Cubs’ trade deadline checklist will include adding a hitter, too

In the final month before the July 31 trade deadline, the Cubs will be all over the pitching market. Jed Hoyer, the club’s president of baseball operations, and general manager Carter Hawkins are planning to check on virtually every major-league pitcher who is expected to be traded or could become available under certain circumstances. In fact, that process is already underway.

Casting a wide net for pitching, however, would not preclude the Cubs from upgrading their offense, either incrementally with a reconfigured bench or substantially via a larger trade. Hoyer is in the final year of his contract and in his 14th season as a high-ranking executive at Wrigley Field. The track record shows that he will be aggressive and open-minded.

It’s all right there in Jed-speak.

‘No reason to go halfway’

In justifying the massive sell-off at the 2021 trade deadline, Hoyer expressed his fundamental belief in making sound decisions for the organization, over and over again, no matter how uncomfortable or unpopular those may be at the moment: “You don’t let a crisis go to waste.”

After an incremental and measured rebuild, the Cubs are now approaching the inverse of that situation. When a team begins July performing at this level — 14 games over .500, in first place, with a plus-104 run differential — there is no room for half measures.

Undeniably, Hoyer operates with conviction. When the Cubs put together a July hot streak to avoid another sell-off in 2023, not only did Hoyer retain Cody Bellinger, he also acquired Jeimer Candelario from the Washington Nationals, adding perhaps the best major-league hitter traded during that cycle. That reinvestment was for a team hovering around .500, trying to stay within striking distance of a playoff spot.

In assessing the overall trade market and the increasing degree of difficulty in the National League Central, the Cubs will be highly motivated buyers.

‘Life comes at you fast’

Paraphrasing Ferris Bueller became a thing during that summer of 2021, when the onset of an 11-game losing streak forced Hoyer’s group to shift from preparing to buy to scrambling to move veteran players wholesale. Stuff happens.

Contending teams no longer have the same August waiver period to make post-deadline trades. (In hindsight, the Cubs clearly shouldn’t have passed on Justin Verlander before the Detroit Tigers executed that Aug. 31, 2017, deal with the Houston Astros.) That systemic change means the Cubs will have to make extensive preparations for August, September and October by 5 p.m. CT on July 31.

What if someone gets hurt? The Cubs don’t have to go down every injury rabbit hole, but their core group of position players has remained largely healthy. Combined, Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner have played in 96% of the club’s games this year. One errant fastball, an awkward slide or a diving catch at the wall could change this season’s trajectory.

‘Intelligent spending’

The cost to acquire a rental hitter shouldn’t be prohibitive. That was part of Hoyer’s challenge in breaking up the 2016 World Series legends.

Yes, Crow-Armstrong is becoming the kind of star that Javier Báez was at his peak. But that was not the obvious outcome four years ago, when “PCA” was just a minor-leaguer recovering from shoulder surgery, and the Cubs were initially more focused on pitching prospect Matt Allan in their negotiations with the New York Mets.

Otherwise, the Kris Bryant trade with the San Francisco Giants yielded two prospects who did not stick at Wrigley Field (Caleb Kilian and Alexander Canario). The Anthony Rizzo trade is more open-ended — Kevin Alcántara will turn 23 in July and remains a well-regarded prospect — but it’s not like the New York Yankees are haunted by that deal.

What the Arizona Diamondbacks gave up to get J.D. Martinez ahead of the 2017 trade deadline is another historical reference point. The Tigers received three players who did not make an impact in Detroit — Sergio Alcántara, Dawel Lugo and Jose King — while Martinez launched 29 homers in 62 games with the Diamondbacks before cashing in as a free agent.

‘Every season is sacred’

This line does not ring true annually, but the 2025 Cubs are a well-prepared, tight-knit group that plays with confidence. This first-place team has hit the top end of projections while cycling through closers and getting minimal contributions from All-Star pitchers Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga. The serene clubhouse features a nice balance of grizzled players and young talent.

The win-now mode puts Matt Shaw under the microscope at third base, where his defense has been spectacular and his offensive production has been lacking. Looking ahead to potential October matchups, it would make sense to add another right-handed hitter to pair with first baseman Michael Busch. Justin Turner’s postseason experience brings a lot of intangible value, but he’s 40 years old, and he hasn’t gotten into an offensive rhythm as a Cub yet.

As the Cubs think about how to diversify their lineup, Eugenio Suárez, Taylor Ward and Ryan McMahon are among the names to monitor on The Athletic’s trade deadline Big Board.

In many ways, this year was set up to be a reckoning for Hoyer’s front office. Tucker’s looming free agency means the Cubs have to maximize his time in Chicago. Perhaps Crow-Armstrong is the sport’s next superstar, but anyone who’s followed Báez and Bryant knows how difficult it is to sustain that level for an entire career. These moments can be fleeting.

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