Should Chicago Cubs Have Traded for Different Third Baseman at Deadline?

The Chicago Cubs third baseman has struggled, but he should figure it out next year and beyond.

Sep 1, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Isaac Paredes (17) hits the ball into play against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. / Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have dropped four of their last five and are now six games behind in the National League Wild Card race. At this rate, it seems unlikely that the Cubs will make the playoffs.

As they look back, there was much more they could've done ahead of the deadline and during this past offseason. Jed Hoyer indicated he wanted to build the team for 2025.

He did so by landing Isaac Paredes, but the third baseman hasn't played well during his time with Chicago. Paredes, 25 years old, is slashing .162/.283/.274 with three home runs, two doubles, and a 58 OPS+ in 117 at-bats.

While it's been ugly, and Paredes hasn't helped the Cubs much in their pursuit of a postseason bid, history would suggest that he'll figure it out.

He has a career slash line of .228/.330/.424 with a 113 OPS+ and 72 home runs in 1,475 at-bats.

Despite the likelihood of him figuring it out, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report believes Chicago "wishes" they could've traded for a different third baseman at the deadline.

He named Paul DeJong, a veteran who's played as well as ever in 2024.

"Yes, they already did this once, sending Christopher Morel and two pitching prospects to Tampa Bay in exchange for Isaac Paredes.It didn't help, though, as Paredes has been a total disaster in Chicago, batting .164 and committing nine errors in the span of 32 games. They instead could have brought in Paul DeJong from just down the road for next to nothing. He has an .837 OPS and has only committed one error since landing in Kansas City."

DeJong is slashing .233/.282/.444 with 24 home runs, 17 doubles, and a 103 OPS+ during the campaign.

Given they just traded for Paredes, the Cubs likely won't search for a third baseman during the winter. They also have other positions they need to address.

However, just like in most scenarios around Major League Baseball, if they find a third baseman who's too good to pass up, perhaps they give it a look.

As Chicago gets ready for the offseason, it's time for the front office and ownership group to start spending money. With a clear need to put together a contending team, and with the talent expected to hit the market, they have an opportunity to do so.

As for Paredes, he'll figure it out.

A 34-game sample size doesn't take away from what he's done over the first 400-plus games of his career.