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<\/p>\nCHICAGO \u2014 Craig Counsell, the Chicago Cubs manager who could never be described as happy-go-lucky, sat in the Wrigley Field dugout for Sunday\u2019s pregame media session and chuckled at the question: When your team is 20 games over .500 in the middle of July, do you think about what could go wrong?<\/p>\n
\u201cMinute by minute,\u201d Counsell answered without skipping a beat. \u201cI could be at home and be thinking about that, to be honest. Not about the Cubs. It\u2019s not even a Cubs question.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cheerful and carefree is simply not how Counsell rolls. That focused attitude will influence how the Cubs approach the July 31 trade deadline. The contrarian manager is an extension of Jed Hoyer\u2019s front office, which obsesses over depth and knows from experience that things can quickly go sideways.<\/p>\n
\u201cInjuries or whatever, the bad thing happening, it happens, right?\u201d Counsell said. \u201cThat\u2019s what sports is. You can feel bad about it or whatever. It doesn\u2019t do you any good to feel bad about it. It\u2019s the next man up. Nobody\u2019s team is a perfect team.\u201d<\/p>\n
That means every team can get better and should be prepared to work on its flaws. The Cubs are no exception after Sunday afternoon\u2019s 6-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox \u2014 combined with the Milwaukee Brewers sweeping the defending World Series champs at Dodger Stadium \u2014 left them tied for first place in the National League Central.<\/p>\n
Based on information from league sources, this is what we\u2019re hearing about the Cubs:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Eugenio Su\u00e1rez might not get traded, but if the Arizona Diamondbacks ultimately make that call, the Cubs should be involved until the last minute. Hoyer and Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen are good friends who previously worked together in Boston\u2019s front office. It\u2019s no secret that the Cubs are looking at Su\u00e1rez as a potential upgrade at third base.<\/p>\n
\ufeff<\/p>\n
The Diamondbacks, though, have signaled that they are prepared to wait until next week before making their buy-or-sell decision. Arizona coming out of the All-Star break and sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals to get back to .500 is an indication that the Cubs may have to consider Su\u00e1rez alternatives.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Matt Shaw put together some good at-bats against the Red Sox over the weekend \u2014 including his first home run since June 7 \u2014 but that is no reason to call off the search for another third baseman. As Counsell said: \u201cI don\u2019t think any evaluation is ever made on two days.\u201d<\/p>\n
While it seemed almost reactionary when the Cubs optioned Shaw to Triple-A Iowa in the middle of April, Counsell said experience has taught him that roughly 60 or 70 plate appearances is usually a good sample for evaluating young hitters.<\/p>\n
Though Shaw has emerged as a solid defender, he\u2019s accumulated 170-plus plate appearances since being recalled from Iowa in late May without gaining much traction. Chicago\u2019s third basemen rank at the bottom of the majors in too many offensive categories. Ever since spring training, when free agent Alex Bregman decided to sign with the Red Sox, this area has been an obvious concern.<\/p>\n
While recently expressing confidence in Shaw, Counsell\u2019s tone became much sharper when a reporter wondered if the rookie might be looking over his shoulder with the trade deadline looming.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, Matt\u2019s gotten a great opportunity,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cYou kind of take the other side of that: \u2018What an opportunity he\u2019s been given.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 Charlie Morton is trending the right way and emerging as an option in a trade market that may not feature any true aces. Morton, 41, illustrates a concept that was reinforced when the Cubs passed on Justin Verlander in the summer of 2017. That lesson led them to jump at the opportunity to acquire Cole Hamels at the 2018 trade deadline. Sometimes, it\u2019s smart to bet on the back of the baseball card and see what happens for two months because this sport is so unpredictable.<\/p>\n
The Baltimore Orioles signed Morton to a one-year, $15 million contract last winter, hoping he could stabilize their rotation and bring some gravitas to a club with World Series aspirations. By the end of April, though, the Orioles had demoted Morton to the bullpen, part of a team-wide malaise that got the manager fired (Brandon Hyde) and forced the front office into sell mode.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s been an up-and-down season for the 41-year-old Charlie Morton, though he did put together a solid June. (Mike Ehrmann \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Morton\u2019s first start following the All-Star break \u2013 an 11-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays \u2013 was not good. But he looked much better in June (3-0, 2.88 ERA in five starts) and he beat the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets in his previous July starts. He had been a solidly above-average pitcher for nearly a decade.<\/p>\n
As the Cubs think through possible pitching plans for October, Morton\u2019s World Series rings from the 2021 Braves and 2017 Houston Astros cannot be dismissed.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Kyle Finnegan does not produce the strikeout rates that light up the projection models, but the Cubs have the Washington Nationals closer on their radar as they explore ways to bulk up their bullpen.<\/p>\n
To be clear, the Cubs are fully confident in Daniel Palencia\u2019s ability to handle the ninth inning. In this trading cycle, it\u2019s questionable whether the Cubs could even find an All-Star closer who represents a clear upgrade over Palencia. Rather, the idea would be expanding options for Counsell as the Cubs prioritize matchups, rest and recovery for their pitchers.<\/p>\n
With 107 career saves, Finnegan has a sense of composure and a knack for inducing groundballs. It\u2019s reasonable to expect that his stuff would play up in the seventh inning against a more manageable part of an opposing lineup. His numbers would almost automatically improve by leaving a last-place team and pitching in front of an elite defense.<\/p>\n