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5 reasons the Cubs shouldn’t trade for Manny Machado

By Baasil Ebrahim

BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 15: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles forces out Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs to start a double play in the fifth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 15, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 15: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles forces out Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs to start a double play in the fifth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 15, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 15: Jon Lester
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 15: Jon Lester /

1. Is more offense the right way to compete?

So, the Cubs don’t really need more offense. However, if they plan on winning a World Series, they could use some upgraded pitching. The common thought is that you can slug your way to the postseason, but you pitch your way to a championship. While the Cubs have the fourth best ERA in the National League, the top two teams in ERA are the biggest competition for the World Series right now. The Diamondbacks and Astros have been two of the best teams in baseball this year.

The Diamondbacks have gotten an emergence from Patrick Corbin, who combined with Zach Grienke has helped lead their pitching staff. Despite an uncharacteristically poor season from Paul Goldschmidt, their pitching has catapulted them to the lead in their division. Any route to the World Series would likely involve meeting the Diamondbacks, who the Cubs may need to outpitch.

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The Astros pitching staff has been completely dominant. They have a staff ERA of 2.44 almost a full point ahead of the Diamondbacks who are at 3.31. If the Cubs want to win a World Series, they are going to have to be able to outpitch the Astros. So, perhaps they should look to add more bullpen pieces so that their starter won’t have to go through lineups as many times.

Adding more pitching, taking pressure off of the offense, may be a better and cheaper option for the Cubs than paying for Machado.

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