The Chicago Cubs have been declared “all-in” when it comes to picking up talent at the July 31 trade deadline, ahead of what they hope to be a deep playoff run. Reports have been rampant about the team’s aggressive mindset in pursuing deals and kicking the tires on possible acquisitions.
Chief among the team’s needs is starting pitching.
The Cubs lost ace Justin Steele for the season due to elbow injury in early April. Projected fifth starter Javier Assad was injured in spring training and has yet to throw a competitive pitch this season. Currently, Jameson Taillon is on the shelf with a strained right calf and might be out until mid-August.
And, although the remainder of the staff– Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, Cade Horton– has held together well, the reality is that the team will need at least one more high-end starter headed into a pennant race and then into the postseason.
Third base, aside from pitching, a trade deadline need for the Chicago Cubs
Meanwhile, the need for an every day third baseman has once again emerged. Top prospect Matt Shaw has failed to deliver on two separate major league runs this year and is currently hitting a beyond-meager .198.
Filling both holes in what’s expected to be a seller’s market will be a tough feat for the Chicago front office. But the team has the prospects to wheel and deal this year, as well as the apparent “win now” mindset to gamble on some big trades.
The selling Arizona Diamondbacks have what the Cubs need
Bob Nightengale of USA Today, per his sources, has declared that the Arizona Diamondbacks will be sellers at this year’s deadline and, on the surface, they seem to be an ideal one-stop shopping spot for the Cubs.
Per Nightengale:
“The Arizona Diamondbacks, muddling along around .500, will definitely be sellers at the trade deadline according to rival executives, believing they have no choice if they want to compete in 2026.
‘I don’t see a world they don’t sell,’ one GM said. ‘They have so many holes, and so many free agents.’
They are making starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez and first baseman Josh Naylor available. They are all free agents after the season. The D-backs are searching for young pitching in return.”
Although Chicago’s primary need is pitching, how could any Cubs fan not swoon at the idea of adding the right-handed power bat of Eugenio Suarez, who currently has 31 home runs, to an already-potent Cubs offense– even if it’s just as a 3-month rental? The thought of trading for the slugger has been swirling around for a bit.
Defensively, Suarez is not ideal. But adding an elite-power right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup to help against left-handed pitching would definitely offset a bit of stiff defensive play from the 33-year-old.
When it comes to starting pitching, either Gallen or Kelly would be welcomed additions to the Cubs rotation, finding a sweet spot between lefties Boyd and Imanaga.
The asking price
May 13, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Ben Brown (32) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The question, though, will center around how much the Diamondbacks will want in return for their free agency-eligible assets and, conversely, how much the Cubs would be willing to give up for high-end rentals.
According to Nightengale, Arizona wants young pitching in return, something not exactly in abundance within the Cubs’ farm system.
Jaxon Wiggins is one name that stands out at the Double-A level. Ben Brown, who was sent down to Triple-A for re-tooling after inconsistent performance in the Cubs’ big league rotation, has great appeal as a big talent with tremendous upside who may be just a tweak or two from being fully actualized.
However, expect a fierce bidding war for the Diamondbacks put on the block. It’s never been the Cubs way to overpay and that might especially be the case for rental players.
Time will tell how everything plays out prior to July 31.
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