Overview

• Chicago holds the National League’s best record and features five MLB.com top-100 prospects, led by Owen Caissie’s .350 average and eight homers in his last 10 Triple-A games.
• Jed Hoyer stresses that true deadline success is measured in October or beyond as he balances a World Series push with preserving future roster pillars.
• Rotation injuries and rookie Matt Shaw’s offensive struggles have heightened the urgency to add starting pitching and bench depth before July 31.
• Reported targets span a wide spectrum of arms, from White Sox righty Adrian Houser to Miami’s Edward Cabrera and veterans like Luis Severino and Mitch Keller.
• Bleacher Report and other outlets tag Sandy Alcantara as an intriguing, if unproven, deadline option for the Cubs pending health and contract considerations.