team, the 2012 Cubs decided to trade away any assets possible to improve their team for the future.
In 2012, one of these trades involved starting pitcher Ryan Dempster, who one can argue was the best player on the roster at that time.