The Chicago Cubs have been floundering in recent weeks, unable to find a way to consistently win baseball games. After an impressive start to the season, they have come back down to reality.
Jed Hoyer will have a tough decision to make before the late-July MLB trade deadline. Does he get aggressive and try to push this team towards contention? Or, do they stand pat and wait for the offseason to build up for another run?
More than likely the Cubs will end up being buyers. They have shown flashes of being a very good team and an addition or two could power them back to that level of play.
Currently, Chicago holds a 32-34 record. While they are still very much in contention, they haven't looked the part recently.
One potential trade target that has come up in rumors is Toronto Blue Jays star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He would add the kind of power that the Cubs have been needing and would likely be a long-term addition that could help Chicago compete for years to come.
Zach Presnell of FanSided has suggested a way that the Cubs could pull off a trade for Guerrero. He is suggesting a blockbuster trade between the two teams.
In his trade scenario, he has Chicago acquiring Guerrero in exchange for third baseman Christopher Morel, right-hander Michael Arias, outfielder Brennen Davis, and outfielder Yohendrick Pinango.
That's a hefty price to pay, but a price that would make sense. Here's what Presnell had to say about the Cubs acquiring Guerrero.
"Acquiring Guerrero Jr. would boost the Cubs playoffs odds tremendously. They desperately need a kickstart their year back in the right direction before it's too late. If they wait too long, they could see their entire season go down the drain before they even make a move."
So far this season with the Blue Jays, Guerrero has put up big numbers. He is batting .287 to go along with seven home runs and 30 RBI's. Those are the kind of productive numbers that Chicago will need in order to become a legitimate playoff contender.
At 25 years old, Guerrero could also be a building block for the Cubs' franchise moving forward. They could work out a long-term deal and he's not an expiring contract. That alone makes this more intriguing than a trade for another slugger like Pete Alonso.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what Chicago chooses to do ahead of the deadline. Making a splash like this would certainly be preferred by the fan base, but Hoyer has not been the kind of decision-maker that wants to please the fans. We'll just have to wait and see.
