David Ross says Cubs 'got to win games' with trade deadline looming

The Chicago Cubs have been equally fun and frustrating this season. 

When the Cubs are hot, they're an inferno. But when they're cold, they're subarctic. 

Chicago's currently hot and streaking as the trade deadline nears on Aug. 1. The Cubs have won five of their last six games and are just five 5 1/2 games out of the third-place wild card spot and 6 1/2 games out of first place in the NL Central. Yes, the Cubs have a chance at the playoffs.

“You’re just starting to see the best version of us,” Cubs manager David Ross said on Sunday after their 7-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. 

The Cubs are currently the only team in the NL Central with a positive run differential at +41. The first-place Milwaukee Brewers are at -6 and the second-place Cincinnati Reds are at -3. Looking at this isolated statistic it would seem like better days are ahead for the Cubs and luck could start going their way. 

Cubs centerfield Cody Bellinger, who won NL MVP in 2019 and won a World Series with the Dodgers in 2020, thinks the team has what it takes to make a playoff run.

“I see the talent,” Bellinger said. “I’ve been around some good teams, been on some good teams. We’ve got the right guys in this clubhouse. I believe it. We all know that.”

There's been a lot of speculation as to whether the Cubs will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. They can retain their top talent and compete for a playoff spot, or they could trade away veterans such as Bellinger, Marcus Stroman, Drew Smyly, Kyle Hendricks, and Yan Gomes. However, if the Cubs keep winning the front office could receive backlash from their fanbase. The best-case scenario is Chicago keeps winning.

“We’re all in this together,” Ross said, noting that team president Jed Hoyer is watching. "It’s a result-based industry we’re in. You got to win games. So the more we can do that, the more the front office has confidence.”

Cubs first baseman Trey Mancini mentioned how important of a stretch this is for the team with the trade deadline looming. 

“As a player, obviously, you don't want to see any of your teammates get traded and hope to keep everybody together," Mancini said. "Hopefully, we can keep playing well.”

The Cubs certainly have hope in the clubhouse, now they just have to keep stacking wins to ensure no one gets traded.