Nationals and Astros are a few of the biggest trade deadline losers

2. Chicago Cubs

Someone should have informed the Cubs’ front office that they only own a one game lead over the Brewers in the division. Chicago simply didn’t do enough to strengthen their roster for what should be a hotly contested division race.

The team didn’t give up a ton to acquire Cole Hamels, but there are real questions about whether or not he can help this team down the stretch. He got off to an excellent start for the Rangers, but his ERA has ballooned as of late. It’s possible being moved to a contender can energize him, but that’s far from a certainty.

The acquisition of Brandon Kintzler could be more impactful, but he isn’t an arm that really moves the needle out of the bullpen. If Chicago was really concerned about finding a guy who could impact late game situations, acquiring someone like Zach Britton or Brad Ziegler might have been better options.

The biggest criticism of the Cubs ahead of the deadline is they didn’t seem to investigate the possibility of finding a replacement for Yu Darvish. It may seem harsh to write him off after one bad season, but acquiring someone like Chris Archer would have provided the organization with a lot of insurance in case the Japanese ace never fully recovers.

The Cubs just didn’t do enough in July. Expect to see them pay for their passivity in October.