5 Players Chicago Cubs Need to Target at the Trade Deadline

The Chicago Cubs find themselves in so many worlds of hurt that it is hard not to give up on the season. As of June 19, the Cubs find themselves in last place in the NL Central. According to MLB.com, they are 26th in team batting average, 20th in home runs, and 24th in slugging. With runners in scoring position, especially in May and June, the Cubs are close to dead-last, only in front of teams like the Oakland A's and Chicago White Sox.

The Cubs do not have a hitter batting over .275 (RF Seiya Suzuki is batting .271) or an OPS over .800 (Suzuki is at .793 and LF Ian Happ is at .745). In the lineup on June 18, the Cubs had four hitters batting below .200 - 3B Christopher Morel, CF Pete Crow Armstrong, C Miguel Amaya, and C Yan Gomes.

But it isn't like the Cubs front office to give up. Last season, the Cubs were not in last place, but were not in a good position either and were buyers at the trade deadline and almost made the playoffs. The 2024 roster was built to avoid a photo finish, but they sure aren't making it easy on themselves.

Standings-wise, this situation is not as dire as it may seem. There is really only one win separating the Cubs, Pirates, Reds, and Cardinals. Milwaukee has an 8.5-game lead over the Cubs for first place. The Cubs will try to rectify the situation.

On the trade market, they need to target a few hitters. Several potential trade candidates look extremely inviting, both contract and performance-wise. On paper, it feels like the Cubs are a powerhouse at the plate. Who would you really want to swap out? But it is really hard to call anyone a powerhouse right now. Here are a few options.

Pete Alonso, New York Mets

Michael Bush and Cody Bellinger (and sometimes Patrick Wisdom) have been switching off at first base. Alonso is in his last year of his contract, which could possibly make him a rental. Though he had a slow start, he is batting .243 with a .790 OPS, 15 home runs and 40 RBI's. In his last 40 games, he has an OPS at almost .900. Alonso could fill a DH role as Bush's defense has been superior.

Miguel Andujar, Oakland Athletics

Andujar came off an injury and started the season late but has since posted a .314 batting average and a .756 OPS. With OF Mike Tauchman out for an unknown amount of time, it would be good to replace him with someone who gets on base consistently. The problem is that the Cubs outfield is pretty crowded with Happ, Bellinger, Suzuki, Armstrong, and Tauchman (when healthy). To get a reliable bat, it may not matter.

Elias Diaz, Colorado Rockies

Last year's All-Star MVP looks like an All-Star again this year. He is currently on the IL with a calf strain, which should be a short-term issue. To date, Diaz is hitting .303 with 28 RBIs and a .791 OPS. Like Andujar, he doesn't supply much-needed slugging like Alonso does, but, at the catcher position, if your name is not Contreras (or Rutschman), it is hard to find major hitting. It is no secret that the catcher position is the Cubs weakest link offensively. Bringing on Tomas Nido (and letting Yan Gomes go) from the Mets does provide 30 more batting points (.229 average) than C Miguel Amaya. It just doesn't feel like a solution.

The Cubs also need to target pitchers on the trade market even though their starting rotation is elite. Even Kyle Hendricks showed a return to form on June 19 against the Giants. The bullpen has been a little bit of a roller coaster. RHP Mark Leitier, Jr. started off the year as unhittable but has been giving up runs as of late. RHP Hayden Wesneski is struggling mightily with keeping the ball inside the park.

However, no position is more vulnerable for the Cubs than the closer role. RHP Hector Neris is trying to hold down the role but his 4.73 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, and four blown saves in 14 opportunities show that he isn't a good fit.

Carlos Estevez, Los Angeles Angels

After a few bad outings, he has really righted the ship. He has not given up a run in June. He has lowered his ERA by almost four runs since the end of April to 3.52. He has 23 strikeouts in 23 innings. He holds a .87 WHIP. This type of power pitching is needed sorely in high leverage situations.

Kyle Finnegan, Washington Nationals

Finnegan has 33 strikeouts in 31.1 innings, .83 WHIP with a 1.72 ERA. He has 21 saves in 23 opportunities. Since April 3, he has given up three earned runs. He is almost assuredly an All-Star. He isn't even a free agent until the end of the 2025 season. Finnegan is the type of reliability the Cubs need in the ninth inning.

The Cubs lead the league in one run games. They also lead the league in losing one run games. An improved offense could start widening leads, taking pressure off starting and relief pitchers. More reliable late inning pitching could stop giving up the late game leads that have been the Cubs trademark all season.

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This article was originally published on dawindycity.com as 5 Players Chicago Cubs Need to Target at the Trade Deadline.