Cubs spared themselves disaster by refusing to deal with division foe

Toronto Blue Jays v Pittsburgh Pirates | Joe Sargent/GettyImagesIn the days leading up to the MLB trade deadline, there were conflicting reports over the level of interest the Chicago Cubs had in Pittsburgh Pirates' starting pitcher Mitch Keller. While it seemed like the Cubs backed away from Keller as the deadline arrived, other reports suggested they were willing to include Owen Caissie in a potential deal.

For Caissie's potential involvement alone, it feels like the Cubs dodged a bullet by not making a trade with the Pirates where they would have surrendered their top prospects. The slump of Kyle Tucker has created an opening for Caissie, and the immediate results have been great.

Meanwhile…