Cubs "trending" toward this trade deadline strategy, per insider

The Chicago Cubs are far from where they wanted to be at this point in the 2024 Major League Baseball season.

At 47-51, the Cubs have been one of the most prominent disappointments of the first half. Yet heading into the All-Star break, they're also only 3.5 games out of playoff position, thanks to a muddled National League Wild Card race.

Having won six of their last eight, the Cubs now find themselves in a similar position to last season, when they ended up buying at the deadline after a last-second push in late July. But, of course, they ended up missing the playoffs by one game after dropping 12 of their final 16.

In the high-pressure first year of Craig Counsell's managerial tenure, the Cubs certainly have a tough decision to make. And according to one insider, the last week may have given them some clarity in that regard.

Levi Weaver of The Athletic said Tuesday that the Cubs were " trending up toward buying, " calling it a "fun development" in the NL Central.

"For the Cubs, it’s not only good because winning is good, but also because selling would be tricky," Weaver said.

Weaver also listed the difficulties the Cubs would have with selling: Cody Bellinger's unique contract structure and broken finger, and Ian Happ's no-trade clause.

But even if the Cubs are averse to selling, the extent to which they buy or stand pat could end up making a huge difference. There appears to be a drastic shortage of teams looking to sell this season, which could drive the prices sky-high on potential trade pieces.

There's also a long list of improvements the Cubs could hypothetically pursue. They've been one of the worst catching tandems in baseball all season, third base has been a huge problem defensively, and the entire pitching staff has been ravaged by injuries.

Regardless of where the Cubs stand now, one thing remains clear. The next two weeks will be hugely impactful in determining the story of their entire 2024 season. Their play will not only dictate their positioning in the standings but also how their front office attacks the deadline.

More MLB: Why Cubs' power shortage points to adding catcher at trade deadline