The Chicago Cubs are atop the NL Central Division at 40-26 and will be looking to make some upgrades ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline.

It's clear that the Cubs have a dynamic offense. Led by newcomer Kyle Tucker and the surge of Pete Crow-Armstrong, the lineup is very deep with left-handed and right-handed power. Chicago owns the top point differential in the league at +104, so that tells you the offense is very good. The next highest is the New York Yankees at +95. If the Cubs want to continue to win games and make a run in the National League, they need both starting pitching and bullpen help.

The Cubs have a four-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals for the division. The division lead would be much larger if it had not been for the lackluster bullpen that the Cubs own. Chicago has blown countless games already and the league is still less than halfway done with the season.

Caleb Thielbar and Daniel Palencia are leading the way in the bullpen, both with sub-2.00 ERAs. Palencia has turned into the new closer and has five saves on the season. Brad Keller has also pitched well with a 2.05 ERA for the Cubs out of the pen. Drew Pomeranz suddenly can pitch again. Outside of those four, however, it's been pretty bad in the bullpen. The issue is blowing late leads. Ryan Pressly has a 4.13 ERA, and while he has not blown any saves, Pressly was supposed to be the everyday closer. He only has four saves on the season.

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Justin Steele is done for the season after undergoing surgery on his throwing arm. Shota Imanaga has been elite in the games he has pitched in, but is currently rehabbing his way back to the rotation. Mathew Boyd has been very good with a 2.89 ERA, but they need more consistency from Jameson Tallion, Ben Brown, Cade Horton, and Collin Rea.

General Manager Jed Hoyer recently appeared on a New York Baseball podcast with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. Hoyer made it clear that he will try and upgrade the pitching staff ahead of the trade deadline.

“I think we’re going to be looking for pitching, both rotation and in the bullpen,” Hoyer said. “I don’t think that’s a secret. That’s not a knock on the guys we have. But I think in today’s game, you’ve got to keep building depth.”