The Chicago Cubs flew to Japan this week with at least two veteran pitchers on their radar. The Cubs will begin their regular season on Tuesday when they play the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Tokyo Dome.
The Cubs reportedly entered negotiations with Lance Lynn and have checked in on others. Kyle Gibson has been a name linked to Chicago.
The Chicago Cubs are open to adding pitching help
Earlier this week, Counsell said he was comfortable about the Cubs pitching staff for Japan but hinted something could happen before their “domestic” opening day matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 27.
“Let’s see what the schedule lets us do with that to try to get them back going again,” Counsell said of juggling his pitching staff between regular season matches and the Cactus League. “If we pitch really well, there’s going to be somebody that doesn’t pitch. That’s what you want, to pitch really well…
“I think we’re in a good place,” Counsell said. “Essentially because we’re healthy. But we have nine games until (domestic) Opening Day. A lot can change between now and then. Something will happen, I’m sure.”
The Cubs hope to boost their starting rotation in a year they believe they can compete for the NL Central. Chicago made a significant investment in 2025 when they traded with the Houston Astros for Kyle Tucker.
Cubs predicted to trade for Sandy Alcantara
Patrick Mooney of The Athletic predicted the Cubs will win the division. But to do so, Chicago will trade with the Miami Marlins for veteran pitcher Sandy Alcantara.
“The Cubs will finish slightly north of 83 wins, capturing the division title after trading for Sandy Alcantara in a blockbuster deadline deal with the Miami Marlins,” Mooney wrote.
Alcantara has a career record of 41-55 and an ERA of 3.32. At 29, his best season came in 2022 when he earned his second All-Star appearance, the NL Cy Young Award, and All-MLB First-Team honors.
Alcantara missed 2024 after having Tommy John surgery On Oct. 6, 2023.
Alcantra would be a much better addition than Lynn or Gibson, but he would be more expensive for the Cubs to acquire.
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