CHICAGO — With the trade deadline a week away, the picture of which teams may or may not sell is coming into focus.

The Cubs are clearly in the buy section of this hypothetical photo. With one of the top records in all of baseball and seeking their first playoff berth in a full season since 2018, Jed Hoyer and his brass will be aggressive to ensure not only that they are in the postseason but also playing deep into October.

Here is a look at five of the players that would make the most sense for the Cubs. As a disclaimer, we are not reporting confirmed talks, but rather looking at team needs and the market to try and find a fit:

Joe Ryan RHP – Minnesota Twins

Hoyer and his baseball operations brass know how unique a position they’re in – they’re one of the top teams in baseball record-wise and offensively, and their farm system suggests they could sustain that run of success.

But as we’ve seen with teams like the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles this season, things can unravel in a hurry, and there’s no guarantee a good team on paper will translate to the field. So Hoyer and his brass will want to supplement the 2025 team as much as possible while keeping a slight eye on 2026 and beyond.

Ryan fits that mold.

The Twins’ right-hander checks every box for the Cubs. He’s a front-of-the-rotation starter (2.63 ERA, 0.90 WHIP in 116.1 innings) and he’s under team control for two more seasons at a relatively cheap price. He can augment a rotation decimated by injuries this season while being a key contributor next year and in 2027.

If the Cubs hope to be competitive in 2026, rotation help will be a priority in the winter – Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd are a solid three-man base, but there are uncertainties when it comes to health for Justin Steele, what Cade Horton can be in year two and – as we’ve seen this year – injuries happen and they need to build up that depth.

Inserting Ryan into the mix clears a hole for this year and this winter – and gives Craig Counsell a formidable four-man rotation for the playoffs – Ryan, Imanaga, Boyd and Taillon give the Cubs a strong chance in a best-of-three, five or seven series.

Of course, the fee might be astronomical. The Twins are only four games out of a Wild Card spot in the mediocre American League, and they would want to keep an ace to spearhead those efforts to get into October. That’s where the Cubs’ farm system comes in and where that depth they’ve accumulated can help them pry away a talent like Ryan from Minnesota.

Eugenio Suárez 3B – Arizona Diamondbacks

Matt Shaw is off to strong start in the second half of the season – he’s 9-for-19 with three home runs and six RBI. But a six-game sample size won’t convince the Cubs or any team, for that matter, that’s who a player is. Especially when a clobbering force like Suárez may be available on the trade market.

The difficulty might be the Diamondbacks’ asking price. They’ll surely ask for a king’s ransom for a player with 36 home runs before August – even if he’ll be a free agent after the season.

The price for acquiring a rental player hasn’t been astronomical the last few years – the Cubs traded for Jeimer Candelario, the top bat on the trade market in 2023, giving up left-hander DJ Herz (then the No. 14 prospect in the Cubs system, per MLB Pipeline) and shortstop Kevin Made (the No. 16 prospect). Last season, the Detroit Tigers sent Jack Flaherty, arguably the top pitcher on the market, to the Dodgers for Los Angeles’ No. 8 and No. 22 prospects.

Expecting the Cubs to part ways with someone like top outfield prospect Owen Caissie, No. 2 prospect Moisés Ballesteros or another strong minor leaguer would be a massive overpay.

Of course, Suárez would be the top offensive player on the market, and the bidding war might get steep. Suárez would be a downgrade defensively from Shaw – who is tied for third among third basemen in baseball in defensive runs saved (6) – which is a key component to consider.

The Cubs offense is second in MLB in runs, but adding Suarez would make that lineup practically ironclad once October comes and maximize their ability for a deep run.

Charlie Morton RHP – Baltimore Orioles

You’re probably going to click on his Baseball-Reference page, see his age (41) and stats – 5.58 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 70 ERA+ and -0.5 WAR – and think, ‘What the heck is he doing on this list?’

But let’s share why he could make a ton of sense to this Cubs team.

Morton’s numbers are bit skewed after a horrendous start to the year, where his ERA spiked to an unsightly 10.89 and eventually resulted in him being moved to the Orioles’ bullpen. But from May 10 until the All-Star Break, Morton had a 2.61 ERA in 51.2 innings across 11 games. He had a clunker out of the break – he allowed seven runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays – but has been good since early May.

And Hoyer and his front office are willing to bet on a player’s history and a change of scenery, much like they did with Cole Hamels in 2018. That year, the left-hander had a 4.72 ERA in 20 starts for Texas, but the Cubs acquired him, and he posted a 2.36 ERA in 12 starts.

“Sometimes a guy that didn’t have a great first [half of the] year doesn’t mean he’s not a good player,” Hoyer said last Friday. “Maybe he’s due for the rest of it.”

[MLB trade rumors: Seth Lugo, Cubs could be pre-deadline fit]

Morton also has postseason pedigree. The right-hander has a 3.60 ERA in 80 innings and won the World Series in 2017 with the Houston Astros and in 2021 with the Atlanta Braves.

Sure, acquiring him would be betting on a return to the back of the baseball card. But the Cubs just need pitching depth, too. They’ve used bullpen games since Taillon landed on the injured list, and that has backfired on them.

Adding Ryan, Padres right-hander Dylan Cease or Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore is the splashy, headline-grabbing trade fans are after. But the Cubs need starting depth, and an acquisition like Morton would help them over the final two months of the season.

Not all acquisitions a team makes are made with the idea of them starting a game in the World Series. But picking up a player that can help you get there is just as important.

Willi Castro INF – Minnesota Twins

Suárez is the sexier option if the Cubs decide to upgrade at the hot corner; there’s no doubt about that.

But if Hoyer and his brass want to improve that position and not get into a bidding war for the slugger, Castro could be a solid addition. The switch-hitter has a .778 OPS with 10 home runs and 27 RBI and has the versatility to play third base, second base, shortstop and across the outfield. That’s important.

As we saw on Monday night, if Pete Crow-Armstrong is absent, there’s not a clear backup in center field. Kevin Alcántara would likely be an option in the minors. But in a pinch, Seiya Suzuki, who has struggled in the field, would likely be the choice. Castro, a 2024 All-Star, could serve that role, while also being an option at third base if Shaw struggles.

Castro is a free agent at the end of the year, so his cost wouldn’t be astronomical, either. Like Suárez, adding Castro wouldn’t block Shaw long-term but would maximize the Cubs’ chances of winning in 2025.

Jhoan Durán RHP – Twins

OK, OK, the likelihood the Cubs can pry one — let alone three — players from Minnesota is very low. We used Durán because he’s the most likely of some of the other lockdown relievers potentially available to be dealt (Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clasé and Cade Smith and Baltimore’s Félix Bautista are others).

Like Ryan, Durán is under control for two seasons after this year, and represents solidifying not only this year’s team but also beyond, too.

“We’re going to have really good teams after this year and I think you always keep that in mind,” Hoyer said last week. “But this is what’s right in front of us, and this is really important.”

The Cubs’ bullpen has been good for large swaths of this year, but we’ve seen some – albeit minor – cracks at the seams. Drew Pomeranz has come back down to earth after looking untouchable to start his Cubs’ tenure. Chris Flexen has allowed earned runs in his last three outings after not permitting any in 16 of his first 17 appearances.

Counsell has certainly found his circle of trust – left-hander Caleb Thielbar and right-hander Brad Keller are his high-leverage options, and right-hander Daniel Palencia is the team’s closer with a flashy walk-up song and entrance video. But adding another leverage option would shorten games for Counsell come October – and if you can get Porter Hodge, last year’s closer, back to form, that’s five trusted arms that really make you feel good late in games.