After an impressive start to the 2024 MLB season, the Chicago Cubs have cooled off considerably. They have won just three of their last 10 games and are looking less and less like a team built to be a playoff contender.
Thankfully, they were able to knock off the arch-rival Chicago White Sox on Tuesday evening to improve to 30-31 on the year.
While there is definitely frustration within the fan base, there are also major questions. Will the Cubs look to be aggressive ahead of the MLB trade deadline? Can the team figure out how to get back their early-season winning ways?
There is no question that Chicago has put together a lot of talent. They should be winning at a much higher clip than they have been. A move or two ahead of the trade deadline could get them back on track quickly.
Keeping that in mind, Cubs' president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer spoke out about the state of his team. He had a very blunt take on where the franchise currently stands this season.
“I understand the way the last 5 weeks have gone and we’ve lost 6 straight series and we’ve played poor baseball. In a lot of ways, I think that’s undeniable but we’re talking about a team that played really well for the first month of the season. So we’ve already shown that it’s in there. It’s a matter of getting it out. So yeah, I just expect us to play better.”
For those hoping that Chicago will look to acquire a big bat ahead of the trade deadline to help their floundering offense, Hoyer seemingly hinted that he wasn't looking to make that kind of move right now.
“We’re constantly looking to improve our team and talking to people but I believe in this group. We were 6th in baseball last year in run-scoring. This group is a better offensive team than we’ve shown.”
Even with those comments, Hoyer did admit that he has some issues with the power the Cubs have shown at the plate. Rather, he is concerned with the lack of power.
“The topic sentence is we haven’t hit enough. We haven’t slugged or hit at the right times. We did in April. We didn’t in May. Let’s hope the calendar turning will get these guys back on track.”
Despite admitting that the team has lacked in the power department, Hoyer does not seem to be worried. He seems to think the current roster will be able to figure those issues out.
Granted, going out and making a big trade just to make one doesn't make sense. However, there have been rumors connecting the team to a big bat like New York Mets' star first baseman Pete Alonso. If that trade presents itself, it would seem wise for Chicago to explore a way to make it happen.
All of that being said, no one truly knows what Hoyer's stance on the trade deadline is at this point in time. He may be keeping his cards very close to his chest. Expect to hear more rumors and speculation about potential roster moves in the coming days and weeks.
