The Chicago Cubs were reported to be aggressive buyers prior to the July 31 trade deadline this year, focused on the fact that the team desperately needed high-end starting pitching if they were to be serious candidates for a deep playoff run. Names such as Mitch Keller, Edward Cabrera, Sandy Alcantara, Mackenzie Gore, Merrill Kelly, and Zac Gallen were said to be targets.
Instead, they ended up with Michael Soroka…only.
Of the team’s four trade deadline acquisitions, two were relievers, one was an infielder/outfielder, and the other was the Washington Nationals starter.
It was a disappointing haul for a team with clearly defined needs and, seemingly, the prospect capital and budget to pick up who they needed for their playoff run.
Soroka adds concerns to an already-strained Chicago Cubs rotation
Jul 29, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Michael Soroka (34) walks off the field after pitching during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Soroka’s 4.87 ERA in 16 appearances this season doesn’t inspire confidence. Neither does a history of injury that had kept him under 80 innings pitched since 2019 until this year’s 81.1 innings so far.
The righty will be wedged into the strained Cubs rotation, beginning this Monday, on his 28th birthday. It’ll give the team one more starter with concerns, constraints, limitations, and/or question marks heading into the heat of the postseason push.
Rookie Cade Horton is another starter with doubt attached. The 23-year-old has been brilliant of late, delivering 5 shutout innings in the Cubs’ 1-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Over his last five starts, he’s sporting a stellar 1.25 ERA, with all four earned runs during that stretch coming in one outing.
But Horton is at 102.2 innings pitched on the season, between the minors and the majors. In last year’s injury-shortened season, he only registered 34.1 innings. In his previous three minor league seasons, he’s never pitched more than 88.1 innings. There is legitimate concern over his durability over this long 2025 haul, something which was evident with the quick hook he got on Friday after five innings and just 71 pitches.
“It’s just something that we’re going to keep an eye on with Cade for sure,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters after this last game. “And when there’s opportunities and moments to [pull him early], we’re going to do it.
“He got to start on normal rest here and we got five innings from him. So yeah, we’re gonna pick some spots here [to] just lessen the innings.”
Matthew Boyd is also a concern
The same durability concerns applying to Soroka and Horton also apply to Matthew Boyd, who’s been brilliant this year.
Boyd, coming off Tommy John surgery last year and other injuries prior to that, hadn’t logged more than 100 innings since 2019. He has 123.2 so far this year.
The difference between Boyd and Soroka and Horton, however, is that the Cubs can’t really afford to meter and restrict Boyd’s usage since he’s become the rotation ace and an absolutely crucial component to the team’s success.
For now, the Cubs’ only strategy with the 34-year-old is to cross their fingers and hope for continued good health.
The rest of the rotation
Chicago’s other top pitcher, Shota Imanaga, has already been out of commission for several weeks with a hamstring strain, although he has emerged as, perhaps, the sturdiest of the rotation pieces.
Also in the starting rotation mix is Jameson Taillon, who is currently on the IL, coming back from a right calf strain. Javier Assad, who has missed the entire season with oblique issues, is beginning a rehab assignment in Triple-A and could be back, along with Taillon, in mid-August. Another starter, veteran swing man Colin Rea, has been up and down all season. Then, there’s sophomore Ben Brown, who, despite solid potential, has been mostly down.
So, in summary, the Cubs are rolling into the month of August and into the deep end of the pennant race with eight potential starters in a 5-man rotation– five of them with injury or durability issues and two with performance issues.
Not getting at least one more sure-thing starter at the trade deadline has put the Cubs in a tough spot. They’re going to need a whole lot of savvy managerial maneuvering and a great amount of good luck when it comes to a starting rotation already ranked in the bottom half of baseball.
However, at this point, one can only hope for the best.
Chicago Cubs: Kyle Tucker extension questioned in wake of trade deadline cold feet
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
