In the midst of an intense battle for first place in the National League Central, the Chicago Cubs are looking to bolster their team before the MLB trade deadline.Their wish list includes two starters, a reliever, a possible upgrade at third base, and perhaps a backup center fielder.The person in charge of carrying out this task is the president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, who received a multi-year contract extension, as the ownership trusts that he is the right person to lead the organization during this trade deadline and beyond.With such an extensive to-do list, why hasn’t Hoyer made any moves yet, just days before the deadline for making changes? According to sources close to the Cubs’ situation, the demands of the teams for the players have been very high.
While the Cubs try to find the right options for their needs at this deadline, here’s how things stand in each area they hope to address.Nobody is untouchable. But at the same time, we have very good prospects and you have to feel that you are getting a corresponding value.
Jed Hoyer
Starting Pitching
According to sources close to the organization, the Cubs consider finding help on the mound their top priority.They rank 14th in the Major Leagues in starting pitching effectiveness, and their need for help is amplified by their lack of depth after Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga at the top of the rotation.The Cubs have “tried many options” in their search for pitching, said an American League source.This includes the top-of-the-list openers from this year’s changes, such as MacKenzie Gore of the Washington Nationals, and players like Adrian Houser of the Chicago White Sox, and even Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians, who is returning from an injury.The Cubs have spoken on several occasions with the Miami Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays about their potentially available starters, and with the Pittsburgh Pirates about Mitch Keller, as well as with several other teams, according to sources. The Cubs are also candidates to acquire one of Arizona’s available pitchers; although, after another regular performance by Zac Gallen over the weekend, 37-year-old Merrill Kelly is the Diamondbacks’ most reliable pitcher. They have also shown interest in Zach Eflin from Baltimore.The Cubs are ready to pounce if prices drop.The return needed to get Gore would be astronomical and prohibitive for a deal for the pitcher. Kiley McDaniel has said that the key player the Nationals supposedly want for Gore is third baseman Matt Shaw, who is not available.The White Sox are seeking a top-20 prospect for Houser, and even Gore’s teammate, Michael Soroka, would require a higher-than-expected return despite an ERA of 4.87.The Cubs are determined to enter August with a deeper rotation, so a move is likely. But the big question remains which team will lower its demands.They knew that was a need since Justin Steele went down.
Rival executive
Relief Pitching
Similar to the starters, the Cubs’ bullpen also sits in the middle of the table in terms of effectiveness this season, with clear opportunities for improvement if Chicago can find the right deal at the deadline. Multiple relievers are needed for the high stakes of the coming months. The Cubs’ main group, Daniel Palencia, Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Brasier, Drew Pomeranz, and Brad Keller, has been solid, but the latter have shown some cracks recently. This is also Palencia’s first opportunity to be a closer, so the Cubs wouldn’t mind pairing someone with some experience.The Cubs are among the teams that would love to acquire Griffin Jax or Danny Coulombe, or closer Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins. But, as with the available starting pitchers, the Cubs also have their “irons in the fire” for relievers, according to the American League source.There’s a closer who could be traded, but who may be ruled out for the Cubs: Ryan Helsley, who plays for their rivals, the Cardinals. But Nationals reliever Kyle Finnegan, Pirates closer David Bednar, Braves right-hander Raisel Iglesias, and Rays ninth-inning man Pete Fairbanks are all possibilities if Duran is not attainable.Third base
The first domino in the third base fell last week when the New York Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies. But the Cubs weren’t really interested in McMahon, according to league sources, which gives an idea of how they are approaching third base this month.
Shaw has been much better recently, including a .387/.406/.839 batting line since the All-Star break, while playing stellar defense.Shaw’s improvement has given Chicago the confidence that he can handle the position for the rest of this season. It also allows the Cubs to see if a great deal develops instead of forcing one to fill a spot in the lineup.Chicago is in constant contact with the Arizona Diamondbacks about the possibility of acquiring third baseman Eugenio Suárez and Kelly in what would likely be the biggest splash of this deadline. It’s probably a pipe dream because Chicago’s biggest need is on the mound, but it’s not impossible.Matt is having a great opportunity. He is doing his best to take advantage of it… You have to earn your spots on teams like this. That’s completely fair. It doesn’t get any easier. You have to earn it. Matt is doing a great job with that.
Craig Counsell, manager of the Cubs
What the Cubs Have to Offer
Although return expectations in transfers are likely to decrease in the coming days, the reality of this deadline is that there are more teams looking to add than subtract, so big offers will be needed to get the best players available.The Cubs are willing to part with their top prospect, outfielder Owen Caissie, but not for a player who will only have one season. The hitting outfielder is one of three players who generate the most interest among rival teams, along with Shaw and Double-A pitcher Jaxon Wiggins. Chicago has made 22-year-old outfielder Kevin Alcantara available, but so far he hasn’t sparked the interest that the other players have generated.One thing the Cubs won’t do this year is tear down their farm system to increase their playoff chances, which stand at 94.7%, according to FanGraphs.The Cubs are in a different place this July than in 2016, when they traded their number 1 prospect, Gleyber Torres, for closer Aroldis Chapman, despite having around a 99% chance of making the postseason. But the move helped them win the World Series.If that deadline is what it appears to be on the North Side, the atmosphere heading into Thursday could be best described as “mostly in.”The Cubs are highly motivated to return to the postseason after a prolonged absence, and an aggressive approach is still expected as Chicago prepares for a divisional race that could be a battle to the end. But the Cubs’ level of aggressiveness remains to be seen.That’s one of the fun parts of this job, you have to alter your playbook.
Jed Hoyer
