With the July 30 trade deadline nearing, the Chicago Cubs are unlikely to make moves aimed at salvaging their 2024 season. Jed Hoyer, the team’s president of baseball operations, indicated to reporters on Monday that unless there is a significant change in circumstances, the Cubs will focus on building for the 2025 season and beyond rather than bolstering their chances for the remainder of 2024.
Currently sitting fourth in the NL Central with a 48-53 record as they prepare to face the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, the Cubs recently lost two out of three games to the Arizona Diamondbacks in their first series post-All-Star break. They find themselves 3.5 games behind the final wild-card spot in the National League.
The Cubs showed promise at the start of the 2024 season with a 17-9 record, but a challenging stretch from late May to early June led to a drop below .500, and the team has struggled to recover since.
According to reports from The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, Ken Rosenthal, and Will Sammon, the Cubs are “listening” to trade offers ahead of the deadline. Players like starting pitcher Justin Steele and second baseman Nico Hoerner have drawn interest, although the Cubs’ asking price for them is reportedly steep, which may limit their trade prospects.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today also mentioned that veteran pitcher Jameson Taillon has attracted interest from the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
Given the likelihood of missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, it appears the Cubs’ best strategy may involve trading away top players to acquire assets that can benefit the team in the long term.
