(670 The Score) The Cubs have played just 13 games, and the MLB trade deadline is already fast approaching.
Conducting a 60-game season amid a pandemic has led to the unique circumstances of an Aug. 31 trade deadline and executives being rushed in the evaluations of their teams. From his perspective, Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer expects most clubs to use every day possible before deciding their direction at the trade deadline.
One place Hoyer believes the Cubs can improve is in their bullpen.
"I mean, obviously our bullpen struggled out of the gate," Hoyer said on the Dan Bernstein Show on Tuesday morning. "It's thrown better as of late. Everyone has done a good job of identifying the guys who are throwing well and getting those guys in the right spots. It's been better.
"In any year, you're always looking to bolster the bullpen. You're going to be looking at that in a year where there's more injuries, potentially more guys out and even a bigger roster."
Beyond the shortened schedule, this trade deadline is also different because 16 of MLB's 30 teams will reach the playoffs in 2020. That means there will be more buyers and fewer sellers than usual.
With that comes more complications that teams need to carefully navigate, Hoyer said.
"There's going to be a lot of teams in the race as a result," Hoyer said. "I think that teams are going to want a lot of time before they have to decide what they want to do as well. In order to be a buyer, there has to be a seller. Identifying those sellers is harder this year than some years.
"There will be a wait-and-see approach, and we'll get closer as we get to that end-of-the-month date."
