The Cubs didn’t need another reminder that the NL Central is getting crowded, but the Cardinals just handed them one anyway.
St. Louis, which the Cubs still lead by three and a half games, is sitting above .500 as the All-Star break approaches and hanging around the Wild Card race.
That alone is enough to suggest the rebuild may already be in the rearview mirror. Then came the move that makes the message even louder: the Cardinals locked up second baseman JJ Wetherholt on an eight-year extension.
Wetherholt’s deal buys out his first few seasons of free agency, and it comes after a fast start that has made him one of the more intriguing young players in the league. Through his first 395 plate appearances, he has posted a 118 wRC+.
The timing matters. Teams across baseball have been moving quickly to secure young core pieces before the next labor agreement changes the service-time picture, and the Cubs have already done it themselves with Pete Crow-Armstrong earlier this season.
St. Louis is clearly taking the same approach, and in doing so it sent a pretty direct signal: the Cardinals are not waiting around.
That should hit Chicago as a deadline warning.
For the Cubs, the standings still leave room to dream. They enter Friday 11 games over .500, and while they trail the Brewers by seven games in the division, the gap is not so massive that it shuts the door completely.
But the bigger point is what’s happening around them. Milwaukee doesn’t look like it’s backing up.
St. Louis might be turning into a real problem again.
Even the Pirates are being viewed as a contender with the roster they have now.
That’s the backdrop for the deadline. The Cubs already made their big swing this past offseason, signing Alex Bregman and trading for Edward Cabrera in moves meant to tilt the division their way. It hasn’t worked out that way so far, and the Cardinals’ extension only sharpens the message.
If Chicago wants to keep pace, Jed Hoyer has to bring the same urgency to the deadline that he showed in the winter. The time for caution is gone. Now is the moment to push the chips to the middle of the table.
In Other News...
Astros Already See Cubs Tucker Trade Return As Core Piece
Cam Smith has already given the Astros something to think about after coming over in the Kyle Tucker trade, and the early returns have been strong enough to push his name into a bigger conversation. The young outfielder has looked like more than a throw-in from Houstons side of the deal, and around the league there is already curiosity about whether the Astros should try to get ahead of the market and talk long-term security before the price climbs.
There is no immediate deadline, since Smith remains under club control for years, but that has not stopped the speculation from starting. The debate also fits a familiar Astros backdrop, with the organization still living with the reality of not having been able to lock up Jeremy Pena long term, which makes Smiths situation feel even more notable as Houston weighs the upside of certainty against the risk of moving too soon. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Could Revisit A Familiar Deadline Arm With One Huge Catch
The Cubs are still hunting for starting pitching help as the trade deadline approaches, and Michael King remains a name worth circling because of the way he fits the market. Chicago has shown interest in the Padres right-hander before, and his work this season has kept him in the conversation as a pitcher who could still matter in a rotation chase.
The catch is the same one that has made him a tricky fit all along: any deal would have to account for a contract that is far from straightforward, along with the possibility that King could be headed back into free agency soon. If San Diego decides to sell, the Cubs could revisit a familiar target, but the cost in money and long-term uncertainty may be what keeps this from becoming a simple deadline fit. [Read more 🡒]