Cubs Look To Add Multiple Arms, Remain In Hunt For Tigers' Tarik Skubal

The Chicago Cubs have been dumpster-diving and flipping over couch cushions in a quest to find starting pitchers to fill the void of their latest injury.

With the trade deadline rapidly coming at them (Monday, 5 p.m. CT), the Cubs' priority is added multiple pitchers—starters and/or relievers—to give the team the best chance to not only secure a postseason berth, but to make a deep run, The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma reported Saturday. The Cubs entered play Saturday 6½ games out of first place in the NL Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers, but leading the NL wild-card race.

Currently, the Cubs have 13 pitchers on the injured list, including six on the 60-day IL. Which of those pitchers come back and how effective they will be is up for debate.

Of course, every contending team is looking for pretty much the exact same thing, so the bidding will be stiff for the best arms. The Cubs, according to The Athletic, are still in the mix for Tarik Skubal, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner from the Detroit Tigers, but more in the second wave of interested teams. The first wave is said to be the Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta.

The Cubs could go back to the New York Mets to improve their pitching staff. They acquired left-handed starter David Peterson in late June from the Mets, who are opening to dealing right-handers Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes. Holmes is scheduled to make a rehab start Sunday as he comes back from a fractured right fibula, although that could potentially be postponed if a deal is near. The Mets scratched Peralta from Friday's start and the Los Angeles Angels did the same with right-hander Jorge Soriano, another trade candidate, Saturday.

Possible bullpen adds are San Diego Padres left-hander Adrian Morejob, Mets right-hander Luke Weaver and Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Jeff Hoffman.