Michael Wacha Is A So-Obvious-It-Hurts Cubs Target Ahead of Trade Deadline

[Cory Sparks]

Image courtesy of © Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Outside of injuries to top-end arms like Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera and a 2023 All-Star in Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon has recently been designated for assignment amidst a lackluster season. Despite all of those issues, the Chicago Cubs find themselves firmly atop the National League Wild Card standings, primed to be a buyer at the deadline. In other words, they need to trade for a veteran starting pitcher or two, which is why Michael Wacha should be a name on everyone's radar this weekend.

Assessing Michael Wacha's Trade Market, Fit With Cubs

If the Cubs pursue Wacha, they’d be getting a true grizzled veteran. The 35-year-old has tossed over 1,750 innings, and in his 14th season of service time, the Kansas City Royals righty is still a steady rotational option. Wacha is a two-time All-Star (including a selection this year), and he’s played for six different organizations. The righty is mostly known for his seven-year tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he became very familiar with the Cubs and pitching at Wrigley Field.

The Royals are 46-64, 18 games under .500 and 10 games back of the final wild card spot in a relatively open American League race. They're going to sell and Wacha is one of their best pieces.

A Strong 2026 Campaign

His performance this year, combined with the Royals’ poor start, have made him a prime trade candidate. Wacha has cruised to a 5-7 record, ranking in the top 30 among all qualified starters with a 3.60 earned run average (29th) and a 1.17 WHIP (28th). He’s done a remarkable job of limiting mistakes so far, logging a 7.1 walk percentage (70th percentile) and allowing just 36.3 percent of balls hit in play to be registered as hard-hit balls. 

Wacha works with a fastball that’s well below the league average in terms of velocity, but thanks to his 6-foot-6 frame, his 6.7 feet extension (76th percentile) makes the ball seem to ride up on hitters a tick quicker. 

A Plethora of Options

The arsenal is far more vast than his four-seamer, though. In a day and age where throwing in the triple digits is becoming the norm, this old-school hurler uses a six-pitch arsenal and picks his way through opposing lineups. He uses the fastball just under 27 percent of the time, and opposing batters hit just .234 against it. Between his five other pitches (changeup, cutter, sinker, curveball, slider), three of them hold an expected batting average below .250 and all allow an average exit velocity south of 90 miles per hour. Wacha’s strength is limiting hard contact, and he’s been a master at it in his mid-30s. 

Luck Is On His Side

While Wacha has done an effective job this year, even posting a pair of quality starts since the All-Star Break, he’s had a bit of luck on his side. He doesn’t generate a ton of swing-and-miss, earning just a 21.1 percent whiff rate (17th percentile), so a lot of his success relies on the players behind him. His 4.25 expected ERA is over half a run greater than his actual ERA, and the .253 expected batting average on his ledger supports the thesis. Wacha has managed to achieve all of this success while working around a sub-par groundball rate as well. 

Paying Up

Wacha isn't an ace, despite his All-Star credentials. Still, the Royals would be giving up a quality starter, so what would Chicago have to fork over in return? Wacha is owed what remains of his $18 million salary this year and $14 next year before a club option (worth $14 million) kicks in following the 2027 season. The North Siders wouldn’t just be getting a rental; they’d need to find room for him a year from now when many, if not all, of their starters are off the injured list. 

That additional control means a couple of top-10 prospects may be on the table, though the Cubs may be able to get the job done with just one top-100 type (and a low-level flier) if they're willing to dig into the best chips in a weak farm system.

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[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Wacha only makes sense if he's the worse of two SP acquired, and the other one better be really good.