The Chicago Cubs have acquired Jeimer Candelario from the Washington Nationals for left-handed pitcher D.J. Herz and shortstop Kevin Made. Candelario was one of the top positional bats on the trade market and the fact that the Cubs were able to get them is such a win and shows how much the front office organization believes in this team, which they should. 

Just two weeks ago, it looked like the Cubs were going to be sellers, being roughly 8.5 games out of the division. But they have been able to come back, taking 2 out of 3 against the Nationals, 3 out of 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals twice, and sweeping the Chicago White Sox. These teams aren’t necessarily the best, all of them are squarely under .500, but getting wins against the bad teams and playing at least .500 against the good teams is how the Cubs can win and get ahead in the standings, both divisional and wild card. 

The Cubs are sitting 4 games out of first place in the NL Central and 3.5 games out of a wild card spot. This gave the front office the confidence to sell and they picked up exactly what they needed, a power bat corner infielder. Candelario is a switch hitting corner infielder, though he has primarily played third base. This season he has a .258 batting average, .342 on base percentage, and a .481 slugging with 16 home runs and 56 RBIs. That puts him in the top two for both home runs and RBIs amongst Cubs hitters. What has been the biggest struggle for the Cubs has been situational hitting, Candelario provides that type of impact bat, and he has the power to match. 

The Cubs also need a strong defense from their corner infielders, which Candelario provides. Whether the Cubs decide to put him at first or third, it will be a big improvement, both offensively and defensively,  from what they currently have. 

Their main first baseman, Trey Mancini, is hitting .235 with a .297 on-base percentage, and a .338 slugging percentage with only 4 home runs and 28 RBIs. His defense has also been abyssal and has struggled in big moments with what should be easy plays. Cody Bellinger has also been taking some time at first base, but the go-to guy still seems to be Mancini, which they can’t have as a possible playoff contender. 

Their main third baseman, Nick Madrigal, has been hitting better as of late, .278 with a .333 on-base and a .367 slugging, he has 17 RBIs and 1 home run. But Madrigal’s strong suit is his ability to get on-base and make contact when needed. He also has been getting a lot better at third base defensively. Patrick Wisdom, their other option at third, really is only able to hit home runs, with a .195 batting average, .298 on-base percentage, and .488 slugging percentage. 

And this is a pretty fair trade, at least for a rental. Both of the prospects are Rule 5 eligible, meaning that other teams could pick them up if they weren’t going to make the Cubs 40-man roster. Made right now is hitting .240 with a .328 on-base, and .683 slugging. He is a really solid defense wise, but with Swanson locked up for the future, along with other top prospects at short. Herz is a bit more of a loss, as he is a solid lefty pitcher with a lot of potential.

Overall, this Cubs trade is a big boost to this team that has been on a fantastic hot streak. He was probably the best piece the Cubs could pick up, now all left to see if they can go as far as they hope.