CHICAGO — The Cubs’ offense has been crushing it all season long – literally.

They entered Saturday having scored the second-most runs in baseball and rank in the top five as a team in OPS (.770, fourth), home runs (143, third), stolen bases (109, third) and weighted runs-created plus (116, second). They’ve mollywhopped opposing pitching staffs, leading to the best record in baseball.

That doesn’t mean Jed Hoyer and the rest of his baseball operations staff are resting on their laurels.

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For all the pop in the Cubs’ lineup, there’s one spot that’s largely been absent from the hit parade – third base. The Cubs have started six different players at the position this season to little avail. They rank last in baseball in OPS (.532), wRC+ (55) and home runs (1) from the hot corner.

Top prospect Matt Shaw won the job out of spring training, struggled to start the year, was optioned and came back before again hitting a rut this month, going 2-for-30 (.067) in July.

“Certainly, he’s played great defense for us, but I think that’s a position and then just thinking about the position playing group and just ensuring adding depth it is something we’ll look at as well,” Hoyer said Friday morning before the Cubs kicked off the second half. “We’re not going to completely turn over the 26-man roster, but thinking about just how we can get deeper and potentially ensure some areas of the roster makes sense.”

The Cubs are more than OK with allowing Shaw to continue to develop – he was their top prospect entering the season, and it was around this time last year that Pete Crow-Armstrong began his offensive renaissance that has propelled him into an MVP candidate this season. That’s not to say Shaw will suddenly become a game-changing bat, but it’s a reminder that development occurs at various paces.

They also recognize where they’re at – they’re not just trying to squeak into October, they have one of the game’s best teams, and any weaknesses can be exposed in the playoffs.

Adding a proven third baseman before the July 31 trade deadline would be a surefire way to fortify an already potent offense. But, like any deals completed between now and the end of the month, it’s not going to be so simple to upgrade the hot corner.

The expanded playoff format has created a logjam less than two weeks from the trade deadline – there are so many teams in the middle that determining who’s a buyer and who is selling is a complicated jigsaw puzzle.

Eugenio Suárez would be the clear best option. But the Arizona Diamondbacks began Saturday 5.5 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot and entered this season with playoff expectations, so there’s no guarantee they sell off a slugger with 33 home runs and 300 career long balls, despite him being a free agent at the end of the season. And if he is available, could the price for a two-month rental price the Cubs out?

“Like always, no one’s untouchable,” Hoyer said. “But at the same time, we have a lot of really good prospects [that] you have to feel like you’re getting commensurate value. It really just depends on what’s available.”

The answer could lie in a “creative” deal that Hoyer has so stressed. Could the Cubs go for a lesser-profile veteran like Willi Castro (.796 OPS) of the Minnesota Twins or Yoán Moncada (.805 OPS) of the Los Angeles Angels make sense? They wouldn’t cost as much as Suárez but could still be an upgrade at the position while not blocking Shaw long term.

“I think that’s the balance,” Hoyer said. “I think that you want to focus on what’s happening right now, but also realize that we’re set up to have good teams next year and beyond, and that’s the constant balance.

“I can’t give you a perfect answer, perfect percentage, but certainly that’s the job. We’re going to have really good teams after this year. And I think you always keep that in mind. But this is what’s right in front of us, and this is really important.”