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The Chicago Cubs have proven to be one of the better teams this season, posting the fourth-best record in Major League Baseball at 40-26, and have a comfortable lead over the St. Louis Cardinals for the National League Central. The Cubs can thank their offense for getting them to where they are, as they have seen every player contribute to scoring at one point or another.
The biggest standout by far has been Pete Crow-Armstrong, whose name has been circulating in the top five for the MVP discussion. The Cubs’ offense has drawn people’s attention away from the real problem with the team, which is the pitching staff.
The Cubs entered the season with high expectations, which included making the playoffs, and not having a complete pitching staff will cause them problems as the season progresses. Thankfully, President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, understands the assignment and prioritized acquiring pitching by the trade deadline.
Jed Hoyer confirms the Chicago Cubs’ plans for the trade deadline
The Cubs will be one of the teams that will be aggressive at this year’s trade deadline, with Bob Nightengalereporting the Cubs will be looking to acquire pitching at the deadline, with a front-line starter or a backend reliever being at the top of their wish list. Hoyer confirmed those reports with his recent appearance on The Show podcast hosted by the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, where he said the Cubs will be looking for starters and relievers and said that “you’ve got to keep building depth”.
Hoyer via The Show podcast:
“I think we’re going to be looking for pitching, both rotation and in the bullpen,” Hoyer said. “I don’t think that’s a secret. That’s not a knock on the guys we have. But I think in today’s game, you’ve got to keep building depth.”
Hoyer also confirmed that the Cubs could look to hold pat on the position player side, going as far as to say that:
“Barring injury, there are probably some small things [we’ll consider] on the offensive side, but really I think that our position-playing group has been really good….The depth we have, top to bottom, I think we’re getting production both offensively and defensively from all our spots. That’s made a huge difference. As I think about it, pitching is the likely direction we would take if we were adding [at the deadline],” Hoyer said.”
The Cubs need pitching at the deadline
Adding a top-of-the-line starter has been a need for the Cubs since the winter. They had a chance to add one over the offseason, but opted to add on the margins and not spend for a high-end starter.
The Cubs have been operating with a depleted starting staff, with Shota Imanaga working his way back from a hamstring injury, and Justin Steele being out for the entire season after undergoing arm surgery. Thankfully, Imanaga will be back soon, as he has begun his rehab outings and will give a nice jolt to a starting staff with the 10th-best ERA in baseball at 3.94.
Adding a late-inning reliever or a closer would also help, as Ryan Pressly has been hit or miss this season, and Daniel Palencia is still a young and inexperienced reliever having his first successful season of his career. With the trade deadline a little over seven weeks away, the Cubs still have time to evaluate their options and pinpoint the right players they need to acquire to get them over the hill and make and win a playoff game.
More must-reads:
- Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani reaches yet another incredible milestone
- Why Red Sox may regret extending rookie Roman Anthony
- The 'MLB playoff home run leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Why Red Sox may regret extending rookie Roman Anthony
To say that the Boston Red Sox are keeping MLB fans and analysts on their toes this season is an understatement. Almost two months after trading the face of their franchise, Boston signed MLB’s No. 1 prospect, Roman Anthony, to an eight-year, $130 million extension. Between trading Rafael Devers and locking Anthony up through 2034, the Red Sox have been the boldest MLB team this season by far. But will this move pay off? Fans expected Sox owner John Henry to spend money on the team during the offseason, but no one anticipated a massive mid-year pact with a rookie would occur. Anthony has only played 46 MLB games, during which he has slashed .283/.400/.428 with 19 RBIs and two home runs. While his rapid ascent through the minor league and hot start to his professional baseball career are beyond what fans could’ve asked for, Anthony’s extension is still premature from a financial perspective. With a $16.25 million AAV on his contract, the Sox have piled high expectations onto a player who recently turned 21 years old. For Anthony’s sizable and long-term commitment to be worth the investment, he should produce an annual 2.0 WAR at least and earn at least three or four All-Star, Gold Glove or Silver Slugger Awards by the end of his contract. For reference, Marcell Ozuna and Kyle Tucker received contracts within $250,000 AAV of Anthony’s contract AAV, according to Spotrac. All three achieved this criterion before they were rewarded with lucrative agreements. Weighing these standards against Anthony’s newness to MLB, it’s nearly impossible to say Boston’s decision-making was backed by more than just impulse. Somehow, Anthony isn’t the first rookie the Red Sox extended this year. With five games of baseball under his belt, Boston closed an eight-year, $60 million deal with Kristian Campbell, who was MLB’s No. 6 prospect at the time. While Campbell’s $7.5 million AAV is drastically different from Anthony’s, the Sox’s strategy to hoard young players before they’ve had enough time to prove themselves isn’t logical. Keeping Anthony off the free-agent market for the next decade may be the best risk the Sox have ever taken, or it may be one of the most expensive decisions made. Anthony must deliver the high-performance projections his contract sets for his early extension to pay off, but odds are, Boston is putting the cart before the horse.
Jerry Jones takes another jab at Micah Parsons over contract stalemate
The Dallas Cowboys have a big problem on their hands right now. Micah Parsons has formally requested to be traded, and he took to social media to vent his concerns and frustration with his contract extension situation. However, team owner Jerry Jones isn't ready to budge. If anything, the controversial business mogul doesn't sound too worried about that. Talking to the media, he implied that he had already shaken hands on an extension with Parsons, so he just has to wait now: "I bought the Dallas Cowboys with a handshake," Jones said, per The Athletic's Jon Machota. "It took about 30 seconds. I gave the number, shook hands, the details we worked out later." Jones, one of the most successful businessmen of his generation, pretty much stated that he wouldn't change the way he does business. "Just so you understand the way that I communicate with people that I negotiate with. Let's leave it at that," Jones continued. "There's is no question that in the case of a player contract, you have to have it in writing. All parties do. We have a contract in writing, yet we're still talking about renegotiating, so so much for that." Parsons has every right to feel frustrated. He's one of the best pass-rushers in the game, and he's the youngest in the short list of superstars at the position. The Cowboys have a long history of dragging out negotiations for as long as they can, and that's usually rubbed their players the wrong way. Parsons is still under contract, and the Cowboys can technically wait to give him an extension because the market isn't likely to go any higher after T.J. Watt already got a deal done. But sometimes, it's not just about money, and these power struggles are terrible for team morale.
NFL Hall of Famer reveals why he chose to join Deion Sanders' Colorado coaching staff
Patriots stars react to HC Mike Vrabel getting bloodied while breaking up camp fight
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel likely won the respect of his team Wednesday. However, he may have needed a few stitches afterward. The Patriots hosted a joint practice with the Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. New England rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson took a Commanders pass-rusher to the ground in pass protection, resulting in a scuffle. Vrabel then jumped in to help stop the fight. His face was bloodied after both teams calmed down. Patriots second-year quarterback Drake Maye loved that his coach was willing to step in. In a news conference after practice, the 22-year-old passer said that's the mentality the team needs. "That's what we're trying to build," he said. "The intensity, bringing it every day, taking no cr-p when we're out on the field. But also, it comes a time where, with our guys offensively, and getting over there and getting some tussles and kind of having some penalties, and extra after the whistle, can get us in trouble. But for mentality, I like it. I mean, I almost got in there, but I think maybe another day, maybe." His new coach doesn't want the QB to get in any brawls. The Patriots are banking on the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft being the franchise's future. Plus, he doesn't need to worry about the Patriots' intensity with Vrabel in the building. New England wide receiver DeMario Douglas noted the former linebacker didn't seem rattled after breaking up the scrap. "I said, 'Coach, what's wrong with you?' And he said, 'You should have seen the other guy,'" Douglas told the media while smiling. "I just saw the scar on his face but didn't know what was happening." Vrabel likely sent two messages at Wednesday's practice. He won't tolerate an undisciplined team but also has his players' backs. That could go a long way for a Patriots squad aiming to improve after a 4-13 season.
Travis Kelce's attitude about Super Bowl LIX loss won't help Chiefs return to the big game
How does a team move on from a crushing Super Bowl loss? According to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, forget about it immediately. The Philadelphia Eagles dismantled the Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans last season. While it was disappointing for the TE, Kelce said he moved on from it quickly. "I've thrown that thing in the trash," the TE told the media at training camp Wednesday. "I've moved on. It happened sooner than you can imagine. I was pretty focused on this year in the offseason." But can the Chiefs simply trash the Super Bowl loss, or will its effects linger throughout the season? History says the latter. Just six teams have made it back to the big game after losing the previous season. Of those six teams, just three have won it: the 1971 Dallas Cowboys, 1972 Miami Dolphins and 2018 New England Patriots. The San Francisco 49ers imploded last season after losing Super Bowl LVIII to the Chiefs. They went 6-11, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season. The 49ers lost several stars to injury, including running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee). The injury bug could already be biting Kansas City. Kelce, who turns 36 on Oct. 5, just had a major admission about his injury status. Meanwhile, two of quarterback Patrick Mahomes' top targets are both dealing with injuries early in camp. Meanwhile, Kansas City is also dealing with a few glaring concerns in camp. The Chiefs also may face increased competition in the AFC West. Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is confident his team is a Super Bowl contender. New Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith, meanwhile, thinks the Silver and Black are being underestimated. And the Los Angeles Chargers are coming off a playoff trip in their first season under HC Jim Harbaugh. Forgetting about the loss may not help the Chiefs. They must learn from it to navigate what should be a difficult path back to a championship.
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