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Unlike in recent seasons, we know exactly the direction the Chicago Cubs will take at the MLB Trade Deadline. The Cubs are one of the best teams in Major League Baseball and will be buyers at the deadline. However, this season's trade market is shaping up to be quite different from the deadlines of yesteryear.
The biggest reason for that is the number of teams that are in contention in each league. In the American League, 10 teams are under 10 games out from one of the Wild-Card spots. In the National League, the number is 9 teams. In other words, before the All-Star break, there are only five teams that are clearly going to be sellers at the deadline--the Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, and Colorado Rockies.
Beyond that, for a team like the Cubs, with a need for a frontline starting pitcher, there isn't a true ace available. Beyond identifying the right pitcher who would check that box, the Cubs need to make sure the addition answers another question: Will the trade make them a World Series Contender? Cubs' insider Bruce Levine expanded on that thought during a recent interview with 670 The Score.
The Cubs need to ask themselves a question as they make decisions on the trade market in the coming weeks.
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) July 8, 2025
"The question is are you trying to get in the playoffs or win a World Series?" @MLBBruceLevine says.
Listen: https://t.co/AfsPQOLDxx pic.twitter.com/qP1QO1fMMh
This deadline question could push Cubs into action
The answer to that question should be a resounding yes. As the Cubs only have two months left of having Kyle Tucker on their roster, every move they make for this season should be with the intent of becoming a legitimate World Series contender.
As that intent relates to the Cubs' need for a starting pitcher, they will need to be certain that the pitcher they are acquiring can move the needle on the 2025 season. Sandy Alcantara has a Cy Young Award attached to his profile, but this season, he's been far from a frontline starting pitcher. If the Cubs aren't certain they can fix Alcantara this season, then it would be a move that would lack logic when talking about the purpose of the team being a buyer at this season's deadline.
When Jed Hoyer and company go about their business ahead of the deadline, that needs to be at the center of every discussion they have. Would the trade solidify the Cubs' chances of reaching the World Series this season? If it doesn't, that's a move that shouldn't take priority.