3 Relievers Cubs Should Target at the MLB Trade Deadline

[Sam Caulder]

Image courtesy of © Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs currently own the fourth-best record in the National League, and despite sitting five games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, they're firmly entrenched in the playoff picture. To maintain that position, though, they'll need to address their pitching staff before the August 3 MLB trade deadline.

The Cubs' 4.33 team ERA ranks 21st, and while injuries to the starting rotation have played a major role in that, the bullpen has also been absolutely decimated. Within the last few weeks, Chicago has lost Hoby Milner, Daniel Palencia and Ethan Roberts to the injured list. Those three join Hunter Harvey, Porter Hodge, Shelby Miller and Riley Martin, giving the Cubs an injury list that looks a lot like their bullpen plan coming into the season.

Pitching wins games in October, and more specifically, late-game pitching can be the difference between advancing and going home. With that in mind, here are three relief pitchers the Cubs could target to reinforce their bullpen for a postseason run.

Alex Lange
The Royals have been arguably the most disappointing team in baseball this season, sitting at just 38-59, and Lange himself hasn't exactly put together a dominant campaign. His 5.92 ERA isn't going to grab anyone's attention, and the command issues have certainly been real. Still, I think his numbers deserve a little more context.

Despite the inflated ERA, Lange owns a much more encouraging 3.97 FIP, suggesting he's pitched better than the surface-level results indicate. There have certainly been some bad breaks mixed in with the command issues. More importantly, this is someone with legitimate late-inning experience. Lange recorded 26 saves with the Detroit Tigers back in 2023, his last fully healthy season, and he's already picked up eight saves with Kansas City this year. That kind of experience has value, especially for a team that could be playing plenty of close games down the stretch.

There's also a lot to like from a stuff standpoint. His slider, sinker and changeup all come with strong movement profiles, giving him multiple weapons capable of missing barrels when he's around the strike zone. The 12% walk rate is definitely something to keep an eye on. That's probably what keeps him from immediately stepping into the ninth inning if he were traded. Instead, he'd likely fit best in a sixth- or seventh-inning role while giving manager Craig Counsell another experienced high-leverage option to lean on.

Add in the fact that Lange still has two more years of team control after this season, and he becomes an intriguing buy-low candidate. It wouldn't be the flashiest acquisition at the deadline, but Lange is someone who makes a lot of sense for the Cubs. A former top draft pick by the Cubs, he'd be coming full-circle, professionally.

Victor Vodnik
In a lot of ways, Vodnik profiles similarly to Lange. The surface-level numbers don't immediately stand out, and like Lange, he's walked more hitters than you'd like. But there's also a lot happening beneath the surface that's very encouraging for the Rockies’ right-hander.

For starters, Vodnik has done an excellent job of limiting hard contact. Both his hard-hit rate and barrel rate rank in at least the 62nd percentile among all major-league pitchers, and he's generating ground balls on more than half of the balls put in play against him. That's a very strong combination for any reliever. If hitters aren't squaring you up consistently and they're pounding the ball into the ground, you're usually setting yourself up for long-term success.

He's also been throwing much better recently. Over his last seven appearances, Vodnik has surrendered just one run while showing much better command than he did earlier in the season. For someone who routinely touches 99 MPH with his fastball, there's plenty of upside still waiting to be unlocked.

And, of course, it's fair to wonder what his numbers might look like if he wasn't pitching half of his games at Coors Field. A move away from baseball's most hitter-friendly environment could make an immediate impact on his production. Like Lange, Vodnik also comes with multiple years of team control, making him more than just a rental for 2026. Victor Vodnik is another reliever who could quietly make a real difference in Chicago's bullpen down the stretch.

Keaton Winn
Of the three pitchers mentioned here, Winn would require the biggest return in a trade. He's been the best performer of the group this season. Across 32 innings with the Giants, Winn owns an impressive 3.09 ERA, while posting 26 strikeouts against 10 walks. Unlike Lange and Vodnik, command isn't much of a concern here. He's also under team control for quite a while, with another year of pre-arbitration eligibility remaining before he even reaches arbitration. That kind of long-term control significantly boosts his value.

Beyond the results, the underlying metrics are outstanding. Winn has been one of baseball's best pitchers at generating soft contact. His average exit velocity and hard-hit rate both rank in the 95th percentile or better among all major-league pitchers, while his barrel rate sits in the 88th percentile. That's exactly the type of profile contenders love adding to the back end of a bullpen. He throws strikes, he throws hard, and he keeps the ball on the ground. 

Those are three traits that generally translate well in high-leverage situations—especially in October, when every baserunner matters. Winn would give the Cubs another legitimate late-inning weapon capable of helping them make a deep postseason run.

Whether the Cubs decide to target a proven veteran like Alex Lange, take a chance on the upside of Victor Vodnik, or pay a little more for someone like Keaton Winn, it's hard to imagine them making a serious run in October without adding bullpen help. Chicago has positioned themselves to be a legitimate playoff team in 2026, but if the front office wants to maximize this opportunity, reinforcing the bullpen has to be one of the organization's top priorities over the next few weeks.

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Those are three relief pitchers I think the Cubs could look to acquire before the trade deadline. Let me know down in the comments which relievers you'd like to see the Cubs go after!

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[Victor Reichman]

Hard pass on the 2 relievers mentioned first. They don't project better than what we already have, which isn't great.

[Bertz]

Vodnik is a great idea, I'd be really into seeing what he can do outside of Coors

The bullpen is in a weird spot.  Right now it's clearly short multiple bodies, but there's several guys (presumably) due back from injury plus potential contributions from the kids.  You dont want to load up with JAGs, but there's also no guarantee e.g Palencia and Brown don't have setbacks.

I think the right balance is to add one veteran closer or closer adjacent arm, and then add a guy or guys with MiLB options who you can move out of the way assuming the team convelesces properly.  None of these three guys are closer adjacent, or even really close, but Vodnik and Winn are optionable.

Vodnik has monstrous stuff.  It's worth seeing if some combo of coaching and getting him out of Coors can get the command to at least respectable.  I assume even if he's fixable he'd need an offseason, but still worth having in the pen for a few weeks before it gets back to being full strength.  Maybe you grt lucky and can fix him in the fly.

[Sam Caulder]

36 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Vodnik is a great idea, I'd be really into seeing what he can do outside of Coors

The bullpen is in a weird spot.  Right now it's clearly short multiple bodies, but there's several guys (presumably) due back from injury plus potential contributions from the kids.  You dont want to load up with JAGs, but there's also no guarantee e.g Palencia and Brown don't have setbacks.

I think the right balance is to add one veteran closer or closer adjacent arm, and then add a guy or guys with MiLB options who you can move out of the way assuming the team convelesces properly.  None of these three guys are closer adjacent, or even really close, but Vodnik and Winn are optionable.

Vodnik has monstrous stuff.  It's worth seeing if some combo of coaching and getting him out of Coors can get the command to at least respectable.  I assume even if he's fixable he'd need an offseason, but still worth having in the pen for a few weeks before it gets back to being full strength.  Maybe you grt lucky and can fix him in the fly.

Agree on all of that, you don't want Vodnik (or Winn) tasked with shutting games down. Ideally, the bullpen is close to full health come October, but that likely won't happen. Thanks for reading