Eugenio Suárez Trade Would Cement Cubs as World Series Favorites amid MLB Rumors

The Chicago Cubs don't necessarily need to be active ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline to feel good about their World Series chances.

They're already pacing the Majors with a plus-121 run differential, and their .594 winning percentage is tied for the MLB's best.

Having said that, they're still locked in a fight for the NL Central with the Milwaukee Brewers—the other team with a .594 win rate—and have a host of other would-be challengers standing between them and a possible World Series run. So, if their front office wants to be active in trade season, it'd be hard to blame them.

Especially when there's both an obvious area to upgrade and an obvious candidate to provide that boost.

Third base is the problem position in Chicago, and MLB's RBI leader Eugenio Suárez happens to man that spot. He's also an obvious trade candidate as a 34-year-old with an expiring contract on an Arizona Diamondbacks team holding a sub-.500 record and sitting fourth place in the NL West.

If the Diamondbacks decide to deal Suárez, the Cubs "should be involved until the last minute," per The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma. The reporters added that "it's no secret that the Cubs are looking at Suárez as a potential upgrade at third base."

The Cubs, of course, are not alone in this pursuit. The New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners are among the teams to "inquire" about Suárez, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Chicago would have to give up something of substance to get a deal done, in other words. But with Suárez being such an obvious need-filler for such a strong championship contender, it's easy to see how the Cubs could determine the juice is worth the squeeze.

Remember, they created an opening at the position when they sent out Isaac Paredes as part of the package used to acquire Kyle Tucker in the offseason. The hope, then, was that top prospect Matt Shaw would capably fill that void.

That just hasn't happened, though. Shaw, who was demoted to Triple-A earlier this season before hitting his way back to the big leagues, has just four home runs and a .616 OPS over his first 68 games at this level.

His output has become a statistical eyesore within a lineup that's otherwise producing a at a championship level. Turning this weakness into a strength might be the final nudge Chicago needs to get over the proverbial hump.

And adding Suárez would do exactly that.

He's not just a good-hitting third baseman, he's a great hitter overall. His 36 home runs are the best in the NL and tied with Aaron Judge for the second-most in the Majors. He's also hitting .254 with a .924 OPS and 64 runs scored.

Suárez is a legitimate star. Dropping him into a lineup that already features Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki could make this offense unbelievable. Add an above-average pitching staff to the mix (Chicago ranks 12th overall with a 3.83 ERA), and now you're talking about a team with more than championship hopes.

You'd be looking at this season's championship favorites.