Leadoff Hitters the Cubs Could Trade for at the MLB Trade Deadline

The Chicago Cubs are in the middle of a dog fight for the NL Central crown, and if they want to come out on top of the division by the end of the season, they might need to upgrade at the top of the order. Chicago's table setters have combined for a .310 on-base percentage this season (No. 23 in MLB).

With that in mind, here are three leadoff hitters the Cubs could acquire at the July 31 MLB Trade Deadline.

1. Kole Calhoun, OF, Los Angeles Angels

Kole Calhoun is having a tremendous bounce-back year (.807 OPS, 21 HRs) with the Los Angeles Angeles and he's been especially good out of the leadoff spot. The Angels' outfielder sports an .806 OPS with six homers and 16 runs scored out of the leadoff spot this season. Calhoun should provide solid power and run-scoring ability at the top of the order. Additionally, with a $14 million team option for the 2020 season, Chicago won't have to commit to him if he fails to meet expectations.

2. David Peralta, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Cubs have displayed interest in David Peralta in previous seasons and this could finally be the year they acquire his services. While he hasn't batted leadoff once this year, the 31-year-old outfielder has been a consistent table setter throughout his career, slashing .272/.338/.437 with 64 runs scored across 120 games batting at the top of the order. Peralta may cost the Cubs a bit more than they'd like considering he's under team control until 2021, but the consistent bat he'll provide could be worth the cost.

3. Whit Merrifield, 2B/SS, Kansas City Royals

Whit Merrifield would easily be the best leadoff hitter Chicago could acquire at the deadline thanks to his incredible skillset. The 2019 All-Star has been deadly out of the leadoff spot this year, slashing .303/.358/.499 with 63 runs scored and 14 stolen bases on the year. He'll likely cost the Cubs an arm and a leg considering he's under contract until 2023, but Merrifield is menace on the base paths with an excellent ability to get on-base.

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Mike Esposito is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Mike Esposito also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username espo6891. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.