Cubs doing their part to encourage aggressive Trade Deadline

ST. LOUIS -- There is no escaping the weight of each game in front of the Cubs over the next several days. With each win the players secure, it potentially increases the front office’s willingness to extend beyond a statistical comfort zone and try to seize this moment with an aggressive approach to the Trade Deadline.

On Tuesday night, the North Siders’ offense kept rolling en route to an 10-2 victory over the rival Cardinals at Busch Stadium, keeping hold of the National League’s top Wild Card spot. Chasing down the division-leading Brewers is not out of the question, but Chicago’s roster could use some reinforcement, especially in the rotation.

“It’s always their job to put the best possible team that they can on the field,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “Absolutely, there’s urgency. These games go by fast, and the season gets short. I think we have a lot of really exciting things ahead of us.”

Hoerner added that players do the best they can to “remove the personal stuff,” but that can be hard to do at times. That was certainly the case Monday, when the Cubs parted ways with starter Jameson Taillon, who was in his fourth season with the team and was well-respected as a teammate and for his leadership behind the scenes.

The decision to designate Taillon for assignment, however, showed that the Cubs’ roster builders sense the urgency right now. Taillon’s struggles had reached a breaking point, and Chicago is attempting to close ground on Milwaukee (in first by 5 1/2 games). And with Monday’s 5 p.m. CT Trade Deadline looming, the Cubs opted against kicking that can down the road.

“It’s challenging,” Cubs veteran Ian Happ said, “because the guys that got you to this point are obviously important pieces. So, whenever you add, there’s going to be subtraction. It’s difficult, because you know how it affects people’s lives and careers, and you care about the people in this room.

“There’s parts of [the Deadline] that are exciting, but there’s parts of it that are really challenging.”

Expect the rotation to be the priority for the Cubs come Deadline Day on Monday.

The Cubs made an early deal with the Mets last month to add veteran lefty David Peterson to the mix, and he has performed well in four of his five outings to date. Matthew Boyd (2.31 ERA in his past six turns) and Shota Imanaga (2.00 ERA in his past eight) have been on a roll lately. Righties Colin Rea and Javier Assad currently fill the other two spots.

The North Siders have right-hander Edward Cabrera (15-day injured list) poised to begin a Minor League rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa this weekend, putting him on pace for a return in mid-to-late August. Righty Ben Brown (15-day IL) could also make a comeback later this season, but the Cubs will have to carefully manage his build and workload after his neck injury.

Boyd quickly rattled off the names of Daniel Palencia, Hoby Milner, Hunter Harvey, Shelby Miller and Brown as pitchers who might return from the IL through August and September to strengthen the bullpen. Add Ethan Roberts and Justin Steele to that list, too.

“We’ve gotten to where we are with the team we have, and we still have reinforcements coming,” Boyd said. “So, whatever situation does play out, our job doesn’t change. It’s to win.”

To date, the Cubs have proven resilient on that front, too.

The last time the North Siders lost three in a row was June 7-10 at the tail end of a 7-22 stretch that sunk the ballclub to a .500 (34-34) record. Since that point, the Cubs have soared firmly back into the playoff picture, going 27-12 with an average of 6.4 runs scored per game, including Tuesday’s victory.

The offense has hardly been an issue. It has been a deep, solid lineup with a veteran core, combined with baseball’s best defensive unit (MLB-leading 47 Fielding Run Value).

“Our group has some pretty special things about it,” Hoerner said. “We’re not perfect, and I think we’re in a place now where we can definitely make some improvements to a team that’s already really strong.”

There are five games remaining for the players to do their part to convince the front office to swing big at the Deadline.

“We’ll see how it shakes out,” Happ said. “There’s so many teams that are still in it. Who’s actually available and what that looks like -- our job is to go play and let those guys figure it out. They’ve put together so many good teams for us and obviously have done it again with this group, so there’s a lot of trust that they’re going to do the right thing.”