Cubs fans aren't going to like trade deadline rumor suggesting NL's rich will get richer

For much of the past four years, Jed Hoyer has duped Chicago Cubs fans into believing that intelligent spending was the right way to correct the flaws of the past contention window.

Rather than realistic expectations that the Cubs would jump out ahead of the market and bring the top available free agent to Chicago, fans have had to watch the teams at the top of the National League continue to add premium talent and never be comfortable with the current state of the roster.

For Hoyer, the fact that he is comfortable depending on internal solutions to the Cubs' current needs is unacceptable. Had it not been for the parity across the National League, at 33-35 on the season, the Cubs would already be established sellers ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline. Fortunately, the Cubs are only a half-game out of the final National League Wild Card spot and there is still hope that the Milwaukee Brewers will come back down to earth despite their current seven-game lead in the division.

Of course, given the Cubs' farm system, this would be a prime time for Hoyer to finally utilize the resources that a team in the third-largest market of Major League Baseball should have. Instead, Cubs fans are likely facing another deadline when teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves prove once again why Hoyer's approach is wrong.

The Cubs will once again be on the outside looking in regarding top moves at the MLB Trade Deadline.

Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. is likely the top position player on the market this deadline season and there is no sniff of the Cubs being involved. Instead, the National League's rich appear to be willing to get richer.

Hoyer is afraid of being on the losing end of any deal that he makes. That is his priority, not winning games. As long as that is the mindset that Hoyer has while operating the Cubs' baseball operations, there will never be a reason to expect the Cubs to get the top talent available.