Latest Cubs rumors don't suggest a happy ending for Christopher Morel, more

The Chicago Cubs did not go all-in this offseason, but they were pretty damn close. Chicago stole Craig Counsell from the rival Milwaukee Brewers, making him the highest-paid manager in MLB. The Cubs also signed Shota Imanaga, and brought back Cody Bellinger on a one-year deal.

Despite the active offseason, it's impossible to deny that this Cubs team is missing a few pieces. This became incredibly evident when Justin Steele went down with an injury. He'll hopefully be back some time in May.

Still, Chicago plays in the NL Central, which is one of the more wide-open divisions in baseball. Assuming they can get to late July in contention, the Cubs front office could pull some strings in an effort to get better where it counts.

Cubs reportedly aren't afraid to go all-in if in contention

In a recent article by The Athletic, Patrick Mooney noted that "resources are expected to be available for improvements at the trade deadline" for the Cubs, despite some payroll concerns. The Cubs could have added Jordan Montgomery before the season, which would've helped the rotation immensely. Jed Hoyer doesn't like to wonder.

“You always want to add more,” Hoyer said. "At some point, you realize that whether it’s roster construction limits or whether it’s your budgets, there’s a limit to what you can do. So I don’t think there’s any point in looking back on that, wondering ‘What if?’”

The Cubs aren't wondering what if because, if Mooney's reporting is correct, they may be willing to make a big splash at the deadline if in contention. That's great news for fans, but perhaps bad news for some of Chicago's top prospects and young players, such as 24-year-old slugger Christopher Morel.

Morel was mentioned in trade rumors for Mets slugger Pete Alonso, who is expected to reach free agency this winter. Alonso is one of the best home run hitters in baseball, but he's not necessarily what the Cubs need.

While Chicago may not trade him -- especially if he keeps up this impressive home run pace -- Morel is sure to be brought up by rival teams in talks around the deadline. The Cubs sound more open to trading him and others than they have been in past years.