Chicago Cubs Rumors: Is outfielder Derek Dietrich a good fit for this team?

The Chicago Cubs could potentially pursue Miami Marlins outfielder Derek Dietrich before the trade deadline. Would he be a good for the North Siders?

It’s that time of year, baseball fans: rumor season. In recent years, this brought big-time deals for the Chicago Cubs. First, the acquisition of Aroldis Chapman that culminated in a World Series title. Last year, Jose Quintana and Justin Wilson joined the club as the Cubs sought another title.

This month, teams have one last chance to improve their roster via trade before the stretch run (and the August 31 waiver trade deadline).

Of course, rumors of potential Cubs’ trade targets started early this season with Baltimore Orioles superstar Manny Machado. Things will ramp up the closer we get to July 31; MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman had news Tuesday, though.

The Cubs need another outfielder?

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Derek Dietrich is a 28-year-old outfielder with the Miami Marlins. While he is a .257 career hitter, he is hitting .287 as of Tuesday, which would be a career high. He also has 11 home runs (13 is his career-high) and holds a respectable .804 OPS.

Dietrich’s numbers speak for themselves, but his defensive versatility also must be noted. He has played 74 games in left field this season in addition to nine games at first base.

Dietrich has also played third base (143 games) and second base (190 games) in his career. Such versatility should not be discounted, especially for a team full of versatile players like the Cubs.

Does Dietrich fit with the Cubs, though? It’s a good question, but a better question is do the Cubs even need position player help. The team has scored 447 runs this season, most in the National League and fourth best in the MLB.

Cubs have more pressing needs right now

Adding a player like Dietrich can’t hurt the Cubs as a whole. However, it could hurt the team’s outfield group which Joe Maddon already juggles to find everyone enough playing time.

Ian Happ and Kyle Schwarber would certainly lose playing time if Dietrich is added (unless they are traded, which seems unlikely). More than anything, though, adding Dietrich seems questionable because the Cubs need pitching help.

Cubs starting pitchers rank sixth in the NL and 11th in the MLB with a 3.87 ERA. This is not terrible, though Tyler Chatwood’s struggles along with Yu Darvish’s injury woes raise the need for starting pitching depth.

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Acquiring Dietrich would be a good move for most MLB playoff contenders. The Cubs simply need more help in other areas than outfield offense, however. One should never say never, but such a move for the Cubs seems unlikely at this time.

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