5 reasons the Chicago Cubs should be buyers no matter what

This next week for the Chicago Cubs always feels like playoff baseball. If they have a good week, they will be able to be in a situation to buy at the MLB's August 1st trade deadline. If they have a losing week, it appears all bets are off, and the team will sell off its valuable assets in Cody Bellinger, Marcus Stroman, and potentially others. However, looking at what has transpired throughout the season to get us where we are, identifying what's going on now, and how things can still shake up over the remainder of the season provides reason to believe that the Cubs still have a shot in the NL Central.

The Cubs have several reasons to believe they're turning the corner and can turn on the jets in the second half. Now, Let's go ahead and glance over why the Cubs need to be buyers this season, no matter what. Collectively, all five of these reasons make sense for the Cubs to be buyers at the deadline, regardless of what happens over the next week of baseball games.

5 reasons the Chicago Cubs should buy - Cody Bellinger is back in MVP form

With all the talk of how much Cody Bellinger could hypothetically net the Cubs in return at the trade deadline, let's shift gears and understand how much keeping him also makes sense. We've already discussed how we will be staying if the Cubs keep winning. For a guy that struggled to get anywhere near his MVP season in 2019 over the past three seasons, Bellinger is now fully healthy from the nagging issues that caused his decline in the first place. Slashing .319/.369/.549 over the season with 14 homers and 44 driven in, his 144 wRC+ puts him in great company, currently 8th in the NL.

Nevertheless, his season numbers are phenomenal, but his month of July has propelled him back to the original heights that led to his MVP season in the first place. This month, Bellinger is slashing a ridiculous .452/.475/.795 with an OPS north of 1,200, ISO of .342, 237 wRC+, and even more impressively, a minuscule 8.8% K rate in 80 plate appearances. It's unrealistic to expect Bellinger to sign a contract extension during the season, but they still need to try to show him how much they want him around. His type of season is what can help put the Cubs on his back and what leads me to my second point.

5 reasons the Chicago Cubs should buy - Remaining strength of schedule

For the remainder of the year, even if the Cubs are still 6.5 games back at the time of writing, their remaining strength of schedule is one of, if not the weakest, in all of baseball. For August and September, 29 of the Cub's remaining games are against teams well under .500, including a stretch of 12 straight against the White Sox, Kansas City, Detroit, and Pittsburgh. Power Rankings Guru currently tabs the Cubs as having the most manageable schedule the rest of the way.

That is why, even if you still are 3-4 games back in the NL Central at the time of the deadline, there's reason to believe the Cubs still have plenty of time to climb back against teams such as Cincinnati and Milwaukee, who admittedly don't face the toughest of foes either. Still, Cincinnati, for example, just began a very tough stretch, and Milwaukee faces a more challenging time in August than they do over the next couple of weeks.

Still, the Cubs' slight advantage of the strength of schedule provides an opportunity that if they add a couple of pieces at the deadline, they will have what it takes to push past. Understandably, losses are losses. However, the period of Cub's one-run losses earlier in the year makes things appear worse than they are. They remain the only NL Central team with a plus run differential. Eventually, the standings will have to correct themselves should that keep up. Given the schedule and adding a couple of players, it's very fair to say the Cubs are certainly not out of this thing.

5 reasons the Chicago Cubs should buy - Return of Dansby Swanson

With Cody Bellinger hogging all the spotlight offensively, let's not let Dansby Swanson's production fall by the wayside. Although struggling before the injury, which inevitably cost him 17 days, the time off has so far appeared to have been a chance to hit the reset button for Swanson. Swanson has recorded multi-hit efforts in both contests in his two games back from IL. He now owns a slash line of .267/.313/.433.

Aside from the above-average offensive mark, Swanson's defense is nearly the best in the league. He is tied in the National League for first in both Outs Above Average (10) and Runs Prevented (7) with the Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes. He is, however, first in the NL among shortstops and 2nd in the league behind Wander Franco of the Tampa Bay Rays. Swanson is part of the new core of the Chicago Cubs, and if he is back to 100% healthy, he is a key contributor on both sides of the field.

5 reasons the Chicago Cubs should buy - 1. The cubs have a real closer again

Still waiting to get the love he deserves is Adbert Alzolay for the gaping hole he has single-handedly filled over the past. Since the beginning of June, Alzolay has impressed with a 2.87 ERA, but more importantly, has recorded seven saves for the Cubs in that time. He brings that electricity and passion to the mound, firing the crowd and making it harder for the batter. Aside from just Alzolay wreaking havoc in his new role, the Cubs will need a couple of key additions.

Quick trade deadline target notes:

As Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation discussed, Targeting C.J. Cron is highly viable. Also, doubling up on the idea with the Colorado Rockies and targeting Daniel Bard (2.02 ERA, signed through 2024) could help give the Cubs a solid 1-2 punch in the back end of their bullpen. Bard's extra year of control also allows the Cubs to build towards 2024 and therefore is precisely the type of player the Cubs should go after.

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