Chicago Cubs: Three players to target ahead of the trade deadline

1 of 4

Theo Epstein, David Ross / Chicago Cubs (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) /

If the Cubs want to win it all, they need to make moves before the trade deadline.

Thanks to the Cardinals’ multiple positive COVID-19 tests, we haven’t seen the Cubs take the field since last Thursday. Chicago will enter its series against Cleveland on Tuesday at 10-3, good enough for first place in the NL Central.

That being said, the team has its share of weaknesses. The starting rotation has been historically good, the offense ranks among the best in the league thanks to its ability to drive the ball for extra bases and you’ve got guys like Ian Happ who are putting it all together and seizing the opportunity at hand.

The weakness, if you’re narrowing it down to one, is obviously the bullpen. This group has been up and down, horribly inconsistent and your one guy who’s supposed to lock it down has been the worst of them all in Craig Kimbrel.

I know he’s working through some things and David Ross says he has faith Kimbrel will figure it out. That’s all fine and dandy, but I’m not betting the Cubs’ shot at a second title in five years on it. Not by a long shot. Here are three guys Theo Epstein should be making calls on ahead of the Aug. 31 MLB trade deadline.

Whit Merrifield (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs could boost their offense with Whit Merrifield

So far, the Kris Bryant leadoff experiment hasn’t netted the results Ross and the Cubs were hoping for. On the year, the former MVP carries a .184/.295/.342 slash line to go along with a 29.5 percent strikeout rate, which would be his highest since his 2015 rookie campaign.

We’ve seen it before – when guys move to the leadoff spot, something changes. Bryant has battled through an elbow issue and illness already, so it’s hard to say if he’s been at his best. But with so little margin for error, you can only play the ‘wait-and-see’ game for so long.

Knowing that, Epstein could give the Kansas City Royals a call in hopes of acquiring one of the most contact-conscious hitters in the game in Whit Merrifield. The 31-year-old is on a team-friendly deal and could give this powerful Cubs core that missing spark atop the lineup.

Through 17 games this year, Merrifield boasts a 142 wRC+ and still well above-average speed on the base paths. That’s something Chicago lacks – and adding his bat to the top of the lineup ahead of guys like Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber and the rest of the group would take an already-strong Cubs lineup and make it elite.

Mychal Givens (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs could add another high-upside arm in Mychal Givens

Swing-and-miss stuff. The Cubs bullpen could certainly use some more of that and Baltimore right-hander Mychal Givens could be the answer.

The Orioles aren’t going anywhere (sorry, #Birdland). Building for the future is the name of the game and it’s pretty unlikely Givens is a part of said future. The righty has four scoreless outings to his credit in 2020 – and some of his outlying metrics indicate that’s no fluke.

Givens ranks in the 91st percentile in strikeout rate, 92nd percentile in whiff rate and 76th percentile in xBA. The contact that has been made against him has been solid, though – which could be viewed one of two ways: 1) it’s worrisome and is a huge red flag given it was an issue last year, as well. 2) the Cubs are shopping the clearance rack and this could drive his price down to a more palatable cost.

It’s been a few years since the 30-year-old was viewed as a legitimate ninth-inning option. But the stuff is there and working with Tommy Hottovy and the Cubs’ Pitch Lab, I can’t help but wonder if this could be another heist Theo and the front office could pull off, similar to the one that brought Pedro Strop to Chicago.

Kirby Yates (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Would they go for another elite closer in Kirby Yates?

This one is a long shot. But that’s alright. Stranger things have happened. Fernando Tatis Jr. is putting the San Diego Padres on his back and making baseball fun again out west. The club is 9-7 entering Monday night and that division is the Dodgers’ to lose. But with an expanded postseason field, you know the Friars have their eye set on October.

But in the grand scheme of things, this team is built for the long-haul. You’ve got a cornerstone in Tatis, along with a supporting cast of Eric Hosmer, Manny Machado and Francisco Mejia, among others. Chris Paddack headlines the rotation – and it might not be too long before the team seriously contends.

Their closer, Kirby Yates, is struggling out of the gate. His two-pitch mix hasn’t been effective and he sports an unsightly 10.38 ERA and 2.54 WHIP across his first five appearances. He’s a free agent at season’s end and is already 33 years old. In short, he’s a perfect match with the win-now Cubs.

dark. Next. Will Cubs trade for former Cardinal Trevor Rosenthal?

Last year, Yates was the best closer in baseball. He put up a 1.19 ERA, 0.890 WHIP and 7.77 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He even finished ninth in NL Cy Young voting. If Kimbrel can’t get his act together, a rental like Yates could be the missing piece to the puzzle on the North Side.

Home / Chicago Cubs News

If the Cubs want to win it all, they need to make moves before the trade deadline.

Chicago Cubs could boost their offense with Whit Merrifield

Chicago Cubs could add another high-upside arm in Mychal Givens

Chicago Cubs: Would they go for another elite closer in Kirby Yates?

Schedule