Will the Chicago Cubs Be Buyers At the MLB Trade Deadline?

The Chicago Cubs are on a recent tear in the National League and have gotten back into the playoff race. Will they buy ahead of the August 1 trade deadline? Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman were long thought to be trade assets, but the team has now been forced to reconsider. These high-profile players were assumed to be the biggest chips on the trading block this summer. Now, the Cubs are showcasing a strong reluctance to sell. The team is currently facing off against division-leading Cincinnati Reds at home, trailing four games behind them. This has sparked conversations about whether the Cubs’ recent hot streak is temporary or if they are indeed set to become contenders in the National League. 

On the other side of the spectrum, the Cubs haven’t been playing good baseball teams lately, which could be a big factor in why they’re playing well. In the case of Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger, the question is why the Cubs wouldn’t trade them if they could get substantial returns. Betting odds suggest that despite a hot streak against lower-tier teams, the likelihood of the Cubs making a significant impact in the playoffs seems slim. A World Series appears even more distant. It leads us to question whether retaining Stroman and Bellinger will translate into a successful off-season for the Cubs or if it is a short-lived strategy that will crumble when the playoffs arrive.

Still, if the Cubs can pull off a Philadelphia Phillies-esque run, they could find themselves in the playoffs and be a force to be reckoned with. 

This leads us to the futures of Stroman and Bellinger. Both players have player options available, indicating that they might be eyeing moves away from the Cubs. If the Cubs choose to retain them, it would suggest that they’re willing to invest heavily to lock them down for the long term. 

For now, the Cubs are determined to push forward and put up a strong fight to get back to the postseason. The coming months will be crucial in determining the ultimate fate of this team and whether or not they have made the right decision to keep their pending free agents. 

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