What’s the word on the Cubs as the trade deadline approaches?

Craig Counsell, the Chicago Cubs manager who could never be described as happy-go-lucky, sat in the Wrigley Field dugout for Sunday’s pregame media session and chuckled at the question: When your team is 20 games over .500 in the middle of July, do you think about what could go wrong?

“Minute by minute,” Counsell answered without skipping a beat. “I could be at home and be thinking about that, to be honest. Not about the Cubs. It’s not even a Cubs question.”

Cheerful and carefree is simply not how Counsell rolls. That focused attitude will influence how the Cubs approach the July 31 trade deadline. The contrarian manager is an extension of Jed Hoyer’s front office, which obsesses over depth and knows from experience that things can quickly go sideways.

“Injuries or whatever, the bad thing happening, it happens, right?” Counsell said. “That’s what sports is. You can feel bad about it or whatever. It doesn’t do you any good to feel bad about it. It’s the next man up. Nobody’s team is a perfect team.”

That means every team can get better and should be prepared to work on its flaws. The Cubs are no exception after Sunday afternoon’s 6-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox — combined with the Milwaukee Brewers sweeping the defending World Series champs at Dodger Stadium — left them tied for first place in the National League Central.

Based on information from league sources, this is what we’re hearing about the Cubs:

• Eugenio Suárez might not get traded, but if the Arizona Diamondbacks ultimately make that call, the Cubs should be involved until the last minute. Hoyer and Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen are good friends who previously worked together in Boston’s front office. It’s no secret that the Cubs are looking at Suárez as a potential upgrade at third base.

The Diamondbacks, though, have signaled they are prepared to wait until next week before making their buy-or-sell decision. Arizona coming out of the All-Star break and sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals to get back to .500 is an indication the Cubs may have to consider Suárez alternatives.

• Matt Shaw put together some good at-bats against the Red Sox over the weekend — including his first home run since June 7 — but that is no reason to call off the search for another third baseman. As Counsell said: “I don’t think any evaluation is ever made on two days.”

While it seemed almost reactionary when the Cubs optioned Shaw to Triple-A Iowa in the middle of April, Counsell said experience has taught him that roughly 60 or 70 plate appearances is usually a good sample for evaluating young hitters.

Though Shaw has emerged as a solid defender, he’s accumulated 170-plus plate appearances since being recalled from Iowa in late May without gaining much traction. Chicago’s third basemen rank at the bottom of the majors in too many offensive categories. Ever since spring training, when free agent Alex Bregman decided to sign with the Red Sox, this area has been an obvious concern.

While recently expressing confidence in Shaw, Counsell’s tone became much sharper when a reporter wondered if the rookie might be looking over his shoulder with the trade deadline looming.

“Look, Matt’s gotten a great opportunity,” Counsell said. “You kind of take the other side of that: ‘What an opportunity he’s been given.’”

• Charlie Morton is trending the right way and emerging as an option in a trade market that may not feature any true aces. Morton, 41, illustrates a concept that was reinforced when the Cubs passed on Justin Verlander in the summer of 2017. That lesson led them to jump at the opportunity to acquire Cole Hamels at the 2018 trade deadline. Sometimes, it’s smart to bet on the back of the baseball card and see what happens for two months because this sport is so unpredictable.

The Baltimore Orioles signed Morton to a one-year, $15 million contract last winter, hoping he could stabilize their rotation and bring some gravitas to a club with World Series aspirations. By the end of April, though, the Orioles had demoted Morton to the bullpen, part of a team-wide malaise that got the manager fired (Brandon Hyde) and forced the front office into sell mode.

Morton’s first start following the All-Star break — an 11-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays — was not good. But he looked much better in June (3-0, 2.88 ERA in five starts) and he beat the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets in his previous July starts. He had been a solidly above-average pitcher for nearly a decade.

As the Cubs think through possible pitching plans for October, Morton’s World Series rings from the 2021 Braves and 2017 Houston Astros cannot be dismissed.

• Kyle Finnegan does not produce the strikeout rates that light up the projection models, but the Cubs have the Washington Nationals closer on their radar as they explore ways to bulk up their bullpen.

To be clear, the Cubs are fully confident in Daniel Palencia’s ability to handle the ninth inning. In this trading cycle, it’s questionable whether the Cubs could even find an All-Star closer who represents a clear upgrade over Palencia. Rather, the idea would be expanding options for Counsell as the Cubs prioritize matchups, rest and recovery for their pitchers.

With 107 career saves, Finnegan has a sense of composure and a knack for inducing ground balls. It’s reasonable to expect that his stuff would play up in the seventh inning against a more manageable part of an opposing lineup. His numbers would almost automatically improve by leaving a last-place team and pitching in front of an elite defense.

• Owen Caissie was voted “The Prospect Most Likely to be Traded at the Deadline” in Jim Bowden’s recent poll of front offices across Major League Baseball. No one in Chicago’s farm system is untouchable, as Hoyer likes to say, but the Cubs essentially have a tier of prospects they would not include in trades for rental players.

“Yeah, I think that’s fair,” Hoyer said. “That’s always the balance. We’re well-positioned for next year and we want to keep that in mind as we go through this deadline.”

That organizational tension involves Caissie, 23, a powerful left-handed hitter who continues to put up big Triple-A numbers (19 home runs and a .932 OPS through 75 games). For now, Caissie is blocked by Chicago’s corner outfielders and its primary designated hitter, and the Cubs don’t want him sitting on the bench at Wrigley Field.

But with Kyle Tucker expected to explore his options as a free agent this winter, and Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki positioned to become free agents after the 2026 season, it’s understandable why the Cubs may not be in a rush to trade Caissie, unless the return involves impact talent.

• Jefferson Rojas, who was recently promoted to Double-A Knoxville, profiles as another high-level prospect the Cubs would be reluctant to trade in a deal for a rental player. At the age of 20, he was already in his second season at High-A South Bend, where he was two-plus years younger than the average player in the Midwest League. He still posted an .871 OPS, demonstrating the potential the Cubs saw when they gave him a $1 million signing bonus out of the Dominican Republic.

Rojas has primarily played shortstop in the minors, though his more likely defensive position in the future might be third base or second base. If trading him means acquiring a player who can help the Cubs compete for a World Series title in 2025 and beyond, then they will have to be open-minded.

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