The Chicago Cubs are one of the best teams in the National League. They are also facing a full-blown pitching emergency, and the only fix is at the trade deadline.
Jed Hoyer said this week that the Cubs need pitching more than any other team in baseball right now. He is not exaggerating. The team has had 30 injured list stints this year and 26 of those are pitchers. Justin Steele is out for the year with elbow surgery. Shota Imanaga has been dealing with shoulder soreness. Jameson Taillon is on his second IL stint.
If the Cubs do not add at least two starters and a leverage arm by August 3, they are going to burn out their bullpen and blow the division by Labor Day.
The Rotation Situation
Right now the Cubs are running out Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Colin Rea, Ben Brown and Cade Horton. That is not a playoff rotation. That is a group that survived because the offense has carried them to a 63-42 record and a five-game lead in the NL Central.
Horton is the future. Brown has been a nice surprise. Imanaga is a legit ace when healthy. But Rea and Boyd are what they are: back-end innings eaters with limited upside.
Hoyer needs a real No. 2 to slot behind Imanaga. Freddy Peralta is the obvious target. So is Merrill Kelly. So is Zac Gallen if the Diamondbacks decide to sell.
The Bullpen Problem
Chicago’s bullpen ranks 22nd in ERA and dead last in leverage index appearances by any pitcher other than closer Ryan Pressly. The setup men are being overused and it is showing in the ninth inning.
The Cubs need one high-leverage arm. Kenley Jansen would work. Emmanuel Clase would be a stretch but life-changing. Even a rental like Robert Suarez would matter.
The prospect cost is going to be steep. Chicago has one of the deepest farm systems in the sport, and they are going to have to give up at least one top prospect to fix the bullpen.
What Hoyer Should Trade
The Cubs have Owen Caissie in Triple-A hitting .295. Kevin Alcantara is in Double-A slugging .500. James Triantos is a plus defender at second base with a real bat.
Any of those three should be on the table for the right pitcher. The Cubs have five outfielders in the majors already and Nico Hoerner blocks Triantos at second base. Trading prospects who do not have a clear path to the roster is what smart contenders do.
Hoyer has been reluctant historically. He has to overcome that this week.
The Division Picture
The Brewers are still four games back. The Cardinals are lurking at seven games back. The Cubs are in first place, but they are not so far ahead that they can coast.
Losing Steele was a five-win hit on their season projections. They have absorbed most of it because the offense has been elite, but October baseball is about pitching. If the Cubs get to the playoffs and their best starter is a healthy Imanaga making his 26th start of the year, they are going to lose in the wild card round.
The Bold Move
Hoyer needs to make the boldest trade the Cubs have made since acquiring Yu Darvish. Package Caissie, Triantos and a lesser prospect for two proven pitchers.
Freddy Peralta and Trevor Megill from the Brewers. That is the dream. Whether the divisional rival is willing to trade with a first-place team is another question.
If not the Brewers, then Mike Rizzo of the Nationals is dangling MacKenzie Gore. The Rockies will move Kyle Freeland. The Marlins will move anyone not named Sandy Alcantara.
Hoyer has options. He has the prospects. He has ownership approval. What he needs now is the guts to actually pull the trigger.
Chicago has waited a long time for a real contender. This is it. Do not blow it by being cautious at the deadline.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
