The Chicago Cubs would like to add pieces for the stretch run during the August waiver period, but Jed Hoyer believes that doing so could be tougher than some other years because of parity this season.

"There's a lot of teams that are vying for the playoffs, so I think that'll probably mean a little bit more blocking than usual," Hoyer said. "There'll definitely be deals. Whether those will be big deals or not, I would probably say no, simply because I do think people are pretty active on the waiver wire and there'll be quite a bit of blocking."

Players are routinely placed on revocable waivers in August. Those who clear can then be traded freely by their clubs. If a player is claimed, the player’s team has 48 hours to trade him or pull him back off waivers – in which case, he can no longer be traded during the period.

"Certainly we're spending a lot of time every morning on the waiver wire and making our claims," he said. "But a lot depends on who happens to clear."