One might look at the 2024 Chicago Cubs and think there's no way they could be buyers at the Major League Baseball trade deadline.
Similarly, you might think there's no chance they could acquire the star player for their crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox.
However, it's not as crazy as it sounds.
Yes, the Cubs are 37-42 and playing some of the worst baseball in the league this June. But thanks to a wide-open National League, Chicago sits just three games out of the playoffs, with half a season still to play.
Meanwhile, it's obvious the White Sox are going to be sellers, and Luis Robert Jr. will be the name at the top of other teams' lists. And with the offensive struggles of rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs are among the teams that could use Robert's bat in center field the most.
MLB.com's Mike Petriello pointed out Monday that while trades between cross-town rivals are rare, the Cubs and White Sox have a solid recent track record of swinging deals. The teams made a trade that sent José Quintana to the South Side in 2017, then another that moved Craig Kimbrel to the Sox in 2021.
While it's risky to add to an underperforming roster, the Cubs may be desperate enough to pull the trigger. They went all in when they made Craig Counsell the highest-paid manager in MLB history this off-season.
If there's any way to salvage a postseason appearance, Chicago must do it to prove their organization is headed in the right direction.
The biggest impediment will be the Cubs' poor performance. If they can stabilize themselves and stay in the playoff hunt between now and July 31, they could be rewarded with a marquee addition in Robert. But if they continue their tailspin, they may be forced to abandon their plans to buy and instead start looking toward next season.
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