The Chicago Cubs have seen a recent drop in their performance, mostly on the pitching side of things. Chicago has one of the best offenses in baseball, but has seen their National League Central lead evaporate at the hands of the surging Milwaukee Brewers, who now hold a 1.0 game lead. With five days left until the MLB trade deadline, the Cubs are being urged to trade for a depth starter, preferably a right-hander.
They have Shota Imanaga at the top of the rotation, and Matthew Boyd to follow, both of whom are soft lefties. After those two, it gets very thin and features many unproven arms that Chicago may not be able to count on during the final two-month stretch of the regular season.
Cross-Town Trade Idea Sends Adrian Houser to North Side
In this trade pitch, the Chicago Cubs link up with the cross-town Chicago White Sox for starter Adrian Houser. Â Houser has recently emerged as a top target in the starting pitcher market after his strong 2025 season.
Houser has a 6-2 record this season and a 2.10 ERA in 68.2 innings. He’s made just 11 starts, but was picked up by the White Sox in mid-May, and has made the most of his opportunities.
Mark Polishuk of MLBtraderumors.com gave a reason as to why the Cubs may be in on Houser:
“Even if some regression is inevitable, Houser has at least bounced back nicely from a rough 2024 season. He posted a 5.84 ERA over 69 1/3 innings with the Mets before being designated for assignment and then released in late July. The Cubs and Orioles each signed Houser to minor league deals over the remainder of the 2024 season but he didnât receive any big league playing time with either club. Another minors deal with the Rangers in the offseason also didnât go anywhere and he was released by Texas in mid-May, but soon landed with the White Sox on a guaranteed one-year deal worth a prorated $1.35MM salary.”
The Cubs got a nice taste of what Houser could provide for their organization on Friday when he tossed 6.2 innings against the team from the north side in a 12-5 victory. Even if regression may be imminent for Houser, it doesn’t hurt to take a chance if you’re the Cubs. Ben Brown has not been efficient, and neither has Cade Horton, who appears to need a little more time in the minors. Houser is a proven arm who spent seven seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.
What Would the Cubs Give Up?
Houser signed a one-year deal, and it set to be a free agent after this season. With the Chicago White Sox in rebuild mode, they will take any sort of prospect capital that may be on the verge of being MLB-ready within the next couple of years.
As the final days before the trade deadline wind down, expect the Chicago Cubs to make a big splash on the pitching side. They have had such a good season thus far, and it wouldn’t make sense for them to jeopardize it when they know their issues stem from the rotation.
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