Chicago Cubs News: 40-man roster deadline, Brewers find their manager, and more

Tuesday is the 40-man roster deadline for the Chicago Cubs to add prospects to their 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft.

Aug 21, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Cubs pics runner Miles Mastrobuoni (20) celebrates in
Aug 21, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Cubs pics runner Miles Mastrobuoni (20) celebrates in | Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

There should be some movement on Tuesday as teams look to add prospects to the 40-man roster as a way to protect them from the Rule 5 draft in December.

The deadline is at 5 pm CST and, in most cases, there typically is a flurry of trades as teams look to clear space on their 40-man roster. Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported on Monday night that there are trades expected on Tuesday.

Concerning the type of trade to look for on Tuesday, it was on this deadline last year that the Cubs acquired Miles Mastrobuoni from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later.

Mastrobuoni was a fringe Major Leaguer for the Rays and did not have a spot at the Major League level. Mastrobuoni did break Opening Day on the Cubs' Major League team last season but he did not find his footing until the second half.

Pat Murphy won't be the next Chicago Cubs' bench coach

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell was officially introduced on Monday and told reporters that he was in the process of determining what his coaching staff will be for the 2024 season.

There was a belief that Counsell may look to bring Pat Murphy with him from the Milwaukee Brewers to serve as his bench coach with the Cubs but Murphy will instead be the next manager of the Brewers.

St. Louis Cardinals targeting Aaron Nola

More confirmation was provided on Monday that the St. Louis Cardinals will be targeting free-agent starting pitcher Aaron Nola this off-season.

The struggles of the Cardinals' pitching staff were a large part of the reason why their season was derailed in the first half of 2023. If the Cardinals are going to become a threat to win the National League Central in 2024, they need to address the holes in their starting rotation.

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