Andrew Wright

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images To be completely honest, the eyes of many Cubs fans rolled to the back of their head during the offseason when they got the notification that Chicago inked left-hander Matthew Boyd to a two-year deal worth $29 million. Even here at North Side Baseball, some of the reactions were less than enthusiastic. It certainly wasn't the splashy move (Corbin Burnes or Roki Sasaki, for instance) that many had hoped for, and at the time, it was easy to understand the frustration associated with (seemingly) choosing a lower-wattage option over the top-tier star yet again. The doubtful fans are rejoicing now, however, as Boyd has nearly carried the pitching staff on his back. For his efforts, he was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time in an 11-year career. Boyd was announced as a reserve just a couple of hours before his start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball, and he promptly showed a national audience why he was an appropriate selection for the game. He threw five shutout innings with nine strikeouts in Chicago's 11-0 win in the rubber match of the series. The win improved his season record to 9-3 and lowered his season ERA to 2.52, both good for top 10 in the league. Chicago is, surprisingly, not great (10-8) in games started by Boyd this season, so he could easily be better than 9-3 on the season. At home, though, Boyd has been dominant, with an 8-0 record and 2.21 ERA across nine starts and 53 innings pitched. His selection to the All-Star Game is a testament to the outstanding work he's done in the rotation for most of the season without both Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga, and Boyd made it known how grateful he was for the opportunity. Not only is Boyd's selection to the All-Star Game a testament to himself, but also to Jed Hoyer and company, for spotting Boyd's value and signing him to what looks like one of the best contracts of the entire offseason. It was one of several (Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, etc.) moves from Hoyer that have helped Chicago get to 54 wins and one of the best records in MLB this season. If he is able to continue his excellent season, Boyd is well in line to be a key piece in what is looking like a NL Central championship and playoff run in Chicago. Discounting the COVID-wrecked 2020 campaign, this would be the first division title and meaningful playoff appearance for the team since 2017. Boyd, whose last healthy season before this one came in 2019, knows well what a long wait that is. View full article

Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo The month of June was extremely kind to the Chicago Cubs bullpen and rather unkind to the starting rotation. Shota Imanaga did return for the latter, but it was the relief corps that kept things together for the North Siders last month. Let's show some love to the team's best pitchers from June. #3 - Chris Flexen - 7 G, 1.32 ERA, 13 2/3 IP, 9 H, 4 BB, 6 K Flexen has been a huge surprise out of the bullpen for Chicago this season. He made 12 appearances in a Cub uniform before allowing his first earned run of the season. He allowed two runs to the Mariners just under two weeks ago and outside of that appearance, he was nearly perfect in June. It was similar to his May performance when he didn't allow an earned run in eight appearances and 14 1/3 innings pitched. The four walks compared to just six strikeouts could be a concern moving forward, but if he continues to throw up zeroes in the stat sheet, not a soul will care about the walk or strikeout rates. #2 - Matthew Boyd - 5 GS, 1.74 ERA, 30 1/3 IP, 6 BB, 18 K Boyd has been the most reliable starting pitcher for the Cubs all season long, and he turned in his best month of the season in June. Opponents hit just .173 against him, an excellent reason for his success on the mound. He never allowed more than two earned runs in a start, the only starting pitcher besides Shota Imanaga to do so (and he returned late in the month). As we've written about here at North Side Baseball, Boyd has been so reliable and inarguably the Chicago's best pitcher all season long. He's truthfully been one of the best and most underrated pitchers in the game this season and is rightfully deserving of a spot in the 2025 All-Star Game. #1 - Drew Pomeranz - 10 G, 0.00 ERA, 9 IP, 9 H, 3 BB. 6 K It was rather easy to put the guy that had a 0.00 ERA not only last month, but for the entire season(!) at the No. 1 spot. Those are Pomeranz's numbers, and he has been exceptional in his first season back in the major leagues since 2021. He's given the Cubs a second reliable left-handed arm in the bullpen alongside Caleb Thielbar, and he is arguably the most reliable reliever in Craig Counsell's bullpen. His opponent batting average did take a major jump from May (.118) to June (.281), and that could be something to keep a close eye on. Just like Flexen, though, as long as Pomeranz keeps putting up zeroes, nobody will care what the advanced metrics say. It will be of utter importance that not only the three pitchers list above, but the rest of the Cubs pitching staff, have a good month of July and help Chicago extend their division lead and separate themselves from the rest of the NL Central. Expect the team to add some new faces to their crop of arms ahead of the stretch run. What do you think about our list? Are there any other pitchers you'd want to put on this list? Let us know in the comments! View full article

Image courtesy of © Brad Mills-Imagn Images The Cubs are coming off a month of June in which the bullpen turned in a 2.44 ERA, the best in MLB. Their excellence was headlined by an unlikely trio of Brad Keller, Chris Flexen and Drew Pomeranz. It is no secret, though, that a bullpen can flip upside down in an extremely short amount of time, and even though Chicago's 3.27 bullpen ERA ranks second for the full season, upgrades can still be made. The ages and track records of key hurlers suggest a real risk of regression, and while there aren't many glaring holes on the roster, there are still a couple. We'll start with Ryan Pressly. He was acquired via trade from the Houston Astros and while things have been better of late, Pressly hasn't quite had the season he'd hoped for. He had an ERA of 9.00 in March and May but followed up those months with an ERA of 0.00 and 1.50 in the respective months following them. It's a bit of a tricky situation, as he is a veteran arm and provides great leadership in the clubhouse, but it's hard to trust him in high-leverage situations. He's been out of the closer role for quite some time now, and with the success that current closer Daniel Palencia has had, what role does Pressly truly have on the team? Is he worth keeping around strictly because of his leadership and veteran presence? For now, that seems to be the case, but the front office may feel differently if he gets off to a bad start in his first few outings of the month. Porter Hodge is the other current reliever who probably has a bit of a question mark surrounding his status on the roster. Injuries have held him to just 23 appearances this season, and his 5.06 ERA is a bit worrisome, even after he put up a 1.88 ERA in 39 appearances last season in his rookie year. Hodge has already allowed more runs this season than he did all of last year, and that could make him a prime target to be traded or optioned to Triple-A Iowa should the Cubs have the opportunity to acquire a top-of-the-line relief pitcher at the trade deadline. As far as internal options to replace those two players are concerned, there really aren't many who could perform better than Hodge and Pressly have. Brandon Birdsell looked like a solid prospect until he showed up this spring with shoulder trouble, and he could be a likely candidate to be called up to the major leagues during September call-ups—but only if he can get and stay healthy. Will Sanders and Jack Neely are two more pitching prospects currently pitching in Triple-A, but Sanders is a starter by trade and Neely's been a volatile arm. If Chicago wants to improve its bullpen, the answers may come externally, rather than internally. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs are making noise beyond the ivy this summer, with a wave of fan support propelling several players toward All-Star Game starting spots. Fueled by breakout seasons and consistent performances, the North Siders are emerging as one of the most represented teams in early voting returns. As ballots pour in, it’s clear that Wrigleyville is rallying—and the rest of baseball is taking notice. The representation for the Cubs in the first voting update has been excellent, and a testament to exactly what the players have produced on the field this season. They've had multiple players represented in the All-Star Game in three of the last four seasons, and that could very well be the case again this season. Chicago has a player in the top five at every position, as follows. Carson Kelly: 2nd among catchers Michael Busch: 3rd among first basemen Nico Hoerner: 3rd among second basemen Dansby Swanson: 5th among shortstops Matt Shaw: 4th among third basemen Seiya Suzuki: 3rd among designated hitters (second if not for the Rafael Devers trade) Pete Crow-Armstrong: 1st among outfielders Kyle Tucker: 2nd among outfielders Of the eight Cubs in the top five at their respective positions, it could be argued that six of the eight are rightfully in the correct range. The two players for whom it feels like a slight overbid are Shaw and Kelly. The other six are rightfully at the top of the voting, and at least three should be no-brainer selections to head to Atlanta in mid-July. Crow-Armstrong and Tucker are undoubtedly All-Stars this season. Suzuki should be the backup at DH, but the Rafael Devers trade propelled him way ahead of Suzuki due to his voting numbers carrying over. Despite not having any home runs, Nico Hoerner should arguably be the starting second baseman for the National League, His old-school approach at the plate (.290 avg) mixed with his stellar defense (11 Defensive Runs Saved) make him a worthy candidate. Kelly is over 130,000 votes ahead of the next-closest catcher, and while that seemed like a reasonable possibility amid his scorching hot start to the season, he is in a major funk at the plate. He has just four hits in his last 44 at-bats and has become a weak spot in the Cubs lineup. The All-Star break may be a good time for him to reset and find his rhythm for the second half of the season. Busch is, unfortunately, behind the two best first basemen in the NL, who also happen to play in the two biggest markets. No matter what kind of numbers he puts up, it'll always be hard to beat out Freddie Freeman and Pete Alonso in a popularity contest. If one of those two decide to sit out, Busch will be the perfect replacement, and it will be a well-deserved nod. As far as Swanson and Shaw are concerned, neither really deserve to be there and it is probably for the best that neither makes it. Now, both could go on torrid stretches leading up to the final selection process and make their cases, but as of now, they will both likely be watching the game from somewhere other than Atlanta. With the votes piling in and Wrigley’s faithful rallying behind their stars, the Cubs are poised to make a major statement when the All-Star lineups are revealed. View full article

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Chicago Cubs fans have seen some painfully brief highs and maddening lows over the last half-decade, but right now, it looks like their team is headed back to the postseason, for the first time since they still had the core of the 2016 World Series-winning team. There is, however, one constant and underlying problem on the roster: the production (or lack thereof) from the Cubs bench. The four usual bench suspects on any given day for Chicago are Justin Turner, Vidal Bruján, Jon Berti and Reese McGuire. Turner alternates with Michael Busch at first base depending on pitching matchups, and McGuire starts as much as you'd expect a backup backstop to, but the other two players mentioned are almost glued to the bench—and, unfortunately, with good reason. So far this season, those four have combined for just 12 extra-base hits. The highest batting average in the set is McGuire's .267, in just 30 at-bats. Quite frankly, that production isn't going to be enough to get the Cubs over the hump when the everyday guys are needing a day off. Additions to the bench will need to be made. We can start with Turner, as he is probably the most unlikely person to be moved at any point during the year. The locker room and leadership value he delivers will keep Turner around the clubhouse for the entire season. He can also give the occasional good pinch-hit plate appearance or a start against left-handers, taking some stress off Busch. He also gave us one of the most hilarious moments of the season on Thursday, an illustration of the (er) bounce he brings to the dugout. McGuire will likely be waived when Miguel Amaya is ready to return from his oblique injury, since he can't be optioned to the minors. Based on that, one could assume that the other two regular bench members will depart at some point during the season, and there are several routes the Cubs could go in replacing them. Chicago could explore the free-agent market, the minor leagues or (the most likely scenario) the trade market. If they go the route of the trade market, here are two players who could be on the Cubs' bench at the end of the season. Mike Tauchman, OF Chicago needs a reliable backup outfield option in case of injuries, and Tauchman would be a good fit in that role. He did that for the Cubs over the past two seasons, and it feels safe to assume that he would be okay doing it again for a World Series-contending team. He's hitting .274 with four home runs and an .898 OPS this season for the White Sox, making himself a nice trade piece. The two Chicago teams are plenty used to making trades, and another this season would warm the hearts of fans of the "Summer of Tauchman." Otto Lopez, 3B Lopez has been a pleasant surprise for a struggling Miami Marlins team this season, and has made himself a very nice trade piece if Miami decides to move him. Lopez has a .237 average and more extra-base hits (seven doubles, six home runs) than the Cubs bench regulars put together. He could be an excellent backup to Matt Shaw at third base. Lopez has another quality that fits in with Chicago's roster, too: his speed. He is 7-for-10 in stolen base attempts this season and could be an excellent late-inning pinch-runner for some of the slower players on the Cubs roster. While the bench production won't make or break the season, it could certainly play a pivotal role in a deep postseason run, for a Chicago organization that hasn't been to the Fall Classic since 2016. View full article

Image courtesy of Chris Tilley-Imagn Images After struggling in a mighty way in the early part of the season, the Chicago Cubs bullpen has stepped up and become one of the best in baseball over the last month. They have put up excellent numbers despite losing Porter Hodge for a period and have gotten contributions from unexpected arms such as Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz and Chris Flexen. It has been a sigh of relief most nights to know that the bullpen is more than likely going to do its job and help the Cubs get a win. While the success has been a welcome sight, it is safe to assume that the unexpected production from the previously mentioned players will not hold up throughout the entirety of the season (or, at least, not all of them will hold up this level of production). Because of that, Chicago may be exploring trades for pitching when the trade deadline rolls around. One pitcher that may become available if his team continues to struggle is left-hander and former World Series champion Aroldis Chapman. Chapman is highly remembered as one of the heroes of the 2016 World Series team, and for the most part, that is correct. We all remember the home run allowed to Rajai Davis in Game 7 of the World Series, but he returned for one of the most gutsy ninth innings ever pitched, so it's easy to forgive an overworked Chapman for that blip. A reunion with the Cubs could make the bullpen even more dangerous and add another power left-handed arm to pitch in high leverage situations. Chapman is having an excellent season with the Boston Red Sox, posting a 1.80 ERA, nine saves and 33 strikeouts in 27 appearances and 25 innings pitched, He's posted an ERA under 3.80 in each of the last two seasons and is well on his way to doing so again in 2025. With the Red Sox going downhill fast (30-34, fourth place in the AL East) and Chapman being on a one-year deal, he is a prime trade candidate. Now, we need to acknowledge that Chapman is both an old (37) rental and not the best human being off the field. Cubs fandom went through all these emotions when the team first acquired him back in 2016, so we won't rehash everything here, but it's a not-insignificant-part of Chapman's legacy that he was suspended for domestic violence back in 2016. Looking beyond that and focusing purely on the baseball fit, there's a reason why Chapman will be highly sought-after at this upcoming trade deadline. This is just one of many possible packages the Cubs could offer to secure the flamethrowing southpaw's services. Cubs receive: LHP Aroldis Chapman Red Sox receive: RHP Jack Neely (CHC No. 16 prospect) and SS/3B Yahil Melendez (CHC No. 24 prospect) Chicago gets its high-leverage left-handed arm and the return to Boston gives them a young, controllable pitching prospect in Neely and an infield prospect of Melendez that will likely be blocked through the system because of the high amount of middle infield talent Chicago has (which is a problem the Red Sox are also dealing with, which could encourage them to seek out a secondary pitching prospect instead). Because Chapman is on just a one-year deal, the Cubs could likely get away with not giving up a top-15 prospect within the organization. If the Cubs are able to strike a deal for Chapman, it would be hard to not consider the back-end trio of Hodge, Chapman and Palencia as one of the best in the entire league. A hard-throwing, lockdown arm from the left side could be exactly what Chicago needs to win the NL Central and get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020. View full article

Image courtesy of © Katie Stratman-Imagn Images The 2025 Chicago Cubs can hit and score runs with anybody in the league. That was showcased over the weekend in Cincinnati, when they scored 30 runs over three games. Several players had excellent series, but the best performance of the weekend on offense for Chicago came from its designated hitter, Seiya Suzuki. Suzuki's career with the Cubs has been strong, and probably what most expected when he made the transition from Japan to the United States. He's a career .277 hitter, with 69 home runs and an .834 OPS in 430 games played and 1,622 at-bats for the Cubs. After a slow start to the 2025 season, Suzuki has increased his production and cemented himself as the perfect No. 3 hitter in the Chicago lineup. After his three hits and four RBIs Sunday, Suzuki is now the MLB leader with 49 RBIs—one ahead of his teammate, Pete Crow-Armstrong. He had seven total hits and two home runs in the series against the Reds and has gotten himself back on track after a slow start to the month. His ability to do damage in high-leverage situations certainly helps his case to remain in the No. 3 spot, as do the two hitters in front of him in the lineup. Suzuki is usually behind both Ian Happ and Kyle Tucker in the batting order, and both of those players get on base at a healthy rate. Happ currently has a .344 on-base percentage, while Tucker sits at .384, good for 17th in the major leagues. As Suzuki has become incrementally but crucially more aggressive, he's tapped into enough power to be perfectly suited for driving home both table-setters. Suzuki is succeeding not only with runners on base, but especially when those runners are in scoring position. He boasts a slash line of .362/.414/.724 with runners in scoring position this year. That slash line increases to .444/.545/1.074 when there are runners in scoring position and two outs. Those are gaudy numbers and a perfect representation of why Suzuki fits as the No. 3 hitter in the Chicago lineup. His numbers are actually better when batting second, for the simple reason that he does so only against left-handed starters. That small swap figures to continue, as Craig Counsell manages matchups and sets up advantageous situations throughout his batting order based on the opponent, but when there are righties on the bump for the other team, expect to keep seeing Suzuki bat third. With continued production from Suzuki through the remainder of the season, Chicago could have its first major-league RBI leader since Sammy Sosa in 2001. If Suzuki does that, the Cubs could be well on their way to their first division championship and postseason appearance since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. In fact, they're well on their way, anyway. View full article

Image courtesy of © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs have officially finished up one of the most brutal 41-game schedule stretches in recent memory, and despite closing it on a four-game losing streak, Chicago came out with a record of 23-18, atop the standings in the National League Central division. Just last week, we looked at the Cubs' success in series openers, particularly at home, and discussed why the club is undefeated in such games. Today, we are going to try and figure out exactly why Chicago has played some of its worst baseball on Sundays. The team sits at 1-6 in Sunday games, and that lone win was back on April 13, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Let's try and figure out exactly what is going wrong for Chicago in series finales. We'll start the same place we did when analyzing what's gone well, and that is the scoring. As noted last week, Chicago is averaging 7.8 runs per game in home series openers. That average cuts in half on Sundays, as the Cubs have scored just 22 runs in seven games. That comes out to a measly 3.1 runs per game. The club scored 17 runs in its first three Sunday games of the season, but have since scored just five over four games. Another thing noted in the article surrounding the success in series openers was how great the starting pitching had been in those games. The Sunday games this season have been the exact opposite, which has brought out something the Cubs have struggled with this year: high-leverage relief work. Only once has a starting pitcher taken the loss in a Sunday game, and that was Shota Imanaga in his most recent start before going on the injured list. Every other game has been lost by a member of a scuffling Cubs bullpen—and although it was Imanaga's run that scored and he got the official loss, it was the bullpen that allowed his bequeathed runners to score after he departed that day. Chicago wasn't particularly great in Sunday games last year, as they finished 15-11. The next several Sunday games will be crucial to the team's season-long success. Four of their next five Sunday games come against the Reds (twice), White Sox and Pirates. If Chicago is a true contender in the NL, it must win all four of those series finales. If the club is able to get back to that this season, it would feel like an absolute miracle. Winning 14 of their last 19 games on Sundays would also more than likely signal that Chicago has won the NL Central and reached the postseason for the first time since 2020. View full article

Completely agree. Gotta be able to win one of those series after taking the opener!

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Being over a month into the season without losing a series opener at home is quite the accomplishment. There are so many things that go into winning a baseball game, and to do that in the opening game of a series in front of your home crowd 100% of the time is utterly impressive. That is exactly what the Chicago Cubs have done, and it is a big reason why they have the biggest division lead in baseball, at 3 games. Obviously, that isn't going to last all season. The Cubs are eventually going to drop a series opener at home. As of now, though, it hasn't happened, and there are several different reasons why. There's been a little bit of luck involved in it, but there's also been a bit of skill. Let's dive into what's been going right for Chicago in these particular games. To start things off, the Cubs' run total in their six series-opening home games are as follows: 3, 7, 13, 11, 4 and 9. That comes out to an average of 7.8 runs per game, well over their already league-leading season average of 5.9. Outperforming themselves in a category that they already lead the league in is 100% a recipe for success. When analyzing it from that perspective, it's easy to see why Chicago has a 6-0 record in those series openers at home. One of the impressive elements of doing this is surviving the rigors of the baseball life, on its strange and demanding weekly cycle. The Cubs have won at home to open series on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Take a look at this awesome post on X, from @DailyRandomCub With a record like Chicago has on days that almost all series begin, it's no surprise that they've had so much success in series openers. The pitchers on the mound for the series-opening wins at home have also been indicative of how the season has gone for the Cubs. The six winning pitchers for the games have been Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Ryan Pressly, Porter Hodge, Colin Rea and Matthew Boyd. That is, arguably, the four best pitchers in the starting rotation (even though two are injured) and two of the best arms in the Cubs bullpen. Not only has the lineup produced, but the starting rotation has lined up in a way that Chicago can send out some of its best arms to get that first win of the series. The Cubs will have a chance to improve their home series-opening record to 7-0 four days from now, on May 12, when they welcome the Miami Marlins for a three-game series. If they want to be serious contenders in the NL, they have to beat up on bad teams like Miami. Look for Chicago to come back home from a quick three-game road trip against the New York Mets and hang a nice, crooked number on the Marlins—and remain undefeated at home in series openers. View full article

Image courtesy of AP Photo/Erin Hooley It was no surprise to hear that Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ was looking to extend his on-base streak in PNC Park headed into Tuesday's opening game of a three-game series between the Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. It was, however, a bit shocking to hear that the streak had increased all the way up to 31 games. That is an absurd number for any stretch of the regular season, much less at one ballpark. Happ's streak has now increased to 34 consecutive games and 44 consecutive starts after an excellent series against the Pirates. He went 6-for-13 with two walks and two RBIs in the series and played a big part in Chicago adding insurance runs in the ninth innings of Thursday's 8-3 win. Per the Marquee broadcast, the last time Happ started a game and didn't reach base at PNC Park was Aug. 19, 2018. The streak of 34 straight games at one ballpark is currently an MLB best. Overall, against the Pirates in his career, Happ's numbers are gaudy. He's batting .322 with 18 home runs, 72 RBIs and 69 runs scored in 111 career games played. It's safe to say the 30-year-old from the Pittsburgh area enjoys returning home to play in front of all his family and friends. It's not just the Pirates that Happ enjoys playing against though. The switch-hitting left fielder loves hitting against the entire NL Central division. It's almost like Happ sits down before the season and circles every single game against a divisional opponent and prepares twice as hard for them. He's played 442 career games against divisional opponents and has posted a slash line of .278/.381/.547, good for a .928 OPS against division rivals. Those numbers were showcased Tuesday-Thursday against Pittsburgh and Cub fans hope they'll be shown again over the weekend. Chicago is slated for a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field (aka Miller Park, aka Wrigley North) over the weekend. The Cubs currently sit three games ahead of the third-place Brewers and will lean on not only Happ, but the rest of the scorching hot offense to extend the division lead. [Editor's Note: So far, so good on that front. The Cubs are up 9-0 on the Brewers in the first game of the series, and Happ has reached base in three of his four plate appearances thus far at the time this piece is being scheduled for publication]. While nothing is ever guaranteed, it feels so likely that Happ will produce at a high level over the weekend and help lead Chicago to yet another series victory. He may slow down, but as of now, it's hard not to consider Happ as the Cubs' best player whenever they draw a division rival. View full article

The North Siders' co-ace will miss the rest of the season after undergoing elbow surgery. Ideally, the team will reinforce their rotation with a replacement for him. Who could that be? Image courtesy of © Jim Rassol-Imagn Images The North Siders' co-ace will miss the rest of the season after undergoing elbow surgery. Ideally, the team will reinforce their rotation with a replacement for him. Who could that be? Justin Steele was placed on the 15-day IL just two days after his start with left elbow tendinitis. Steele said that he hoped it would be a short stay on the shelf, and he planned on being back as soon as possible. That, unfortunately, was not to be. After gathering multiple opinions, Steele was recommended for the scalpel. It is a huge blow to a Cubs rotation that has been surprisingly good in the early going, but will now have to rely on Shota Imanaga and the rest of the staff to carry them through the season. It's a bit optimistic to think that a rotation of Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Ben Brown, Colin Rea, Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad and Cade Horton can carry the Cubs to a division title and postseason appearance. Because of that, here are five players who could be headed to Chicago as a result of Steele's injury. Sandy Alcántara (Miami Marlins) Alcántara is the most obvious of the players on this list, as he is on a bad Marlins team that will certainly look to capitalize off his value if he is putting together another season like the ones he's had in the past. Alcántara has been mentioned in trade rumors in the past, but this feels like the year he could finally be moved. He is owed just $34.6 million over the next two seasons, making his contract an extremely favorable one for a pitcher of his caliber. Alcántara could instantly come in and give the Cubs a top-tier duo in the rotation, along with Imanaga. Pablo López (Minnesota Twins) López was linked to the Cubs in the offseason, and with Minnesota off to one of its worst starts in franchise history, the time may finally be right for the Twins to move him. In 16 2/3 innings so far in 2025, López has pitched to a 1.62 ERA with 14 strikeouts. He's coming off seasons with 234 and 198 strikeouts. The swing-and-miss stuff would be much needed in replacement of Steele, and he could be a very big addition for Chicago. Marcus Stroman (New York Yankees) Yes, Stroman has been awful to start the 2025 season. He is also on the injured list with knee issues, but it is obvious that he does not want to be in New York any longer. Stroman feeds off the big crowds and the energy, and he would most likely be welcome back to Chicago and Wrigley Field with open arms. He had two successful years with the Cubs in 2022 and 2023, and a return to the Cubs could get his career back on track. He could be instrumental down the stretch in a playoff push. Martín Pérez (Pittsburgh Pirates) Pérez is the first left-hander to make the list, and he would be an intriguing fit. While he is not a frontline starter like Alcántara and López, he is a veteran arm who's been around the game a long time and is still capable of putting together solid outings. Even on days when he is not at his best, Pérez is still able to go deeper into a game than expected and can save a Cubs bullpen that has been shaky to start the season. Pérez would likely slot into the No. 4 or No. 5 spot in the Cubs rotation and could be one of the biggest under-the-radar moves of the entire season. Chris Sale (Atlanta Braves) A guy can dream, right? While there is only about a 1% chance that the Braves continue their horrendous play, it's still a higher chance than zero. With his rough start to the season (0-2, 6.63 ERA). Sale could be on the move if Atlanta continues to struggle going into the summer months. Sale won the NL Cy Young in 2024, and that pitcher is still in there somewhere. An acquisition of Sale would shake up the baseball world and give Chicago two pitchers who finished Top-5 in Cy Young voting in 2024. View full article

I was going to do Tuffy, but when diving into it, I realized they lost the game so I didn’t feel like it deserved to be there