Thanks to an 11-game winning streak that end on Tuesday night courtesy of the Seattle Mariners, the Milwaukee Brewers are tied atop the NL Central with the Chicago Cubs. The teams face off several times in the next month or so in battles that could define the division in the second half. Of course, this rivalry has received some added incentive ever since Craig Counsell left the Brewers for the rival Cubs prior to the 2024 season. Pat Murphy has done an excellent job in Milwaukee ever since then, but the bad blood between these two teams has reached a boiling point.
Both the Cubs and Brewers are expected to add at the MLB trade deadline in just over a week, and they're competing for many of the same players. However, with the Brewers taking over first place – the two teams are technically tied as of this writing – Jeff Passan of ESPN hinted that the Cubs expectations have shifted. Winning the Central would be nice, but it's not the only accolade the Cubs are after.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work onThe Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Have Cubs really shifted their priorities ahead of the MLB trade deadline?
While anyone with half a brain understands the Cubs are all-in at this deadline for several reasons, are we really supposed to believe that any moves made aren't done with the intention of winning the division? Those priorities shouldn't shift this early.
"Regardless, the motivation for the Cubs is there. They want to win the division, yes, but most of all they want to win a ring. Now is not the time to let what a model says about lost surplus value in a deal get in the way of that. The Cubs want to be all-in. We'll see if they are when it matters," Passan wrote.
If the motivation is there for the Cubs, as Passan suggests, that would start with winning the Central. Not to mention, the path of least resistance in the postseason starts by winning the division and receiving the most home playoff games as possible. A World Series focus is a convenient excuse should the Brewers surpass Chicago, but every team has that same goal. Let's not kid ourselves.
What the Cubs and Brewers are looking for at the MLB trade deadline
Both the Cubs and Brewers have been linked to available starting pitching. However, Passan believes the Cubs have an all-in approach while Milwaukee could be a bit more standoffish. The Brewers believe in their program and thus are less likely to trade away future assets. The Cubs could lose Kyle Tucker this offseason, and thus are facing a strict timeline to win now.
Both teams have reported interest in infield help in the form of power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez. Suarez is on pace for a 50-home run season. In Chicago, he'd likely replace Matt Shaw. In Milwaukee, he'd be a short-term answer for a position that has plagued them all season long.
Either way, this NL Central battle won't just be decided on the field of play.