Cubs fans can count on these 3 players still being around after the trade deadline

Michael Busch looks like the Cubs' long-term solution at first base

Love him or hate him, but Hoyer seems to have nailed the Michael Busch trade. A borderline All-Star candidate in his own right, the former first-rounder has been one of the few bright spots for this team.

Busch enters Tuesday's series opener in Baltimore with an impressive 132 wRC+ and a 2.0 fWAR, both team-bests. He's shown a marked improvement defensively at first and looks like the answer at the position the Cubs have been looking for since trading Anthony Rizzo back in 2021.

Young and under team control through 2030, Busch represents the exact type of player Hoyer has built his entire philosophical approach around: someone who offers a lot of value at a low cost. That's not to say the Cubs won't explore big bats like Pete Alonso in free agency, but regardless of whether he's at first, DH or even second or third, Busch has a future here.