Chicago Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins has a very crucial trade deadline coming up in two weeks. Alongside president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, he’s tasked with strengthening a first-place team that’s aiming for its first playoff appearance in five years.

[MORE: Who will be Cubs’ top targets at July 31 MLB trade deadline?]

Hawkins joined Marquee Sports Network’s Cole Wright and Ryan Sweeney during “Cubs Live” on Friday to discuss the Cubs’ second-half goals and all things surrounding the July 31 deadline.

Sweeney shared an anecdote about his time with the Athletics in 2010, when then-GM Billy Beane called both Sweeney and catcher Kurt Suzuki into his office to ask for their input about a pitcher Beane was interested in at the deadline.

“These guys talk a lot now,” Sweeney said. “Do you ever talk to a player and say, ‘Hey, we’re thinking about getting this guy — do you think he’d be a good fit?” he asked Hawkins.

Said Hawkins: “We definitely talk to players to get makeup and understand what we’re getting. Certainly, there are things that players can do that would take them off our boards. But for the most part, we’re doing that to make sure we’re prepared for whatever’s coming (through) our door.”

[READ: Cubs second-half questions: Trade targets, rotation concerns and more]

This year’s deadline is shaping up to be the Cubs’ biggest since Hawkins joined from the Cleveland Guardians’ front office in the 2021 offseason. Hawkins took over Hoyer’s post just months after a trade deadline in which Chicago dealt away its 2016 World Series championship core.

A losing season in 2022 and disappointing collapses in the subsequent two campaigns followed before Hawkins and Hoyer struck a blockbuster deal to acquire Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros in December 2024. That trade was a catalyst for the success the Cubs have seen this season. Now, it’s up to Hawkins, Hoyer and the rest of the Cubs’ front office to build off that.

“We want players that are helping us win baseball games,” Hawkins said. “It’s understanding what we’re getting in, understanding how our culture can help that player be the best version of themselves. Those conversations absolutely happen.”

Who the Cubs are after remains to be seen, but those questions will be answered, at the very least, when all is said and done on July 31.