Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer confirmed the team has no plans to acquire rental players at the July 30 trade deadline, putting the focus on 2025 and beyond.
“Unless things change dramatically” in the next week, Hoyer said before Monday’s 3-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. That sudden reversal happened with an eight-game winning streak that began at this time last summer. But the Cubs have been given enough time to show their identity. With a 49-53 record and only 60 games remaining, reality is beginning to sink in.
What does this mean?
The front office won’t stand pat
As Theo Epstein’s general manager and eventual replacement, Hoyer has been prominently involved in 12 trade deadlines as a Cubs executive. Each time, to varying degrees, the club committed to buying or selling.
There were forward-looking trades for unproven players like Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta. There were blockbuster deals to complete the 2016 World Series team and strengthen a championship nucleus.
The Cubs added during the 2020 pandemic season, dismantled at the 2021 deadline and targeted minor-league pitchers Ben Brown and Hayden Wesneski in 2022. Even last year’s measured pivot saw Hoyer acquire Jeimer Candelario, who might have been the best hitter available at that moment.
The Cubs added Jeimer Candelario at the deadline last year and got a .764 OPS out of him in 41 games. (David Kohl / USA Today)
“Take away where you are from a competitive standpoint,” Hoyer said. “There are very few times of the year that people actually transact. Deadlines force action in this business. When you have a deadline, people are willing to have more serious conversations. We’re always in conversations. But with no deadline, there’s not a lot of pressure, so the idea of both teams coming to an agreement is hard.
“That’s part of how we’ve always looked at it. It’s a time of year when people do deals. Therefore, at some level, you have to take advantage of that. You have to be in that marketplace. Because if you sit that out, you miss that opportunity to, if nothing else, find out how people value your players.”
Relievers will be on the move
The Cubs will listen to concepts involving any of their players, including All-Star pitcher Justin Steele and Gold Glove second baseman Nico Hoerner, but the prices for those theoretical deals would be exorbitant.
A much more likely scenario involves restructuring the bullpen. Hoyer generally avoids big commitments to relievers, viewing their performances as too volatile and unpredictable. With the bullpen performing well recently, it would make sense to sell high on certain players.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell is also open to incorporating young pitchers and comfortable enough operating without an established closer. After the trade deadline, there will only be two months of innings to cover and the schedule eases up somewhat. Some injured pitchers should get healthy in time to return this season and maintain a competitive baseline.
Since playoff contenders are constantly searching for bullpen help, Mark Leiter Jr., Héctor Neris, Drew Smyly and Jorge López could draw varying amounts of interest. The Cubs also activated Julian Merryweather from the 60-day injured list before Monday’s game. Moving a veteran reliever would also create an opening for a rookie with 100 mph velocity the Cubs would like to develop, such as Hunter Bigge, who was just optioned back to Triple-A Iowa.
“You have to be opportunistic,” Hoyer said. “Not just as it relates to the bullpen, but with everything. You’re always going to be listening. You’re always going to be thinking about what things can make us better for the future. There are seasons that you play so well and put yourself in such a good position where the only focus is on: ‘How do we get ready for the playoffs? How do we make sure we make this team bulletproof for the next 60 games?’
“We’re obviously not in that spot. So when you’re not in that position, you do have to be opportunistic and try to be creative.”
No plans to take a step back next year
The day after the deadline, the Cubs will still have a core group of players with no-trade clauses, a top-tier farm system, financial flexibility and one of the best managers in the game. Steele and Shota Imanaga are expected to be the headliners in a strong rotation that can be augmented via free agency, trades and homegrown pitching. Counsell believes young talent like Pete Crow-Armstrong will learn from these experiences and improve at an accelerated rate. The existing lineup could function at a much higher level with a middle-of-the-order slugger.
“We’ll project well going into ’25,” Hoyer said. “I look at the organization and our outlook very similar to the way I looked at it on Opening Day or on May 1. Obviously, you are what your record says you are. We struggled for those two months. But there’s no reason to think that with the right additions that we won’t be right where we thought we were going to be going into this year, if not even a little bit further along because the young players are further along.
“Of course, you’re getting new information, new data every single day to make those decisions (on individual players). Things do shift. It would be crazy to say nothing’s changed. Of course, things have changed. My point is on a macro, 30,000-foot level, that’s how I (look at it).”
Can’t completely dismiss the Cody Bellinger trade speculation yet
It’s an extreme long shot that everything falls into place in one week and the Cubs find the right deal for Cody Bellinger, a former MVP with a broken middle finger, two opt-out clauses in an $80 million contract and diminished power numbers.
Bellinger, though, has made progress since the All-Star break, repeatedly hitting in the cage and possibly progressing toward batting practice Tuesday at Wrigley Field. The throwing program has gone slower, and he will have to see how his left hand reacts to velocity and the adjustments to different speeds.
“There are some hurdles to clear,” Counsell said, but the manager described the Cubs as “cautiously optimistic” Bellinger could return faster than anticipated.
(Top photo of Seiya Suzuki: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
