Michael Conforto just reinforced why Jeff Passan's Cubs trade deadline intel looks off

While most of the offseason moves Jed Hoyer made last winter haven't aged well, the one that continues to look tremendous was the signing of Michael Conforto to a minor-league deal. Conforto hit his fourth pinch-hit home run of the season against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, tying a mark previously set by Glenallen Hill in 1999.

Considering his struggles with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, no one expected Conforto to stick around for the entire season. In fact, when Seiya Suzuki returned from his PCL sprain in April, most expected Conforto to be the odd man out.

Instead, the veteran outfielder has carved out a nice role for himself, and it stems directly from how the Cubs have deployed him this season. Conforto has a 163 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers this season, and just 6 against lefties.

Michael Conforto is thriving, but Cubs won't change his role before the 2026 trade deadline

The result has been Conforto boasting a 125 wRC+ on the season, with an OPS of .825. An outside not aware of how the Cubs have used Conforto this season may think that his resurgence could lead to some creativity at the MLB trade deadline. In other words, maybe the Cubs look to trade Seiya Suzuki as a way to address their need for pitching.

It's a foolish thought exercise, considering the specific reason with which Conforto is having success this season, but one that ESPN's Jeff Passan keeps trying to bring to life.

"Chicago wants to get creative to fill its pitching issues, and that means at least listening on Suzuki, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. Considering the paucity of impact outfielders available, Chicago could try to take advantage of the market and lean into its depth with Michael Conforto and Kevin Alcantara."

To be fair to Passan, he also cautioned that the Cubs may not want to risk removing Suzuki from their starting lineup. It should also be noted that while this "intel" from Passan is the same he had before it was clear the Cubs would be exclusive buyers at the deadline.

For where the Cubs are, it feels like a safe assumption to say Suzuki won't be traded. Just as it's a safe assumption to say the Cubs don't want to mess with what has been working for Conforto this season.

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