3 Cubs players who won’t be on the roster by August 1 and who should replace them

The Chicago Cubs find themselves in an interesting spot with the All-Star break officially here. They might be 47-51 and in last place in the NL Central, but they've played better baseball lately and are 3.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot.

Chicago's odds of making the postseason are slim as of now, but if they can string some wins together immediately after the break, they might put themselves in position to buy.

Regardless of whether the Cubs buy or sell, their roster will look different by Aug. 1. Either contributing players will be departing via trade if they sell, or they'll acquire talent if they buy. These are three moves that should happen regardless of their stance.

3) David Bote should be replaced on the Cubs roster by Mike Tauchman

David Bote was once seen as a potentially important piece for this Cubs team when he posted a .785 OPS in 127 games in the 2019 campaign. Unfortunately, he has failed to live up to expectations since that season and has been bouncing up and down between the majors and minors.

To his credit, Bote has excelled when given the opportunity this season, slashing .353/.371/.441 in 26 games played. While one can argue that he probably deserves a spot over a guy like Miles Mastrobuoni, Bote has rarely seen the field of late while Mastrobuoni has played regularly at the hot corner.

Bote, as a right-handed hitting infielder, would likely be sent down since Patrick Wisdom is on the roster as a right-handed hitting infielder.

Bote should be replaced by Mike Tauchman, an outfielder who has shined this season when healthy. He has been out with a groin strain, but could be back by the end of July. If so, he'd provide a big boost to the top of Chicago's lineup with his on-base ability.

2) Alexander Canario should be replaced on the Cubs roster by Cody Bellinger

Like David Bote, Alexander Canario has performed well when given the chance to play at the MLB level. Through 15 games, he's slashing .280/.357/.440 with a home run in 28 plate appearances. Similarly to Bote, he has not seen the field much.

He was recalled recently when Cody Bellinger landed on the IL, but has not started a game in that span and has only racked up three plate appearances. If Canario isn't going to play, it's hard to believe that he's going to remain on the active roster.

Bellinger is out with a fractured finger, but like Tauchman, he could be back by late July. It'd be a seamless swap to remove Canario from the active roster and replace him with another outfielder, Bellinger, in time for the Cubs to potentially go on a big second half run.

1) Tomas Nido should be replaced on the Cubs roster by a catcher that Chicago trades for

The catcher spot has been a major weakness for the Cubs all season long. Jed Hoyer addressed it to an extent by signing Tomas Nido who had been released by the Mets and DFA'ing Yan Gomes who really struggled, but Nido hasn't done much with the Cubs.

He hit a home run on Sunday, but entered the day slashing .135/.154/.189 in 13 games with Chicago. He's known more for his defense, and defense is more valuable behind the dish, but he's relatively unplayable hitting as poorly as he has.

The Cubs could look to part with Miguel Amaya who is also out of options, but it feels more likely that they'd keep the younger option and part with Nido, a newer member of the team.

Regardless of who they get rid of, the Cubs must add a catcher. it'd benefit them even if they sell, and is an absolute must if they plan on competing this season. They have arguably the worst catching situation in the league. Jed Hoyer should do his best to rectify that,