The Trade Deadline is fast approaching, and the Cubbies are rolling. The offense has been electric and has been brought back to life by the MVP, Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Cubs currently sit at 62-47, sitting 5.5 games back from the cheating Brewers. While the Cubs have been hot, it goes without saying that the team desperately needs pitching with all the injuries they’ve faced this season. Losing Horton, and still being without Steele this season, leaves the Cubs two best pitchers sitting pretty on the IL. Palencia, also being down, has been tough for the fellas, as we have been throwing out randos to close games for us. So that leads me to the point of the article today, which is who should the Cubs go out and get at the deadline. I’ll list out some dream scenarios, as well as some other likely options that the Cubs could go out and get. I decided to break it down into three tiers of guys that Jed needs to be making a call for. One thing I’ve learned about Jed through the years is you never know what that dude is thinking. One thing I am certain of though, is he does like cost controlled arms, so let’s go ahead and dive into some of these different options for the boys in blue. 

 

Tier One: (Dream Scenarios)

• Tarik Skubal (SP) Detroit Tigers
• Mason Miller (CP) San Diego Padres
• Luke Weaver (RP) New York Mets
• Emerson Hancock (SP) Seattle Mariners

These guys listed above, would make me jump up and down if Jed was able to land one of these guys. Skubal is probably every team’s dream scenario, as the back to back CY Young Winner would immediately come in and give a team an Ace for the playoffs. The cost for a rental would be high, but if the Cubs wanted to have a guaranteed win in a playoff series, it would be a good idea to go get Skubal. Mason Miller is the best closer in baseball and would immediately give the Cubs a disgusting 8th and 9th inning punch of Palencia/Miller. This would also cost an arm and a leg, and the Padres most likely don’t move him, but that’s why it is a dream. Weaver is very likely to be dealt, and I think needs to be on Jed’s radar. He has become one of the best relievers in the game and is under control for next season as well. This gives the Cubs another dependable arm to close games while we wait for Palencia to get healthy. Lastly, Hancock being made available by the Mariners came as a shock to me, but when you think about their offensive needs and the abundance of starting pitching they have, it does make sense to move him. Hancock is under team control until 2030, and would be able to slide in perfectly to the Cubs rotation of the future. Moving a guy like Matt Shaw would most likely have to take place, as well as some other solid prospects, but the Cubs need pitching more than anything, so this makes them a perfect fit to go out and get Hancock. 

 

Tier Two: (Wouldn’t be Mad)

• Freddy Peralta (SP) New York Mets
• Clay Holmes (SP) New York Mets
• Kevin Gausman (SP) Toronto Blue Jays
• Reid Detmers (SP) Los Angeles Angels

These guys listed are very likely to be traded at the deadline, and all have their own flaws in my opinion, but the Cubs need playoff arms, and besides Detmers, the other three have thrown in many big games before. Freddy Peralta has owned the Cubs his whole career, besides his last playoff outing in Wrigley. Peralta has struggled this year, and makes me think the Brewers knew the regression was coming. The Mets defense is absolutely terrible though, and for a groundball pitcher, that is not ideal. Luckily the Cubs have the best defense in the ball, so getting Freddy out of the New York stink wouldn’t be a bad idea for a rental price. Clay Holmes has been hurt, which scares me, but he is also another pitcher that has been hurt by the Mets terrible defense. Getting Holmes doesn’t move a huge needle for me, but would be a good option for the Cubs for his price. Gausman is really interesting to me, because yes he is getting older, but he is a playoff riser. Which is exactly what the Cubs will need down the stretch, and though the Blue Jays probably didn’t seem themselves in the position they are in, moving him to recoup younger assets would be smart for them. Detmers has been getting a lot of smoke as teams love a lefty pitcher who is under control. Though the Angels never seem to sell at the right time, I think they understand that Detmers can net them back some serious assets. The Cubs always love their lefty pitchers, so this wouldn’t come as a surprise for me, if Jed ended up making the call for him.

 

Tier Three: (Sure we’ll take ‘em)

• Robbie Ray (SP) San Francisco Giants
• Ryan Helsley (CP) Baltimore Orioles
• Tyler Rogers (RP) Toronto Blue Jays
• Camilo Doval (RP) New York Yankees

These guys here, I’m not the biggest fan of, but in a world where we just need pitching at all levels, these guys could find their way onto Jed’s radar. Robbie Ray is having one of the better years of his career, and the Giants are definitely trading him. Ray is an expiring contract, and an older guy, but he fits the lefty mold the Cubs love, and he is also a guy who has thrown in big games in the past. Helsley is one of the most hot/cold relievers to me, but he gives the Cubs something that they don’t have a ton of, which is velo. He could slide into the back end and give the Cubs a little more stability there. Tyler Rogers, the side arm slinger, is another hot/cold reliever, but his unorthodox delivery is something the Cubs have shown they like in the past in Holby Milner and Taylor Rogers. This gives the Cubs another gadget piece to their bullpen which I believe they need. Lastly is a Camilo Doval, who let me clarify has not been good this year. Which would mean, he would probably be very very cheap to acquire. Doval, like Rogers, has a sidearm delivery that is tough for hitters to pick up. He also comes at you with some velo as well, which makes righty hitters very uncomfortable when facing him. Doval’s problem is his control, so if the Cubs pitching lab thinks they can get that problem under control, and revert him back to his San Francisco days, this could be a cheap upside swing.

 

That is going to wrap it up for me today, as hopefully this article somehow makes its way to Jed’s office before the deadline is over. The Cubs desperately need pitching, and can not waste what this offense has been doing this season. I can’t wait for all the Jeff Passan alerts, as for a sports sicko like me, the trade deadline is like Christmas. So Santa, I mean Jed, pretty please go out and get Tarik Skubal so the boys can pick up some more momentum and finally take the NL Central back from those dweebs in Milwaukee, and ultimately dethrone the Dodgers in the playoffs. I appreciate you guys giving this a read, and let me know who you guys think the Cubs should go out and get at the trade deadline.