Trade deadline target

[We Got The Whole 9]

Sonny makes so much sense

[731.4life]

On 5/7/2026 at 9:00 PM, Rcal10 said:

Are you assuming more injuries or guys not making it back? Or are you saying they need two arms, not starting pitchers? I agree they will need to upgrade with some arms, but if guys are healthy I don’t feel they need 2 starters. Hell, if everyone is healthy they don’t even need one. But I doubt all will be healthy so someone who is an upper MOR starter would be great. 

I think the biggest question is going to be is trust. How much do we trust these starters in postseason time?

Because truthfully, Boyd and Imanaga didn't do well in their postseason starts last season at Milwaukee.

I do believe the organization can benefit on a Peralta or an Alcantara, someone with good stuff and can get outs in the postseason. Sonny Gray is off to a good start this season, but his strikeout numbers are down when he has pitched this season.

I do believe the team is one quality starter for sure, but I do believe they need another starter that can start games and eat up innings and be fine (perfect example to me would be Dan Haren in 2015).

We can't sit here and say "The Cubs are 27-12, they have two separate 10 game winning streaks in less than 40 games played." And we're putting the trust in Justin Steele, Boyd, Imanaga, Wiggins (who knows about him). I'm all for two starters, one for quality and one to eat up innings and keep the bullpen fresh as possible. The team has earned the right to go "all in" and I don't think we have the guys on the mound to do that yet. As good as Shota has been so far, I'm a little worried about what could happen.

[Bull]

7 hours ago, 731.4life said:

I think the biggest question is going to be is trust. How much do we trust these starters in postseason time?

Because truthfully, Boyd and Imanaga didn't do well in their postseason starts last season at Milwaukee.

I do believe the organization can benefit on a Peralta or an Alcantara, someone with good stuff and can get outs in the postseason. Sonny Gray is off to a good start this season, but his strikeout numbers are down when he has pitched this season.

I do believe the team is one quality starter for sure, but I do believe they need another starter that can start games and eat up innings and be fine (perfect example to me would be Dan Haren in 2015).

We can't sit here and say "The Cubs are 27-12, they have two separate 10 game winning streaks in less than 40 games played." And we're putting the trust in Justin Steele, Boyd, Imanaga, Wiggins (who knows about him). I'm all for two starters, one for quality and one to eat up innings and keep the bullpen fresh as possible. The team has earned the right to go "all in" and I don't think we have the guys on the mound to do that yet. As good as Shota has been so far, I'm a little worried about what could happen.

Go ahead and get Peralta, but there's no need for a second starter. Add Peralta and you are right back to where you were before Horton went down.  Brown, Assad and Wicks have earned the right to prove themselves as long relievers, at least.

I think it's very possible Brown surprises you and develops into a playoff starter over the course of the year. 

Peralta, Boyd, Imanaga, Cabrera, and hopefully Steele or Brown shows enough to push one of them out of a spot.

[Rcal10]

3 minutes ago, Bull said:

Go ahead and get Peralta, but there's no need for a second starter. Add Peralta and you are right back to where you were before Horton went down.  Brown, Assad and Wicks have earned the right to prove themselves as long relievers, at least.

I think it's very possible Brown surprises you and develops into a playoff starter over the course of the year. 

Peralta, Boyd, Imanaga, Cabrera, and hopefully Steele or Brown shows enough to push one of them out of a spot.

I agree they don’t need two. Besides that, they aren’t getting two. If you set your sites on two you are just doing so in order to be disappointed. Honestly, we will be lucky if they get one, especially if that one is Peralta. I’m think more in the area of Gray and Ray, is what they will be looking for. And, TBH, if somehow they get healthy by then, and Brown shows he is a starter, they may not even need one. Might just need a few solid pen arms. That is a huge question mark, however. And I wouldn’t count on health for everyone. 

[squally1313]

32 minutes ago, Bull said:

Go ahead and get Peralta, but there's no need for a second starter. Add Peralta and you are right back to where you were before Horton went down

1. ‘Where we were before Horton went down’ was also me still thinking we really needed a top end starter

2. Is the statement totally true? Wiggins and Steele were supposed to be the midseason reinforcements, and both have had significant setbacks. 
 

and that’s without even considering the injuries to Harvey, thielbar, etc in the bullpen that have elevated the important of having someone like Ben brown down there 

[Geographyhater8888]

I know his salary and control through 2027 is an obstacle but I wonder if Degrom will be shopped.

Edited yesterday at 01:08 PM by Geographyhater8888

[KCCub]

I know the Giants have some decent prospects at catcher, but they’re someone to watch with throwing in the towel early. It’s been a horsefeathers show there with Posey, Devers, Tony V, and recently Webb slipping up and saying he shouldn’t have even been pitching when he had a hurt knee. 
 

 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Bailey is so bad at the plate you can't justify starting him more than a couple times per week. Good sell by the Giants.

[Neuby]

Apparently Vazquez had a significant injury last night in Iowa. With Vazquez hurt, Barnes DFA, Martin DFA,  and guys like Campell and Beede marching towards being released Iowa really needs another arm...........

[We Got The Whole 9]

4 minutes ago, Neuby said:

Apparently Vazquez had a significant injury last night in Iowa. With Vazquez hurt, Barnes DFA, Martin DFA,  and guys like Campell and Beede marching towards being released Iowa really needs another arm...........

Lmao seriously 🤣 

[Rcal10]

43 minutes ago, KCCub said:

I know the Giants have some decent prospects at catcher, but they’re someone to watch with throwing in the towel early. It’s been a horsefeathers show there with Posey, Devers, Tony V, and recently Webb slipping up and saying he shouldn’t have even been pitching when he had a hurt knee. 
 

 

Draft picks can be traded? I didn’t think baseball did that. 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

2 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Draft picks can be traded? I didn’t think baseball did that. 

Only competitive balance picks

[macarthur31]

1 hour ago, KCCub said:

I know the Giants have some decent prospects at catcher, but they’re someone to watch with throwing in the towel early. It’s been a horsefeathers show there with Posey, Devers, Tony V, and recently Webb slipping up and saying he shouldn’t have even been pitching when he had a hurt knee. 
 

 

Am I crazy for thinking of Logan Webb as a possible front line starter trade target?  $18M per year through '28.  Granted he's got a knee thing right now, but he's logged 30+ starts the last 4 seasons. 

[mk49]

2 minutes ago, macarthur31 said:

Am I crazy for thinking of Logan Webb as a possible front line starter trade target?  $18M per year through '28.  Granted he's got a knee thing right now, but he's logged 30+ starts the last 4 seasons. 

No, you're not crazy, unless I'm also crazy.  I was thinking the same thing.

[KCCub]

15 minutes ago, macarthur31 said:

Am I crazy for thinking of Logan Webb as a possible front line starter trade target?  $18M per year through '28.  Granted he's got a knee thing right now, but he's logged 30+ starts the last 4 seasons. 

He’s who I’m moving Shaw+ for. Ground ball pitcher who is a bulldog. Would love to have him at the top of our rotation the next 2.5 years. 

[muntjack]

The team has one glaring need and that is an ace.  Don't settle.  Go get one.  

 

[macarthur31]

1 hour ago, mk49 said:

No, you're not crazy, unless I'm also crazy.  I was thinking the same thing.

I saw SFG's rough start to the season, and it's tough math to see a path to the playoffs with the Dodgers, Padres and D'backs (shoot, even the Rockies aren't a "layup" like they used to be).  Posey seems like a very decisive leader, and them doing this trade hints to me that he's ready to strip this sucker to the studs - and might that be paired with trying to reduce their payroll.  (Again, unsure if this has implications, but they just sold a minority stake to a private equity firm).

Devers at $30M seems to be a super albatross that I want no part of.  Robbie Ray in a walk year to pay the rest of $24.3M?  Nah, pass.  

[Rcal10]

24 minutes ago, macarthur31 said:

I saw SFG's rough start to the season, and it's tough math to see a path to the playoffs with the Dodgers, Padres and D'backs (shoot, even the Rockies aren't a "layup" like they used to be).  Posey seems like a very decisive leader, and them doing this trade hints to me that he's ready to strip this sucker to the studs - and might that be paired with trying to reduce their payroll.  (Again, unsure if this has implications, but they just sold a minority stake to a private equity firm).

Devers at $30M seems to be a super albatross that I want no part of.  Robbie Ray in a walk year to pay the rest of $24.3M?  Nah, pass.  

I would definitely take Robbie Ray for the right price. If Webb come back healthy he is also someone I would be interested in at a higher price. Yes, Shaw would work for me here, for Webb. I don’t understand why Ray wouldn’t work. He would be as effective as any Cubs starter. Sure, an ace would be better. And someone like Peralta should be a target. But I wouldn’t be disappointed in Ray or even Sonny Gray. 

[Stratos]

3 hours ago, KCCub said:

 

They just bailed on 2026.  Would think Robbie Ray et al are available.

[macarthur31]

4 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I would definitely take Robbie Ray for the right price. If Webb come back healthy he is also someone I would be interested in at a higher price. Yes, Shaw would work for me here, for Webb. I don’t understand why Ray wouldn’t work. He would be as effective as any Cubs starter. Sure, an ace would be better. And someone like Peralta should be a target. But I wouldn’t be disappointed in Ray or even Sonny Gray. 

We're already going over the tax, so at least Ray's in a walk year.  He posted 32 starts last year after Tommy John Surgery in '24, so perhaps I'm overthinking the injury history.   "Ray for the right price" - for sure.  And perhaps that is the tier Jed's gonna end up landing when it's all said and done.

[Bull]

3 hours ago, Neuby said:

Apparently Vazquez had a significant injury last night in Iowa. With Vazquez hurt, Barnes DFA, Martin DFA,  and guys like Campell and Beede marching towards being released Iowa really needs another arm...........

Ferguson and Peralta have been added recently. Not that Peralta. Cubs picked up Luis Peralta off waivers from the Cards.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Barnes was claimed by the Dodgers, so he gone

[JD94]

This is funny lmao