Chicago Cubs should stand pat at trade deadline

The Chicago Cubs should refrain from making moves at the deadline.

Rejoice Chicago Cubs fans! You are only nine days away from the official start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season and 10 days from the Cubs’ first game against division rival Milwaukee Brewers.

Though, in reality, I probably should have written “tentative start” as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc across the country as states attempt to handle a record number of new cases each day. So while baseball fans look forward to the start of the year with great anticipation, it must be tempered slightly, as we don’t know what will happen or how the season will ultimately unfold.

This is why the Cubs, and specifically general manager Theo Epstein must stand-fast at the August 31st trade deadline.

Recently, Epstein spoke about some of the moral and ethical implications associated with trading a player in the midst of a global pandemic. He recognized the challenges it would place on a family but also conceded the team will still have to make tough decisions and wouldn’t rule out a possible trade by the deadline.

However, Epstein should think long and hard about making a deal before the deadline.

First, there is the asterisk that will likely come with whoever wins this year’s World Series. Granted the playing field is the same for all teams, but the reality is it’s tough to get jazzed up about a championship after playing just over one-third of the season. Every conversation about the 2020 World Series champion will always be followed by a “but.”

Second, and more importantly, is the uncertainty around the season, making it difficult to make a move with any confidence. Let’s say the season goes off as scheduled. There is no guarantee MLB will actually finish the season. That will depend on the state of the pandemic and how well MLB is insulating testing, and caring for its players.

Consequently, there is a real chance that MLB never finishes the season and is forced to cancel early. It would be a complete waste to have made a move — especially an aggressive one — at the deadline, only to never be able to take advantage of it. It would not be wise to potentially mortgage the future, and go “all-in” on a deadline move that could be rendered irrelevant.

Theo is a smart general manager and obviously knows these risks exist. The question is whether he thinks the risks are worth taking.