Cubs Determined to Address Clear Weakness Before Trade Deadline
The Chicago Cubs' starting rotation has not been at full strength all season. They have a handful of players currently on the injured list, including Matthew Boyd, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Cade Horton.
With so much movement, the Cubs have failed to find much stability throughout the 2026 MLB season. Through 75 games, Chicago's starting pitchers rank 27th in ERA (4.71), 16th in hits allowed (354), 17th in strikeouts (339) and 14th in opponent batting average (.243).
With the trade deadline set for Aug. 3, general manager Carter Hawkins is expected to be aggressive. According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, the Cubs have made upgrading their starting pitching the top priority.
"The Cubs have made it clear to opposing front offices that trading for starting pitching is their top priority and they've been making those calls and texts for weeks," Bowden wrote. "They have a strong enough roster at both the major- and minor-leagues levels to make another significant trade between now and the deadline similar to their offseason deal for Edward Cabrera. If only their rotation could have stayed healthy."
The Cubs do have a handful of top prospects that could be utilized as trade pieces. According to MLB.com, they have three top 100 prospects, including shortstop Jefferson Rojas (No. 80), third/second baseman Pedro Ramirez (No. 82) and right-handed pitcher Jaxon Wiggins (No. 85).
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Multiple top starting pitchers have been rumored as trade candidates. The crown jewel of this year's deadline is Tarik Skubal, with Joe Ryan, Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano and Freddy Peralta also being highly valued.
At 39-36, the Cubs are eight games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the lead in the National League Central. However, adding a few pieces to their starting rotation could provide the stability needed to begin closing the gap.
Related: Braves Manager Walt Weiss Addresses Growing Concerns Over Ha-Seong Kim
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.