For the Chicago Cubs, the Major League Baseball trade deadline represents a last chance of sorts.
This is a high-stakes season for the Cubs, driven by the impending free agency of outfielder Kyle Tucker. They've got to make a deep playoff run, trying to convince Tucker to stay while acknowledging that he could very well be on the move.
Obviously, the Cubs aren't a perfect team. But they're a darned good one at 54-36 so far, and with the right additions, they could become one of the most formidable playoff foes for any team in the National League.
Recently, a baseball insider spelled out what sort of additions fans might be able to expect.\
On Tuesday, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian wrote that starting pitching will be the Cubs' top target, and said that the team should be "expected" to go after a top-tier star if one is available.
"The Cubs recently saw Shota Imanaga return from the IL, but veteran righty Jameson Taillon was then shelved for at least a month due to a calf injury. Justin Steele is also out for the season after undergoing left elbow surgery," Bastian wrote.
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"While first-time All-Star Matthew Boyd has been a steady hand, Cade Horton has shown promise as a rookie and Colin Rea has stepped up admirably, the North Siders need at least one arm for the stretch run. Expect the Cubs to target a frontline starter, and perhaps some depth pieces, to shore up the staff for the run to October."
We don't have the space to run through all the starting pitching options available, but it looks like a year in which very few potential aces, or even number-two starters. The Cubs will have to be decisive and aggressive to land a difference-maker.
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