ESPN links Cubs to 12 of Top 50 trade targets

Bregman was linked with the Cubs by ESPN (Troy Taormina - USA Today Sports)

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 7 hours ago

Unless you live under a rock or ignore the National Media, the Chicago Cubs are a good team this season and have led the NL Central for 71 of their 81 games played. Currently sitting at 48-33 at the midway point of the season, the Cubs are on pace to win 96 games this season, which should be enough to capture the NL Central.

However, with teams like the Brewers, Cardinals, and Reds still within striking distance, the pressure is on the Cubs to make some massive deadline deals to make this team as good as possible. Whether or not the Cubs go the extra mile to do that remains to be seen, but there will not be a shortage of options for this team to pursue in the coming weeks.

Who are some of the names linked to the Cubs? Well, if you ask ESPN who put out their top 50 deadline candidates, nearly 25% of the names on that list have been linked to the Cubs in some aspect, which goes to show you what the rest of the league thinks the Cubs will do. As expected, most of the names linked to the Cubs are pitchers, but some position players are generating trade buzz, which could alter the Cubs' plans as the deadline nears.

As far as the position players go, Eugenio Suarez and Alex Bregman are the names being mentioned, which suggests what the Cubs think of Matt Shaw right now. Shaw has proven he can handle the hot corner defensively, but his lack of production at the plate is a concern and one of the main reasons why the Cubs may look at getting third base help down the stretch.

Suarez is a name to keep an eye on as the Cubs' killer is putting together an impressive season. Not only would adding his nearly 30 homers and 70 RBIs be a massive boost for this lineup, but it would also prevent another contending team from taking him, which could loom large if the Cubs met that team in the playoffs.

Seeing Bregman's name on the list was a massive surprise, especially considering the contract he signed. However, given that Rafael Devers has now been traded and the Red Sox have struggled all season, the Red Sox may want to cut their losses with Bregman before he has time to opt out of his deal. The biggest hangup for him is an injured hamstring.

The rest of the names linked to the Cubs have been discussed for several weeks, and it's starting to become a matter of when, not if, the Cubs will trade for one of these arms. Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, Seth Lugo, Mitch Keller, Merrill Kelly, and Zac Gallen have all been linked to the Cubs in recent weeks, as this team could use at least one more starter.

Ideally, the Cubs would love to add an Ace, but with Alcantara and Gallen struggling as much as they have, you could see a scenario where the Cubs look to simply add to their rotation by going after more proven pitchers with playoff experience. If that is the case, more names are starting to fall in line with the Cubs, and several of them have been targets for this team in the past.

Luis Severino, Tyler Mahle, Zach Eflin, and Walker Buehler are the names that come to mind in this category, as all four of them have their strengths to offer. When it comes to Eflin and Buehler, both are proven postseason performers, and if the Cubs' goal is to make a deep playoff run, you need pitchers like them to get it done.

Mahle has always been seen as a back-of-the-rotation arm, but given his start to this season, the Cubs may want to make a deal happen now and see what they can get out of him. You also have the Severino option, where he is the Ace of the Athletics staff, but wouldn't be an Ace in Chicago. All of these options would allow the Cubs to get the starters they want without giving up the farm.

Some other names to keep an eye on that have been linked to the Cubs are Andrew Heaney, who is having a resurgence with the Pirates this season, Tyler Anderson, who was linked to the Cubs the past two seasons, and Zach Littell, who is another right-handed option that the Cubs could consider for their rotation.

You also have Kyle Finnegan and David Bednar as the two main reliever names starting to gain steam, as the Cubs would love to add another late-inning arm to the pen. Whatever this team chooses to do is on them, but it is becoming abundantly clear that they may be focusing on making multiple moves rather than one blockbuster.