Latest Chicago Cubs Trade Rumor would not address major need

At the Major League Baseball All-Star break, it would seem that the Chicago Cubs are leaning toward being buyers at the MLB Trade Deadline on July 30.

After winning 5 of their last 7 games prior to the break, the Cubs made up ground in the National League Central. They now trail the Milwaukee Brewers by 8.5 games. In the wild-card race, the Cubs are 3.5 games out of the final spot, with 6 teams ahead of them.

The Cubs' play over the last week better represents the expectations that were cast upon the team at the start of the season, which has created a shift in how they are viewed ahead of the deadline.

“They better be non-sellers,” Heyman said. “They've got to be buyers at this point. I mean, they are the Cubs. They are the third-biggest market. They have the revenue, it’s high. We talk about this a lot. They’re in the race. I know they haven’t been great this year, but they showed something at the end. They beat up on the Orioles.

The key description that Heyman used was "non-sellers". We've reached the point where the Cubs likely are not exclusive sellers at the deadline but that doesn't mean they will make an aggressive buy. Along those lines, Bob Nightengale of USA Today mentions the Cubs have an interest in Toronto Blue Jays' catcher Danny Jansen.

Statistically, Jansen would be an upgrade for the Cubs at Catcher, but in terms of a soft buy, they should look elsewhere. Jansen's numbers have taken a dip, as he has a 86 OPS+ over his last 14 games and a 35 OPS+ over his last 30. Part of the reason why the Cubs may want to add a catcher at the deadline is to improve their offense. Acquiring Jansen would not be the answer to that need.