After six seasons of missing the playoffs, the Chicago Cubs decided it was time to take a swing. This offseason, they let everyone know that they were legitimate World Series contenders when they traded for Astros star outfielder Kyle Tucker. Now, they are sitting in first place in the NL Central with one of the best offenses in the MLB. The Cubs rank fourth in OPS, third in home runs, and second in runs across the league. Contrary to the offense, their pitching needs some work.
Pitching Needs
The Cubbies’ pitching ranks middle of the pack at 14th with a 3.84 ERA. Despite missing significant time with a hamstring injury, Shota Imanaga has remained his ace-caliber self. Additionally, Matthew Boyd has emerged as a high-quality starter. Colin Rea has also been solid for Chicago with a 3.91 ERA over 91 innings. However, the starting options outside of those two are bleak. Ben Brown struggled and was sent down in June, and Jameson Taillon and Cade Horton have ERAs in the mid-fours. If the Cubs are going to make a deep playoff run, they have to add one or two starting pitchers.
The Cost to Acquire Pitching
Jon Heyman reported on an interview with 670 The Score last week that the Cubs may have to overpay for pitching.
“The problem really is the number of good starting pitchers who are going to be available is very, very limited and the numbers of teams that need starting pitching are very, very high…I think that almost every contending team is going to go for a starting pitcher,” Heyman said. “I think the prices are probably enormous now…They’ve got to be enormous because they know how badly these teams need starters and they know that this is a real seller’s market.”
Heyman is most likely correct on the price, with the pitching market expected to be so thin. The problem for the Cubs is that they cannot stand pat at the deadline.
With Kyle Tucker being set to hit free agency, the time to make a run is now. Yes, the Cubs intend to bring him back, but there’s a decent chance he ends up walking in free agency. Also, with the NL favorite Los Angeles Dodgers having their pitching issues due to multiple injuries, the Cubs may be forced to outbid the biggest competitor. On top of all the previous reasons, the Cubs have a farm system strong enough to make multiple trades. There’s really no other option for Chicago.
Top Trade Candidates
While the market is expected to be light on the pitching front, there are still impact starters available. The names already rumored to be on the trading block include Mitch Keller, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Edward Cabrera, and Sandy Alcántara.
The Cubs’ best bet is to try to cement a deal with the Diamondbacks. Both Gallen and Kelly are veterans with playoff experience and the stuff to match up against the best lineups in the game. Gallen is having a down year, but he’s surged lately and is someone you can count on in the postseason.
The bottom line is, the Cubs must add starting pitching – no matter the cost. If they ultimately decide not to pay the premium, it will be hard to convince a starved fan base that this franchise is serious about winning a championship.
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