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  • Chicago Cubs Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

    The latest Chicago Cubs free agent and trade rumors, along with notes and tidbits about the team.
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    Brock Beauchamp
    Kyle Tucker has earned his fourth All‑Star nod—but this time as a National League starter, joining the Cubs after a blockbuster offseason trade. This season he’s slashing an impressive .290/.393/.533, with 17 homers, 20 steals, and a .923 OPS. Although Tucker has been one of the best players in the game for years, this marks his first All‑Star start, coming after three previous reserve selections with Houston.
    Pete Crow‑Armstrong, the 23‑year‑old Cubs center fielder, has turned heads this season and is the first All‑Star selection as an NL starting outfielder. Offensively, he’s recording a .265/.301/.537 line with 21 home runs and 25 steals, ranking first in NL bWAR (4.5) and second in fWAR (4.0). His defense has been equally elite, leading NL outfielders in defensive runs saved. Crow-Armstrong has quickly become a fan favorite, and this is the first time he has been voted into the starting lineup for the All‑Star Game.
    Bertz
    The Chicago Cubs are second in MLB in runs scored per game and second in total WAR from their position players, and yet according to Patrick Mooney at The Athletic the plan is still to add offensive help prior to this year's trade deadline.
    Two main reasons are cited for the team's search for a bat.  First is underperformance.  The lack of offensive production from Matt Shaw and Justin Turner provides an opportunity to upgrade the team and push additional chips in on upgrading a likely playoff team.  The second is vintage Hoyer: an attempt to limit downside risk.  Knowing that the deadline is the last chance to add help, the front office doesn't want to leave itself vulnerable to something like an injury. 
    Mooney lists Taylor Ward, Ryan McMahon, and Eugenio Suarez as "names to monitor", though it's unclear if there is traction with any of those players or if they are simply the type of hitter the team is likely to explore.
    Matthew Lenz
    Independent reporter, Francys Romero, is citing "industry sources" saying that the Chicago Cubs are "potential suitors" for Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes.
    Hayes, 28, is controllable through 2030 on an extremely team friendly deal that has him averaging less than $9 million per season.
    A former top 100 prospect across all of baseball, Hayes' bat hasn't really lived up to the hype, though he is one of the best defensive third basemen in all of baseball.
    Hayes has always been a below average hitter, though this season he is slashing .236/.290/.290 with just two home runs and nine stolen bases. The lack of production puts him an abysmal 38% worse than the average player (62 wRC+).
    Even with his glove and contract, would you like to see the Cubs pursue Hayes?
    Matthew Lenz
    Along with Brad Keller and a pair of Marlins' starters we've previously covered, Bob Nightengale is reporting that the Chicago Cubs are "keeping an eye on" Athletics starting pitcher Luis Severino as the trade deadline nears.
    He also states that the Cubs "would love to get their hands on [Mitch] Keller and [David] Bernard." While we know talks with the Pittsburgh Pirates have included starting pitcher Mitch Keller, this is the first we're hearing reliever David Bednar's name. While it's not surprising, as he may be the best reliever available via trade, it's not clear if the Cubs have explicitly shown interest or if Nightengale is speculating.
    Severino, 31, is in the first year of a three-year deal that includes a 2027 player option. Pitching in a Triple-A stadium and in a climate that favors hitters, his 4.83 ERA is a little inflated as suggested by his 3.99 FIP. What may be more concerning is that his strikeout rates are down nearly 10 points from his career norms, resulting in an extremely poor 8.5% strikeout-minus-wall rate. Nightengale points out that the optically the Athletics may be hard pressed to trade the starter, but even if he's on the market it will be interesting to see how expensive he gets. His numbers aren't overly encouraging, though it may be a thin starting pitcher market which will inherently drive up costs.
    If the Athletics are open to trading Severino, would you want the Cubs to pursue? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs are expected to be buyers at the trade deadline, and have a significant need to add to their starting rotation.
    Though Shota Imanaga is expected to return from injury on Thursday, the Cubs are down Javier Assad and Justin Steele. Moreover, earlier this week they demoted Ben Brown who struggled after a strong start to the season.
    Now, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score is reporting that they have had discussions around Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller.
    Keller, 29, has been solid this season with a 4.02 ERA, 3.25 FIP, and a 12.4% strikeout-minus-walk rate. The right hander is controlled through the 2028 on a relatively team friendly deal given his level of production.
    As Levine points out, the market may be thin which will likely drive up the cost to acquire a pitcher of Keller's caliber.
    Should the Cubs swing a deal for Keller? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    With the seventh best odds to win the World Series, per Fangrpahs, it's no secret the Chicago Cubs are going to be buyers at the trade deadline.
    On Wednesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that the Cubs are "canvassing the market" for  starting pitcher.
    The Cubs current rotation rank in the bottom third of baseball with a 4.32 ERA and a 4.47 FIP and a lowly 14.4% strikeout-minus-walk rate. Some of that poor production can be attributed to injuries as Shota Imanaga (returning Thursday), Javier Assad, and Justin Steele. Just earlier this week, the club sent Ben Brown to Triple-A Iowa to rediscover some of the early season success he was having.
    Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera are big names on the market that will come with a heavy price. Who else should the Cubs kick the tires on? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs have optioned starting pitcher Ben Brown to Triple-A Iowa to make room for reliever Porter Hodge who is returning from an oblique injury.
    Brown, 26, has struggled this season churning out a 6.13 ERA, 4.08 FIP, albeit with a decent 17.8% strikeout-minus-walk (K-BB) rate. After a solid start to the season, he seems to benefit from a bit of a reset with the Iowa Cubs. The move paves the way for the anticipated return of Shota Imanaga on Thursday.
    Hodge, 24, has also struggled with the big-league club with a 5.12 ERA, 4.16 FIP, and a lowly 9.5% K-BB rate due to control issues. He will likely slot in as a low- to medium- leverage option out of the Cubs' bullpen.
    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs have recalled Nate Pearson from Triple-A Iowa. The right-handed reliever will likely cover low- to medium-leverage situations out of the Cubs' bullpen.
    This is Pearson's second stint with the big-league club. After producing a 10.38 ERA in his first eight appearances, he was optioned to Iowa in mid-April.
    In 24 1/3 innings for the Iowa Cubs, Pearson carried an impressive 2.22 ERA, 3.94 FIP, though with an extremely high walk rate. Control was something he has always struggled with and has been the reason he hasn't been able to reach his ceiling as an effective high-leverage reliever.
    Do you think the Cubs should address the bullpen at the trade deadline?
    Matthew Trueblood
    Let's be honest here. Maybe Vidal Bruján is a trifle more broadly talented than Emmanuel Rivera, but in practice, he's a worse player—especially for the current Chicago Cubs. The Cubs need a righty batter who can occasionally work their way on base without being deployed as a pinch-runner, and one who can capably handle the hot corner with the glove. Much though all Cubs fans wish that either Bruján or Jon Berti met those descriptions, right now, they don't.
    Emmanuel Rivera does, though. Rivera, who turns 29 at the end of this month, has hit just .232/.302/.275 for the Orioles this season, so it's hard to fault them for designating him for assignment. However, that's against a career line of .243/.306/.363—no star slugger's line, but a fine one for a solid defensive infielder off the bench. That's precisely what Rivera is. He's been worth 5 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) even in very limited action for the Orioles at third this year. He can also play some first base. Against lefties, he's a career .254/.318/.381 hitter, much better than what Bruján can offer as a backup to Matt Shaw at third base.
    Rivera is a good floor to reset for third base. The Cubs should be able to acquire him for cash, and if the front office is smart, they'll place a quick call to Mike Elias in the wake of this news.
    Brock Beauchamp
    Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer recently appeared with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post to talk about the Cubs and the trade deadline.
    After shedding some New York tears over the Pete Crow-Armstrong trade, Heyman and Sherman ask Hoyer about a potential Kyle Tucker extension, which Hoyer deflects as something most likely to happen after the season.
    Hoyer talks about the Cubs' desire to add pitching at the deadline, referring to it as "not a secret". He comments that Chicago will be in the market for both starters and relievers, reinforcing his general belief that a major league bullpen is a work in progress throughout the season.
    See the interview below: 
    Matthew Lenz
    On a recent podcast, David Kaplan of ESPN1000 was quoted as saying, "I’m hearing that the [Chicago] Cubs have wrapped their brain around, doesn’t mean he’ll accept it, wrapped thier brain around whatever it costs we’re paying it and they want to keep [Kyle] Tucker, that’s what I’m hearing”
    When the Cubs acquired Tucker, it was under the assumption that the two sides could reach a long-term agreement. To this point, the two sides have had discussions but obviously nothing has come to fruition. Tucker is currently sent to reach free agency at season's end ahead of his age-29 season.
    The superstar has been well worth the trade costs as he's accrued 1.5 fWAR in the first month of the season. He's slashing .289/.397/.579 with seven home runs and 25 runs scored and runs batted in while adding eight stolen bases and strong defense.
    How much do you think the Chicago Cubs should hand over to Kyle Tucker?
    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs rotation took a big hit when their ace suffered a season ending injury to his throwing elbow and forearm. Here at NSBB, we speculated on five external options that the team could pursue to replace Steele at the top of the rotation. However, earlier this week Patrick Mooney of The Athletic that the team would be pursuing internal options (for now).
    Within the report, Steele's rotation mate Matthew Boyd was quoted as saying "We have a very talented rotation. We have guys that can step up and perform in those roles. We’re excited for that." Aside from sounding like he has a future in an organization's front office, Boyd emphasizes that the team has the "next man up mentality". 

    Currently, Colin Rea looks to be the fill-in although Javier Assad may be the more permanent solution. Assad is reportedly close to returning and appears to be the initial predecessor for the job given the Cubs four off days between today (Thursday, April 17th and April 28th).
    Mooney goes on to report that Cade Horton, the Cubs no. 7 pick in the 2022 draft and one of the team's top prospects,  is one arm to keep an eye on. The 24-year-old right hander does have injury concerns, though his "staff and athleticism" has "wowed" Cubs official leading them to use such high draft capital on the Oklahoma product. In three Triple-A starts, he has 16.7% K-BB rate and a 4.11 FIP due to command issues across 12 1/3 innings.
    If those options don't pan out or if more injuries strike, Mooney points to the depth of hitting prospects that could be packaged to swing a blockbuster deal.
    If you're in the Cubs front office, how are you trying to replace Justin Steele?
    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker with the expectation being they could extend the superstar outfielder. While nothing has come to fruition, Hector Gomez is reporting that there is a potential deal on the table.
    https://x.com/hgomez27/status/1911207956005220426?s=46&t=W3bjFFhKBgsnZF2kQS6WJg
     
    Tucker is off to a torrid start this season with the Cubs slashing .317/.442/.667 with 5 home runs. The 28-year-old has already accrued 1.1 fWAR on the season.
    Matthew Lenz
    Building off a previous report, Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of The Athletics are reporting that the Chicago Cubs are keeping pitchers Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn on their radars despite their rotation being relatively healthy at the moment.
    They also mention that the Cubs kicked the tires on Andrew Heaney before he agreed to terms with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and they go on to suggest that a move could be made following their trip to Japan.
    While it's presumed the two veterans are staying in shape in hopes of signing with a big-league club, it's not a guarantee that either would be game ready by Opening Day. This is prompting "some clubs" (the Cubs weren't specifically named) to ask pitchers to sign a 45-day-advance-consent form, which allows a team to terminate the contract in the first 45 days for any reason except injury and only pay them for the time spent on the roster.
    While the Cubs rotation is currently looking solid, you can never have enough pitching. Should they add one of Gibson or Lynn for added depth in a position group that is the most valuable asset in the sport? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Bertz
    This spring the Chicago Cubs have not been immune to the pitching injury bug that plagues baseball every March.  Thankfully to this point they have not been among the teams hardest hit.  Despite that, reporting tonight out of The Athletic indicates that Jed Hoyer is still active on the market for starting pitching:
    It's not totally clear how much of this is laying groundwork in case an injury arises versus how much the team is intent to add a starter even as things currently stand.  The Athletic also reports that the team had an offer out to Andrew Heaney before he signed with Pittsburgh, though he theoretically could have been a fit in the bullpen as well.  NorthsideBaseball's own Matthew Trueblood also reported last month that Hoyer was still talking with the Padres hoping to land Dylan Cease, so bigger game may be on the table if it's available.
    Bertz
    The rumor du jour the last two weeks in Cubs land has been Alex Bregman.  We finally have an indication of what the team's backup plan is if he chooses to go elsewhere.  Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney indicate tonight the team is eying the aged Justin Turner.
    After the Cody Bellinger and Matt Mervis trades, the Cubs' roster is very thin at first base behind starter Michael Busch. Matt Trueblood wrote about the issue earlier today.  Turner would give the time a far more viable backup than they have on hand currently.
    Turner is mostly a 1B/DH at this point in his career, so while his Baseball-Reference page says "Third Basemen" he would not be a threat to block Matt Shaw unless things went very very wrong for the rookie.  Turner would likely play 1B and DH primarily, and get just a smattering of playing time at 2nd and 3rd.
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