The Cubs, for the second time in five years, won an N.L. East title the year after a 90-loss season.
Much of the groundwork for the 1989 team had been laid in the offseason and so the team didn’t make any player-for-player transactions until very close to the deadline for qualifying for the postseason roster, which in those days was August 31.
August 24: Acquired Paul Assenmacher from the Braves for Kelly Mann and Pat Gomez
Assenmacher had been a useful middle reliever in Atlanta and continued to do that in Chicago through 1992, though the 14 games he played in late ‘89 for the Cubs weren’t very good (5.