One move each NL Central team must make before the MLB trade deadline.
The MLB trade deadline is July 30 at 6 p.m. ET, and because several teams are in the mix for a wild-card spot, it promises to be the most intriguing day of the season.
The NL Central will be one of the top divisions to monitor in the coming weeks, as nearly every team could be either a buyer or seller. As things stand, the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates should be buyers. Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds must turn things around soon, or their front offices may wave the white flag on the 2024 season.
Chicago Cubs (39-46)
The move: Trade third baseman Christopher Morel
The Cubs are five games back of the third NL wild-card spot, but all signs point to them becoming deadline sellers. Only the bottom-dwelling Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins are lower than Chicago in the NL standings, which will likely lead the team to make tough decisions at the deadline. Chicago could explore trading outfielders Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki, but both can still be franchise cornerstones.
Morel, however, is quickly proving that he’s not worthy of being a long-term building block for the Cubs. In addition to having -7 defensive runs saved this season, the 11th worst in the majors, Morel is slashing just .198/.307/.375 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI. Due to his shortcomings in the field, Morel may be best suited to be a designated hitter. But is he worth having if he isn’t producing at the plate?
There’s no denying that Chicago would sell Morel when his value is the lowest, yet teams could be interested in acquiring him because he’s a 25-year-old power hitter. This could be a case of addition by subtraction for the Cubs, who also have a potential Morel replacement waiting in the minors in Matt Shaw.
Cincinnati Reds (39-45)
The move: Trade second baseman Jonathan India
It might be too early to determine how Cincinnati should approach the trade deadline. Even so, the Reds didn’t swing big at last season’s trade deadline when they had a decent chance of making the postseason. Now that the team is sitting 4.5 games back of a wild-card spot and is in need of major additions to get back into playoff contention, it’s difficult to imagine Cincinnati being buyers.
India is off to his best start to a season since 2021, when he won the NL Rookie of the Year Award, but it might make sense to trade him now. India is hitting .278 with five home runs, 34 RBI and eight stolen bases, but his production — and trade value — skyrocketed in June. In 27 games last month, India hit .380 with two homers and 16 RBI and posted a 1.041 OPS.
It’s fair to argue that Cincinnati shouldn’t give up on the 27-year-old, especially since he’s under team control through 2026. Considering India struggled mightily over the past two seasons and several teams could use a second baseman, there may never be a better opportunity to trade him.
Milwaukee Brewers (50-35)
The move: Acquire Nationals RHP Kyle Finnegan
The division-leading Brewers would be wise to upgrade their starting rotation via trade, but that doesn’t appear to be the team’s plan. With no clarity regarding which teams will be sellers at the deadline, Milwaukee, which has several pitchers sidelined with injuries, could look internally to bolster its rotation, per The Athletic.
Nonetheless, considering closer Devin Williams (back stress fractures) is still sidelined for possibly another month and Joel Payamps (5.19 ERA over the last month) has struggled in high-leverage situations, adding to the bullpen makes sense. Even though the Nationals are hunting for a wild-card spot, they’re realistically a few seasons away from true playoff contention. If Washington tempers its expectations and realizes it has valuable pieces to sell, Finnegan should be one of Milwaukee’s top targets.
Finnegan, 32, is off to a career year in Washington, posting a 2.10 ERA and 0.990 WHIP in 34.1 innings. Considering he’s under team control through next season, Finnegan would be a good addition and solidify Milwaukee’s back end of the bullpen as one of MLB’s best.
Pittsburgh Pirates (40-43)
The move: Acquire Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and first baseman Josh Bell
The Pirates aren’t known for making splashy acquisitions. However, with Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes and Jared Jones headlining a rotation made for October baseball, the front office should be aggressive at the deadline. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, it seems the Pirates will do just that, as they have told teams “they will trade pitching prospects for big-league bats.”
Pittsburgh is well-positioned to make a run at first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but there’s no guarantee Toronto will make him available. On the other hand, Miami is expected to hold a fire sale at the deadline and can offer the Pirates intriguing players. In particular, the versatile center fielder Chisholm, who is under team control until 2027, and the former Pirate Bell could be worthwhile — and realistic — targets for Pittsburgh.
Almost anyone would be an upgrade over CF Jack Suwinski, the fifth-worst hitter in baseball in terms of wRC+ (min. 200 plate appearances), though Chisholm would give Pittsburgh the star power it needs. Although he was voted MLB’s most overrated player by his peers, Chisholm has been solid this season, producing a slash line of .259/.324/.423 with 10 homers, 39 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Going from a team that started selling off talent in May to a team with playoff aspirations could help Chisholm put together an even better second half.
Meanwhile, Bell could prove to be one of the better rental bats at this year’s deadline, and his previous success in Pittsburgh provides optimism that he can make an immediate impact. In 83 games this season, the switch hitter is slashing .242/.303/.373 with eight home runs and 35 RBI.
St. Louis Cardinals (43-40)
The move: Acquire White Sox RHP Erick Fedde
After going 16-12 in June, the Cardinals hold the third and final NL wild-card spot, which suggests they’ll be buyers at the trade deadline. Despite the team’s recent resurgence, St. Louis has several holes on its roster, perhaps none more important than the back end of the rotation, considering Miles Mikolas has a 5.32 ERA this season.
The White Sox are expected to tear down their roster before the deadline, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they cashed in on Fedde’s impressive start to 2024. Fedde spent last season in the KBO and has revitalized his career with Chicago, posting a 3.23 ERA in 17 starts. He could easily emerge as St. Louis’ third-best starter and someone the team can trust starting during a playoff game.
