Chicago Cubs fans who are feeling a bit anxious to get Baltimore Orioles infielder Manny Machado are going to have to find some patience. Just a few days ago, team president Theo Epstein made it clear that while the teams have talked about a deal, any chance of that deal going through is basically in "fantasy land" at this point. Having studied Epstein over the last few years would tell you that just because it has been ruled out for the right now, doesn't mean it's never going to happen. When Epstein decides he wants a player, he usually makes it work.

Chicago Cubs offense still hit or miss

The need for a bat like Manny Machado still seems to be rearing its ugly head. One day after looking like the pieces were falling in place, the Cubs offense once again went silent on Saturday and they lost 4-3 to the Giants. Chicago is finding itself in quite the fight for the NL Central and that might not be winnable with the current alignment of the team.

The offense is something that certainly has the ability to be quite impressive. So far, that ability has shown itself to be few and far between. There have been a number of problems for the team as the season has rolled on, but not knowing what the offense is going to do, from one day to the next is certainly a problem that doesn't seem to be going away at the moment.

Pitching might be a bigger concern for Chicago

If there wasn't an obstacle in place when it comes to the Chicago Cubs getting Manny Machado before, there's a potential obstacle in place now. Starting pitcher, Yu Darvish, the biggest free agent signing of the offseason for the club is on the disabled list for the second time of 2018 already.

The first time he went on the DL, it was because he was suffering from an illness. This time around, it's an arm injury.

So far, the Cubs have claimed they aren't particularly worried about the injury. At the same time, they are having Darvish undergo an MRI. If something is turned up during that exam, it could be rather large problems for a rotation that hasn't been quite as strong as the Cubs thought they were going to be heading into 2018.

If the Chicago Cubs find themselves without Yu Darvish for an extended period of time, a starting pitcher becomes quite a bit more important to acquire than Manny Machado. The problem, of course, is that it's not clear the team has prospects or tools to acquire a pitcher, even from a seller. No matter what happens, it appears a deal is going to be coming in July, rather than now.
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