The Chicago Cubs offense is arguably the best in baseball. But they are going to need to shore up their pitching staff if they want to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2016.
That is why The Athletic writers Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney believe the Cubs are considering veteran and former World Series champion Charlie Morton of the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the upcoming trade deadline.
The deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. ET. That gives clubs less than 10 days to make deals.
With Baltimore flailing in last place in the American League East and 10 games under .500, and Morton pitching better after his awful month of April, he could fetch the O’s a solid package as a veteran rental starting pitcher.
Why Do The Cubs Want Charlie Morton?
Morton is a two-time World Series champ who clinched the Houston Astros‘ first-ever championship with by pitching four innings of relief and earning a win in Game 7 of the World Series in Los Angeles. He also helped the Tampa Bay Rays in their upstart run to the World Series in 2020.
The Cubs have ample offense, led by All-Stars Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker and Michael Busch, plus Seiya Suzuki and others. But they are tied for 14th in the majors in innings pitched by starting pitchers, and outside of Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga, Chicago has four starters with a bWAR of 0.5 or lower.
“Mortonâs first start following the All-Star break â an 11-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays â was not good, but he looked much better in June (3-0, 2.88 ERA in five starts) and he beat the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets in his previous July starts,” the writers said in The Athletic on Monday. “He had been a solidly above-average pitcher for nearly a decade.
“As the Cubs think through possible pitching plans for October, Mortonâs World Series rings from the 2021 Braves and 2017 Houston Astros cannot be dismissed.”
Who Else Are The Cubs Targeting At the Trade Deadline?
Outside of depth starting pitching, the Cubs are also shopping for relief pitching ahead of next Thursday’s deadline and could be in the mix for Eugenio Suarez from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Washington Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan, who has 19 saves but a 4.28 ERA, is on Chicago’s radar, according to Mooney and Sharma, though not necessarily to unseat lights-out closer Daniel Palencia (13 saves, 1.53 ERA in 34 games).
“Kyle Finnegan does not produce the strikeout rates that light up the projection models, but the Cubs have the Washington Nationals closer on their radar as they explore ways to bulk up their bullpen,” they wrote. “To be clear, the Cubs are fully confident in Daniel Palenciaâs ability to handle the ninth inning. In this trading cycle, itâs questionable whether the Cubs could even find an All-Star closer who represents a clear upgrade over Palencia.
“Rather, the idea would be expanding options for [manager Craig] Counsell as the Cubs prioritize matchups, rest and recovery for their pitchers.”
Suarez, who leads the NL in home runs (35), could deepen Chicago’s already-loaded lineup, since third base has been one of its few holes. But since Suarez is a rental, the Cubs would be loathe trade prospects Owen Caissie or Jefferson Rojas for either — since they are Nos. 1 and 3 on the Cubs’ prospect list per MLB Pipeline.
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