Despite the July 31 deadline looming not that far down the road, the major-league trade market hasn’t taken shape yet.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer provided that assessment in a meeting with reporters in Philadelphia before Wednesday’s series finale versus the Phillies.

There are too many teams who believe they can get back in playoff contention, Hoyer said, meaning there aren’t a bunch of obvious sellers at this stage.

The Cubs won’t fall into that category. They’ll be looking to add the talent required to make a strong playoff push. If and only if, of course, a deal makes sense. They’ve had an excellent start to the season, with an elite offense, solid defense and a pitching staff that has done well while weathering some storms.

Hoyer was candid about the direction his Cubs will go when adding players. They need some more arms.

“Our position playing group has been outstanding both offensively and defensively,” Hoyer said. “That gives some clarity. You don’t know what’s going to happen over the next month and a half with that group, but right now, the focus would be on adding pitching and pitching depth. That would be the clear thing.

“Maybe there’s an upgrade, whether it’s on the bench or a complimentary piece, but I think this group is really good and it’s not just on offense but on defense as well.”

Hoyer was quick to credit the starting rotation, which has performed well despite injuries to Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele and others. The bullpen has also rounded into form with solid high-leverage play using a mix of throwers and some roster churn in that area.

That will continue, Hoyer said, as the Cubs work to find the right combination of talent.

“We have to continue to address that in all sorts of ways,” he said, “whether it’s trade deadline and small transactions and also getting some of these guys healthy.”

There is an understanding, though, that the Cubs are in prime position to make some noise in the postseason if they continue hitting this way. That means the Cubs will take a long look at top talents made available down the line.  

“It’s really early and we talk about trades this early, but the truth is that all these things happen between the draft and the deadline, so we have to continue to play well,” Hoyer said. “That’s the most important thing. The position-playing group has been fantastic in all areas. Hopefully that continues.”