As the calendar turns to June, the speculation around possible trades grows as teams figure out where they stand in the race for the playoffs. In baseball, you are a seller if you are not a contender. Teams that find themselves on the outside looking in will unload what talent they can to begin building for the future. So, where are the Chicago Cubs?
Currently, the Cubs are tied for second place in the NL Central division, with the St. Louis Cardinals behind the Milwaukee Brewers. With a 29-31 record, the Cubs are by no means out of things, but they're not sitting too pretty. Projections prove that if the Cubs intend to compete this year, something needs to be added to the lineup.
Lately, the Cubs have been hot on the market as sellers. Last year was the first year they came close to the playoffs since 2020. They made some slight moves, but nothing groundbreaking. It ended up being just one win shy of enough to make the playoffs.
Expectations rose after the offseason, which saw a couple of additions, the biggest of which was an upgrade at manager with Craig Counsell. However, an upgraded manager is no good to an underperforming team. The Cubs do not have a major league catcher on the roster, their bullpen is depleted and unreliable, and the stars are not shining at the plate. A lot of fixes are needed, but what will the Cubs do?
Before the season began, many believed the Cubs would be contenders. So, they'd be expected to be buyers at the deadline. Now that they are in the middle of the pack, things are changing rapidly.
Jeff Passan: Cubs Are In Between Buying And Selling
The latest from ESPN's Jeff Passan is that the Cubs are somewhere between buying at the deadline and selling what they can. If they are to buy, they need a catcher, bullpen relief, and power in the lineup. However, selling would be tricky for who they have and who they'd be willing to part from.
As buyers, the Cubs could talk to the Colorado Rockies about a deal to bring catcher Elias Diaz to Chicago. Certainly, conversations with multiple clubs about various bullpen pieces are bound to be part of a buying plan. Maybe the Cubs swing big and really change up the lineup.
Selling would be a bit more complicated, but Cody Bellinger might be a name to consider. He signed a three-year deal with the Cubs in February but has an option after each season to elect for free agency. Essentially, it's an expiring contract. Passan also mentions Ian Happ (no-trade clause), Jameson Taillon, Hector Neris, and Mark Leiter Jr. as potential selling pieces.
The truth is it's too early to know what the Cubs will do. If things continue to trend downward, we could see their plan to ramp up for 2025 early. However, the tide could change drastically if things turn around in the next couple of weeks. Despite the unknowns in the public's eye, the Cubs may really be exactly where they want to be.
Cubs' Hot Start Skidded To Screeching Halt
After the collapse that kept the Cubs out of the playoffs in 2023, Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer promised the club would be aggressive and open the window to compete in 2024. They were reportedly in the ballpark to land Shohei Ohtani, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But after that race ended, the realization set in that nothing else was really going on.
Part of that was due to the tone of the market. The Cubs eventually landed a deal with Shota Imanaga, a trade to bring in Michael Busch, and an agreement to bring Cody Bellinger back to Chicago. They felt this would be enough with the surplus of talent in the minor leagues ready to lead a new era of Cubs baseball. The reality is that they believed too much in themselves.
Christopher Morel, who they are now forcing to be the third baseman of the future, is batting .195. Seiya Suzuki started the year on an MVP level but has cooled off after injury. Speaking of injury, more than 15 players have been on the injured list so far this year. The bullpen is untrustworthy and without a solidified closer. Everything that could go wrong seemingly has. Yes, some of this is on the players. But Hoyer did his part, too.
"Eminently Practical" Hoyer Always Looking To The Future
Jed Hoyer and General Manager Carter Hawkins believed the in-house pieces would lead this team to win a very winnable division and compete for a title in 2024. Or, at least, we outsiders were led to believe. Additionally, Hoyer and Cubs majority owner Tom Ricketts have been adamant year after year that champions come from within, not spending on players from the outside. Hoyer is the perfect president for Ricketts because they share the same beliefs about spending.
Jeff Passan calling Hoyer "Eminently Practical" in his piece speaks volumes. Like other executives in the league, he knows the Cubs are more prone to staying put than gambling to go for it with Hoyer in the driver's seat. Even if the Cubs were to turn it around, there's no evidence Hoyer would do anything to put the Cubs in a better position to win.
The truth of the matter is that Hoyer is always eyeing the next thing rather than what is right in front of him. Had the Cubs been more proactive with the team for this year, they'd be in a better position. Instead, they're acting like a small-market team, counting on the development of young talent translating to big-league wins. Things may never change as long as Hoyer and Ricketts are teamed up.
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