Fast-Rising Prospects Cubs Shouldn't Move at MLB Trade Deadline

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With three more games before Monday's MLB trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs are 62-47. Only four teams have a better record, so as you can probably imagine, they are expected to enter the deadline as buyers. Chicago is in dire need of pitching, and even though their farm system is not in the best shape, they are willing to get creative to inject some talent on their roster.

The Cubs will inevitably lose some prospects when the deadline passes, but they should do whatever it takes to hold on to these four fast-rising young players in their system:

Josiah Hartshorn, OF

It’s hard to imagine a contending team landing one of the top pitchers in the market without surrendering their top prospect. Hartshorn, a switch-hitter picked in the sixth round of last year’s draft but given second-round money to lure him out of a college commitment, is quickly rising up the ranks in the organization and has already reached High-A.

There, he is hitting a robust .283/.382/.535 with 11 home runs and five stolen bases in 51 games. Hartshorn is not a blue-chip, can’t-miss prospect, but he is a very solid one, and the Cubs’ outfield picture looks uncertain after 2026, with Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ set to hit the market.

If they can keep Hartshorn in the organization past the deadline, it should be considered a win. He is 19, has a pretty good idea of the strike zone, has power, and could be up by late 2027 or early 2028. Time will tell if he will be a corner outfielder or a first baseman, but the guy can hit.

Owen Ayers, C

The Cubs are rumored to be dangling Carson Kelly before the trade deadline. They know that multiple contenders would pay a high price for a quality backstop and are open to different scenarios, such as flipping Kelly for pitching or for prospects who could give them more ammo to acquire some arms.

In any case, it could open a path for Owen Ayers to get the call to MLB. He is a fast riser this year, playing in High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A so far in 2026. He is yet to fail at any level of pro ball. The 25-year-old is slashing a strong .364/.447/.515 in 10 Triple-A games and has 23 home runs and a 172 OPS+ across the three levels this year. The Cubs shouldn’t give away a young, controllable catcher easily. That's why they're listening on Kelly.

Kane Kepley, OF

Kepley, a 22-year-old lefty-hitting outfielder, has three potential plus tools: hitting, speed, and defense. The 2025 second-rounder is already acing High-A with a 129 wRC+, 48 steals, and more walks (89) than strikeouts (62). The talented Kepley is more than just speed, though: besides the 48 thefts, he has 18 doubles, seven triples, and six homers. He's scored a whopping 101 runs in 89 games.

Is it possible that the Cubs have Pete Crow-Armstrong Lite developing in their minor-league system? It’s a hefty, even unfair comparison, but in any case, he looks like a keeper.

Brooks Caple, SP

The Cubs are looking for pitchers, and while Caple is not quite big-league ready, he has a chance to be in a few months. Selected in the ninth round of the 2024 MLB Draft, he didn’t make his pro debut until 2025, but he's already succeeding in Double-A.

The right-hander has a 3.56 ERA at that level this year in 55 2/3 innings, striking out 55 batters. His fastball sits in the low-to-mid-90s but can hit 98 mph when it’s on, and also throws a cutter, a curveball, a slider, and a changeup. He could be a mid-rotation starter by the time he is fully developed, which could be late 2026. He is more likely to be a finished product next year, though.

This is a list of players we might hope the Cubs won't move. It's also a list of the guys teams will ask about most often. So be it. One way or another, the team will have to gamble a bit. They'll either gamble by moving one of these guys, or they'll risk undercooking their deadline and not realizing the potential of this team. If creative ideas give them any way to get good talent without surrendering these four players, let's hope they can pull them off.