The Chicago Cubs have a fairly comfortable lead in first place right now atop the NL Central Division– 5.5 games over the Milwaukee Brewers as of this writing.
But the season is still young– less than halfway done– and, realistically, no lead is really comfortable over the long haul of a grinding major league season. There’s a lot of baseball yet to be played, and there’s a lot that could happen in the coming weeks and months.
And, to go along with that, there are some legitimate concerns when it comes to the long-term viability of this postseason-aspiring Cubs team.
The Chicago Cubs need starting pitching
Chief among those concerns is the team’s starting pitching, which currently sits in the middle of the MLB pack when it comes to ERA– a feat which is actually somewhat remarkable considering the losses suffered in Chicago’s rotation.
In early April, the Cubs lost their ace Justin Steele, who will be out of commission until mid-2026 after elbow surgery. About a month later, they lost co-ace Shota Imanaga to a tricky hamstring injury and are hoping to get him back fairly soon (He just made his second rehab appearance). Before all of that, an oblique issue felled projected fifth starter Javier Assad, who has yet to throw a competitive pitch this season.
With 60% of their starting rotation out, veterans Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd have stepped up to be the anchors of the staff. The team has also gotten some pleasant surprises from veteran swing man Colin Rea and top pitching prospect Cade Horton.
But for a team hoping on a deep playoff run, the Cubs need more starting pitching. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has acknowledged that need and the thought is that Chicago will be aggressive in the trade market prior to the July 31 deadline.
Trade rumors abound
Rumored targets abound, but the talent pool of available quality starting pitchers is expected to be shallow this year, and competition will be fierce. The Cubs, meanwhile, are not necessarily known for daring trades or a willingness to deal away a haul of young prospects for a mid-season acquisition.
That’s why talks of acquiring the Miami Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen, or the Atlanta Braves’ Chris Sale don’t ring realistic. Plus, Alcantara and Gallen are having awful seasons this year, anyway.
That’s why fans’ expectations for a trade deadline pickup need to be more realistic.
A more realistic (and likely) trade option in Colorado
The Colorado Rockies’ lefty Kyle Freeland might be more in line with what to expect.
This season, the 32-year-old Freeland has a pretty awful 5.13 ERA, himself, but it should be pointed out that his road ERA, away from the Rockies’ launching pad of a park, is 3.64. Over the course of his 9-year career, he has a 4.15 ERA on the road, away from Coors Field.
Freeland has earned ace status on a really bad Rockies team, working under the worst possible pitching conditions.
He won’t be the shutdown top-of-rotation all-star starter Cubs fans would like to see picked up for a postseason push, but he may be what they will have to settle for. At his best, his sinker should profile well at Wrigley Field, with the Cubs defense playing behind him, and he should be a dependable arm to put on the mound every fifth game.
Business-wise, picking up Freeland also syncs with the Cubs’ preference for budget acquisitions with team control. Under team control through 2026 at $16 million, there is also a vesting option on the table for 2027 at $17 million. The Cubs front office probably won’t have to give up a whole lot to acquire him from the MLB-worst Rockies, either.
Acquiring Freeland would also allow money and trade capital for an additional pickup or two before the deadline
Ideally, of course, the Cubs would bring in a Cy Young-level ace to help push their way to the playoffs. But that may not be in the cards this year. So, with that in mind, a pitcher like Freeland, alongside a returning Imanaga, may be the best realistic alternative.
Chicago Cubs ‘dream’ of landing Chris Sale is alive, per MLB insider
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