The Chicago Cubs are in last place and 10.5 games out in the National League Central, a situation that no one expected entering the season. After an offseason of hope and optimism, the Cubs now find themselves in as bad of a position as they've been in during the past few years.
Making the postseason isn't out of reach just yet, as they're only 4.0 games out of the third Wild Card spot. The Wild Card is never the goal, but in baseball, all a team needs is the opportunity to get there.
If Chicago can figure things out in the next month, they could be in a position to make the postseason.
In the scenario that they don't figure things out, there's a chance they sell. Jed Hoyer hinted at that in a recent comment to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
“The idea that this isn’t a topic of discussion all day? Of course it is,” he said, adding that the team’s playoff odds changed last year with the winning.
“We’re still in June, I don’t want it to go there,” Hoyer said of full-scale discussions about selling. “There is a point at which we have to do that. … I don’t think it’s time yet for that whole conversation. But it’s just the reality that we have to play better in July. We’ve backed ourselves into a little corner.”
The Cubs do have pieces they could move if things don't work out, which could always be the better option, depending on how things play out.
However, if they do figure it out, there are trade pieces who could help the ball club.
Jack Flaherty of the Detroit Tigers could be a perfect addition to this rotation. Flaherty is viewed as someone who's certain to get traded, as the Tigers have been one of the worst teams in baseball.
With Chicago having arguably the best farm system in baseball, they have more than enough in terms of assets to land the right-hander with a 3.24 ERA.
The Cubs front office will have to decide if trading for Flaherty, who hits free agency at the end of the campaign, would be worth moving high-level prospects for.
Pitching is always a premium at the deadline, so his price will likely be high. It's uncertain just how high, but Detroit has all the power in this situation.
Whatever happens will likely be determined in the next month, so hopefully, the team will give Hoyer a reason to buy.
