3 reasons the Chicago Cubs should be buyers at the trade deadline

Last Sunday, the Chicago Cubs were seven innings away from getting back to .500 and a game closer to the NL Central Division lead.

Unfortunately, Marcus Stroman did not have his best stuff and his blister caused him to leave the game early. The Cubs lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in London to split that series.

Since returning from London, the Cubbies got swept by the Philadelphia Phillies. They followed that up with a blowout victory over the Cleveland Guardians.

A four-game losing streak somehow turned the Cubs from being perceived buyers at the trade deadline into sellers. Well, at least some baseball experts believe since the Northsiders are under .500, they should focus on the long term.

That means trading Marcus Stroman and any other player who can fetch a nice return before August 1st.

It is amazing what a losing streak can do to change a person’s perspective. Even the team has gone from boasting about being buyers to possibly being sellers.

In a normal year, being below .500 like the Cubs are at this point in the season would mean the team should have a fire sale. An everything must go sign would be posted in front of Wrigley Field.

This is not any old ordinary year. This season the NL Central is still wide open and that is one of three reasons the Chicago Cubs should be buyers at the trade deadline:

1. The Division

The Chicago Cubs are still within striking distance of winning the division.

The division is the second-worst division in baseball. The Cubs are one good week of baseball away from nipping at the heels of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds.

That can even start next week when they have a four-game set with the Crew at Wrigley North.

The Brewers and Reds have failed to run away with this division. You can thank their flawed rosters.

Milwaukee has the best pitching in the division but they cannot hit the ball. The Reds are talented, although they are super young. Plus, their pitching is pretty bad. It is not like they must overcome some juggernauts to win the NL Central.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are scrappy but they lack the starting pitching. The St. Louis Cardinals are a mess this season. It is a rare year where it looks like St. Louis is not going to go on an in-season tear. When that happens, you need to take advantage of it.