3 most logical trade partners for the Chicago Cubs at MLB trade deadline

Reports indicate that the Chicago Cubs will be heavily active around this year's trade deadline, and Team President Jed Hoyer should have plenty of teams to talk to.

The Cubs currently have four prospects in MLB's top 100 list and a slew of high-upside talent throughout the farm system to bargain with. Although Hoyer is notorious for playing his cards close to his chest when speaking with the media, he has all but guaranteed that the Cubs will be involved in the pitching market for both starters and relievers to help bolster Chicago's staff.

This is a staff that has suffered several major blows over the course of the season, with the most recent being Jameson Taillon's calf injury that will sideline him until August. Not to mention losing Justin Steele for the season and Shota Imanaga for two months. Starting pitching should definitely be a priority, but beefing up the back end of the bullpen and possibly upgrading at third base should also be on Hoyer's radar.

With those areas in mind, here are three teams that make the most sense for the Cubs to make a deal with.

1. Minnesota Twins

Although they just won a series against the Cubs, the Twins' path to the playoffs is very complicated. With a record below the .500 mark and 13 games out of the Tigers' range in the AL Central, the Twins are essentially out of the race unless they go on an insane winning streak.

On the starting side, the Cubs could ask for either Pablo Lopez or Joe Ryan. Both men are quality starting pitchers with years of experience in MLB that could provide a major boost to the Cubs down the stretch. Both would be very expensive, however, as they each have two additional years of team control on their contracts.

But the Twins aren't going anywhere this year and they need more talent for the future to compete with Detroit and Cleveland, so they could be enticed to part with one of their rotation pieces if the Cubs fork over a package of quality prospects. This would definitely be an all-in type move that we haven't seen Hoyer make too often, but the circumstances warrant exploring this kind of trade.

Lopez would be a bit more risky since he is currently on the injured list and scheduled to return sometime in August. But he posted a 2.82 ERA over his first 60.2 innings before hitting the IL in early June. Ryan is also enjoying a career season with a strikeout rate of 28.6% and a 2.76 ERA in 17 starts.

2. Washington Nationals

The Nationals make sense because they have a solid closer that the Cubs could really use to pair with Daniel Palencia. That man is 33-year-old Kyle Finnegan, who is in the middle of his third straight season as Washington's closer and he is producing better numbers than ever.

In 33 appearances, Finnegan sports a 2.43 ERA and 18 saves in 23 opportunities. Finnegan has been a solid reliever for the entirety of his six-season career in MLB and he would be a nice fit in Chicago. This year, his fastball velocity is a bit down, but it still sits at 96.1 mph, and he has limited hard contact from opposing hitters.

Finnegan is playing on an expiring contract and shouldn't be too expensive given his age and relatively low high-leverage experience compared to other closers. The Nationals are also sitting in last place in the NL East, so there is no reason for them to keep Finnegan, who is due to be a free agent at season's end.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks

If the Cubs want to meaningfully upgrade their offensive production at third base, the Arizona Diamondbacks have an answer.

Eugenio Suarez is also in the last year of his contract and he would be a major upgrade compared to Matt Shaw's bat. Despite the Diamondbacks being 9.5 games out of first place, Suarez is enjoying one of the best seasons of his 12-year career in the majors. The 33-year-old is about to match his home run total of 30 from last year, as he smoked his 29th home run of the season against the Padres on Wednesday.

Although his defense is inferior to Matt Shaw's, Suarez's upside at the plate would make the Cubs' offense even more formidable with another slugger in the heart of the order. Trading for Suarez would also bring one of the most notorious Cubs killers to Chicago. Since he joined the league in 2014, Suarez is leading all MLB players with 36 home runs against the Cubs, including five this season. All would be forgiven if he starts hitting dingers in a Cubs uniform.