MLB Trade Deadline Showdown: Which Blockbuster Moves Will Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, and Astros Risk to Dominate the Season?
Chicago Cubs: Starting pitching
Early this year, as the bullpen was routinely blowing leads and before the season-ending injury to Justin Steele and lengthy absences from Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon, it seemed that Chicago was more likely to add relief help than target an impact starting pitcher at the deadline. But even with Imanaga’s encouraging return, an All-Star campaign from Matthew Boyd and promising progress from rookie Cade Horton, the Cubs look like they’re an impact starter away from being taken seriously in a playoff series against the other top teams in the National League. Their bullpen could also use some reinforcements, but that unit has stabilized in impressive fashion over the past two months and is no longer an obvious weak spot in dire need of fixing. Instead, Chicago should be pursuing starting pitching at this deadline with the same level of urgency they exhibited in acquiring Tucker over the winter to supercharge the lineup.
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