The MLB trade deadline. Plenty of teams made moves. There weren't the fireworks that some perhaps anticipated, but overall, the trade deadline was pretty busy. The Chicago Cubs were one of those teams that made some noise at the trade deadline. Despite being three games back from the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds, the Cubs were buyers, acquiring Jeimer Candelario from the Washington Nationals in return for prospects DJ Herz (pitcher) and Kevin Made (shortstop). That trade has already paid dividends; Candelario is 8-9 in two games after the trade and has scored six runs. The Cubs scored 36 runs in those two games. After the All-Star game, the Cubs were 42-48. They have gone 13-5 since then.

That push probably explains why the Cubs were buyers at the trade deadline. Their +77 run differential was likely a factor as well; they are the only team in the NL Central with a positive run differential. But they are still three games back from the Reds and 2.5 games back from the Milwaukee Brewers.

There is no assurance they'll jump even one of those teams, let alone both of them. They may be hot now, but baseball is a funny game. Things can change quickly. If they were leading the division, that would be one thing. But they took a gamble at the trade deadline (an admirable one) in being buyers instead of looking to sell someone like Marcus Stroman.

Injured List

The Cubs could regret not pulling the trigger on a trade for Marcus Stroman partly because he's currently injured. He was placed on the injured list on Wednesday with right hip inflammation and should miss at least one start. While this injury doesn't sound major, Stroman does have a bit of an injury history. Stroman has made at least 30 starts in a season just four times in ten MLB seasons. He's not exactly a spring chicken either, having turned 32 years old in May. That's not to say he's over the hill or anything of the sort, but he's not getting any younger.

Cubs Performance Declining?

Stroman hasn't been pitching at his peak this season either. Perhaps this hip issue has been bothering him for a while (he has given up 22 hits and 13 earned runs over his last three starts. He managed to pitch a combined 10 innings in those starts. Ouch.) and has impacted his numbers, but the numbers are what they are. His 3.85 ERA is the second highest of his career. His 2.2 K/BB ratio is the second lowest of his career. Many of Stroman's other numbers are very solid, perhaps validating the hypothesis that his hip has really bothered him in his last three starts. Stroman was named an All-Star after all. But Stroman will have to bounce back after his IL stint to prove his hip issue was the real issue, not a decline in his play to validate the Cubs holding onto him.

Cubs Contract Situation

The biggest reason why the Cubs could and arguably should have moved on from Stroman is his contract situation. Stroman has a $21 million player option for next season, meaning he could choose to be a free agent after this season. Of course, he could opt in or sign a long-term deal with the Cubs in the offseason. But Stroman, who is injured right now, has had health issues before and is going to want a lucrative extension into his mid-30s- if not from the Cubs, then somewhere else. Every team needs more pitching, so Stroman is probably going to get a bag somewhere. The Cubs can't lose him for nothing to validate holding him past the deadline.

Moving Forward

The Chicago Cubs are third in the NL Central but have the third-best run differential in the National League behind just the Atlanta Braves (+159) and Los Angeles Dodgers (+101). A 13-5 streak post-All-Star break has the Cubs thinking they can make a playoff run. They had enough belief to not only trade for Jeimer Candelario but hold onto guys like Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger. The pressure is on them to make a run and validate their belief. They're a team to watch in the second half of the MLB season.