Report: Cubs unlikely to be buyers at deadline

Even though the Chicago Cubs enter Monday's action 3.5 games back of the National League's final wild-card spot, they're unlikely to be buyers at the upcoming trade deadline, sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Patrick Mooney, Katie Woo, and Will Sammon.

Chicago also isn't expected to sell due to a lack of desirable trade pieces, Rosenthal, Mooney, Woo, and Sammon add, so the team is "stuck in the middle" with its current roster.

The Cubs are playing below expectations (48-53) after an offseason in which they hired manager Craig Counsell away from the Milwaukee Brewers, inked left-hander Shota Imanaga to a four-year deal, and re-signed Cody Bellinger for three years with an $80-million salary.

While Imanaga made the NL All-Star Game in his rookie campaign, Bellinger hasn't produced the same way he did in 2023, when he was one of the league's top hitters.

Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner, and Christopher Morel - all of whom own a wRC+ of 100 or less - have also not produced like past seasons. Chicago's bullpen, meanwhile, ranks middle of the pack in ERA (3.88) and FIP (3.93).

The Cubs have played winning baseball in July, but two losing months in May and June have put them in a tough spot, according to their skipper.

"We're not in good shape," Counsell said Sunday. "We got to get it going fast here."

Six of the Cubs' next nine games are against a pair of division rivals, the Brewers and Cincinnati Reds.