Playing Armchair GM

The Cubs are playing fantastic baseball pretty much across the board and have reached 45 wins earlier than any other season dating back to 2016, in which they hit 45 wins on the same date (June 17th). They're getting enough from their starting pitching, scoring a ton of runs, playing elite defense, stealing bags, and finishing games. And even when they aren't doing all of those things at the same time, they're still finding ways to win baseball games. Here's where this team ranks in a few of those categories among the MLB:

• Total Runs – 2nd

• Run Differential – 1st

• Batting Average – 5th

• Stolen Bases – 2nd

• Defensive Runs Saved – 2nd

• Starting Pitching ERA – 14th

• Relief Pitching ERA – 4th

  
  

It's must-watch TV when this team takes the field. You have two players making MVP pushes, a ROTY candidate, the best middle infield in baseball, and offseason signings outperforming expectations. But they can't be content with the current roster. They've had a difficult time replacing Justin Steele after season-ending surgery, and although the bullpen has been great over the last month, they could still use a high-leverage arm at the back end to replace the shaky free agent signing Ryan Pressly. So here's how GM Jack Peters would handle the upcoming trade deadline:

1. Extend Kyle Tucker

Before this team can do anything, they need to extend Kyle Tucker. He's slashing .284/.394/.909 with 13 HRs and 18 SBs. That slash line is just a tick above his career average, so this isn't an outlier; it's a superstar player playing at a superstar level. He's a sure thing and should be here for the next 5–7 years.

The biggest reason you need to extend him is that you can't go moving your outfield prospects without locking that position down for the future. Once they extend Tuck to a 7-year, $350M deal, then they proceed with #2.

2. Trade for Kris Bubic or Merrill Kelly

I keep seeing rumors about Sandy Alcantara (6.88 ERA) and Zac Gallen (5.19 ERA), and I just don't think those guys are the answers. Both have historically been good pitchers, but I think they're going to cost yesterday’s price for today’s performance; and I'm not willing to pay that. We need to look at these guys as a rental to help us win a World Series. A 4-month guy who can be dominant in the playoffs at the front end of the rotation. And I'm not confident that Gallen and Alcantara can do that the way they're playing right now.

That brings me to two guys who I believe will become available at the deadline and are pitching at a high level now. Kris Bubic is in AL Cy Young conversations and currently owns a 1.92 ERA. He enters arbitration next year and becomes a free agent in 2027, so he might be a little more expensive; but this is a guy who can anchor the top of the rotation. The Royals are in a division that's already won by the Tigers, and they may have just lost their other best pitcher for the majority of the season.

Merrill Kelly, who owns a 3.40 ERA, is the other best option. The D-Backs are a .500 team and probably will look to retool a bit at the deadline. Kelly will be a free agent at the end of 2025, so he might not take as much prospect capital.

Who Do You Trade: Kevin Alcántara/Owen Caissie, James Triantos, and Brett Bateman

Here's a ChatGPT look at Bubic in a Cubs uniform (blue striped AI pants are disgusting)

3. Trade for Aroldis Chapman

Chapman is having his best season since 2016, and the Red Sox seem to be heading toward selling. They're basically a .500 team sitting in 4th place in the division. There are plenty of relievers that'll be on the market come July, but the way the Cubs' bullpen has been playing, I don't think they need a massive, blow-all-your-prospects-type piece. I think they need a reliable guy who can assist Palencia, Thielbar, Pomeranz, and eventually Hodge.

Who Do You Trade: Brandon Birdsell and Jonathan Long

This team is no longer frisky...they're legit, clear contenders who should be pushing some chips to the middle and going for a title in 2025. Nobody regrets trading Gleyber Torres and Daniel Vogelbach for bullpen arms that won us a World Series in 2016. Flags fly forever, and this team is primed to hang another one up by the scoreboard in center.

Like I said before: clear your schedules in October.

I'll leave you with a little MVPete