Chicago Cubs Rumors: Manny Machado, high-end relievers tied to team

It’s that time of year. Where Chicago Cubs fans collectively hold their breath and see what Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have up their sleeves.

In each of the last two seasons, the Chicago Cubs wound up pulling the trigger on some huge deadline deals. Now, the end result of each campaign differed – but it showed a willingness on the front office’s part to do what needs to be done in order to capitalize on this window.

En route to a World Series championship in 2016, Theo Epstein acquired flame throwing closer Aroldis Chapman. While the merits of such a trade could be debated – the lefty’s impact on the pen cannot. Without him, Chicago doesn’t win a title. It’s that simple.

Last season, after the Brett Anderson experiment went off the rails, Chicago added Jose Quintana from the crosstown White Sox. The jury’s still out on what that will look like down the road given the steep price the Cubs paid in prospects.

That’s what each of the last two seasons had in common – a dramatic emptying of the farm system. In those two trades, the Cubs parted ways with Gleyber Torres, Dylan Cease, Billy McKinney and Eloy Jimenez.

But with the system lacking any real impact talent (a recent B/R breakdown ranked the Cubs’ prospect pool as the worst in baseball) – any deadline deals in 2018 will require packages even casual fans are sure to take notice of.

Chicago Cubs-Baltimore Orioles seem an unlikely match

We’re not going to get into the logistics here. Really, it comes down to comparing two players: Addison Russell and Manny Machado.

The latter may very well be the most valuable middle infielder in the league. He’s mashing the ball this year to the tune of a .307/.378/.579 line with 50 runs batted in to go with 18 homers. Not to mention, he’s capable of playing both shortstop and third base – only lending further value.

Related Story: Get over the Machado-Harper love affair, guys.

After two-straight shutouts at the hands of the rival Milwaukee Brewers, Cubs fans undoubtedly want Machado’s bat in the lineup on a nightly basis. It no doubt provides further depth and probably makes Chicago the best team, at least on paper, in the NL. But on the other side of the coin, you’ve got Addison Russell.

Now, comparing the two offensively is a joke. We’re all thrilled with Russell batting north of .270 – let alone putting up numbers comparable to the O’s shortstop. But where he does hold a significant edge over Machado is with the leather.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:

For what it’s worth — and 2 1/2 months of any defensive metric probably is not worth much — Machado ranks last at shortstop in defensive runs saved, minimum 250 innings (the Cubs’ Addison Russell ranks first)

Now, as Rosenthal points out (and wholeheartedly agree) – this may be Machado readjusting to shortstop after years at third. But the point still stands. Russell brings a great deal of value with his defense. And with a rotation that lacks swing-and-miss arms, are you ready to jettison that glove for more offense?

Probably not.

Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres ready to revisit talks?

Before acquiring Justin Wilson last summer, the Cubs checked in with the Friars regarding left-handed reliever Brad Hand. Once San Diego asked for Javier Baez in return, things wrapped up pretty quickly.

In hindsight, that sure seems like the right call. El Mago is in the midst of a career year at the plate, while continuing to provide Gold Glove-caliber defense alongside Russell in the middle of the Cubs’ infield. But, according to 670 The Score, discussions could restart ahead of the deadline.

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And, as Bruce Levine rightly points out, Joe Maddon is running his bullpen into the ground this year. Though, that’s hardly his fault (at least not entirely his fault). Starters like Quintana, Tyler Chatwood and Yu Darvish haven’t exactly been horses out there on the hill.

As for Hand, the southpaw has even more value than he did last year this time. Why? He inked a contract extension with San Diego over the offseason – a three-year, $19.75 million deal. Hardly a budget-buster, especially for a large market team like Chicago.

Oh, and he’s still dominating on the mound. He entered Thursday with a 0.934 WHIP, 1.78 ERA and a career-high 21 saves as the Padres’ closer. Adding someone like Hand to the Chicago pen is downright scary if you’re a rival club – but the question comes down to this: do the Cubs have enough left in terms of chips to get a deal done?

Again, it’s hard to envision. But seems far likelier than Machado.