The day after Cubs manager Joe Maddon seemed to lobby for the front office to add a veteran hitter at the trade deadline this month, the ball was back in his court to keep winning and help define the needs when talks heat up closer to July 31.
“The more players you have playing well and the better you’re playing as a team, the more you can kind of focus on certain specific needs,” team president Theo Epstein said, “and that’s certainly what we’re doing.
“We’re always trying to look for any area to upgrade that’s realistic, and keeping the bigger picture in mind, too.