The Chicago Cubs are working their way into the All-Star break with a lot going for them and a lot left to do before the July 31 MLB trade deadline.
Motored by a potent and versatile offense, the team sits atop the NL Central Division. But no first place spot is secure before the All-Star break, especially when the division rival Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals have proven themselves to be historically resilient and tenacious competitors.
So, the task for Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer will be to fill roster holes and generally fortify the team ahead of the dog days of summer and the heat of the pennant race.
At the top of the team’s needs is starting pitching.
Chicago Cubs need pitching
In early April, they lost ace Justin Steele for this season and beyond with an elbow injury that required surgery. Prior to that, projected fifth starter Javier Assad was put on the shelf with an oblique issue in spring training that has kept him out of commission for the entire season thus far. Shota Imanaga lost five weeks due to a hamstring strain. Jameson Taillon, meanwhile, just went on the IL with a right calf strain and is likely to be out for more than a month.
And while the rotation, headed nicely by fill-in ace Matthew Boyd, has kept itself from full-on collapse, it won’t be able to push the Cubs through postseason play in its current form.
Hoyer and the Cubs are reportedly being very aggressive in pursuit of trades as the deadline starts to get nearer.
Facing a shrunken market
MLB insider David Kaplan, however, believes that the trade market might be significantly smaller than many care to acknowledge as the deadline approaches.
Per Kaplan in his “The REKAP” podcast:
“People in the industry do not believe there will be a number of number one-type starters available, as of right now…Why, you ask?”
As Kaplan would go on to explain, the reason is that there are still so many teams in the race for wild card playoff spots that many will hold on to their tradeable assets in hopes of making a playoff run, themselves.
However, there are some teams that are firmly established as sellers at the deadline and are already, reportedly, being eyed by a hungry Cubs front office.
Crosstown trade partners?
The last place Chicago White Sox appear to be one of those teams. According to Kaplan, though, several trade deadline buyers are also eyeing them.
Per Kaplan:
“Watch Mike Tauchman and watch Adrian Houser. Those two guys could absolutely be in play for a multitude of teams, including the Cubs.”
A deal with the pitching-heavy, rebuild-minded crosstown rivals makes sense and the idea has been tossed about before. The two names mentioned by Kaplan also make sense.
The 32-year-old Houser isn’t a pitcher at the top of any Cubs fans wish list, but he is having an outlier-good season so far after being cut by the Texas Rangers and signed by the Sox in May. In 8 games started, he has a 1.60 ERA and is averaging just under 6 innings per start. At the very least, he could be that back-of-rotation inning-eater a taxed pitching staff could use in addition to a more front-of-rotation acquisition.
Former Cub Tauchman, meanwhile, would be a viable fourth outfielder who could play in all three outfield spots and give the team the ability to rest their starters. He also represents a left-handed offensive upgrade from anyone currently on the Cubs’ bench.
Ultimately, a trade for Houser and Tauchman would fill two team needs and shouldn’t be too pricey in terms of what the Cubs need to give up in return.
But, still, they’re going to need that high-end starter– if one is even made available.
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