The Chicago Cubs are only one game behind the Detroit Tigers for the best record in the league after kicking off the second half of the season with a victory over the Boston Red Sox.
The Cubs are sitting at 58-39 with one of the best offenses in all of Major League Baseball. Chicago’s offense is second in the league in runs scored, second in slugging percentage, third in home runs and sixth in batting average. The Cubs’ offense picked up right where they left off before the All-Star break, scoring four runs in a 4-1 victory against the Red Sox.
Though many around the league believe the Cubs need pitching ahead of the trade deadline, The Athletic’s Sahadeve Sharma predicts that the Cubs will go and get themselves an upgrade to the offense.
“Everyone around this team assumes pitching is the focus at the deadline,” Sharma wrote. “It is. But the Cubs are going to look at any way to get better. Right now, third base and the bench are not strengths, especially offensively. They’ll find a way to improve at least one of those areas, in turn lengthening an already deep and fearsome offense.”
Matt Shaw may be the Cubs’ third baseman for the future, the rookie has struggled this season, slashing .200/.277/.558 with only two home runs and 15 RBIs. The 23-year-old has struggled even worse at Wrigley Field, with an average of .131. Jon Berti has not performed much better either, so third base could use an upgrade for the offense.
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The bench is another area that the Cubs could improve in before the trade deadline. For a team as good as Chicago to make a deep postseason run this year, having depth is important, as you never know what can happen in October. One thing is certain: the Cubs will be buyers at the trade deadline.
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