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The Chicago Cubs are off to their best start since 2016, a year Cubs fans remember so well. Chicago has one of the best lineups in MLB and that lineup is a huge reason it was the first National League team to reach 40 wins.
There are weak spots for the Cubs, one of which is their bench. The duo of Jon Berti and Vidal Brujan have combined for just four at-bats since May 20, meaning neither of those two players have done much for Chicago over the last two weeks.
It is safe to assume Chicago will upgrade its bench prior to the trade deadline and one option to upgrade it would be current Chicago White Sox outfielder and former Cub Mike Tauchman.
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Tauchman spent the first five seasons of his career with the Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants.
He spent the last two seasons with the Cubs and instantly became a fan favorite due to his heroics in the summer months of the season. The last two summers on the northside of Chicago were often referred to as the “Summer of Tauchman” and that magic would certainly be welcome back.
He is batting .297 with three home runs and a .957 OPS in 19 games and 67 at-bats so far this season. Those numbers are well above his .250 average and .732 OPS in his two seasons with the Cubs.
Tauchman could provide much more depth than Brujan has given Chicago, and his familiarity with the players and the organization could make him a critical player not only on the field, but in the locker room as well.
A trade for the former Cub could be exactly what the franchise needs to secure its first NL Central title and playoff appearance since the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
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