The Cubs’ trajectory through the deadline has been a much-discussed topic over the past few weeks, with the team sitting at or near the bottom of the National League Central and also in danger of losing the final National League wild-card spot. They have ostensibly explored possibilities on both ends of the buy/sell spectrum, but Show interest Toronto catcher Danny Jansen Also, I’ve spoken to both the Yankees and the Red Sox. About the possibility Jameson Tyrone The Cubs lost their first two games after the All-Star break to the Diamondbacks, who are now tied for the final wild-card spot, but avoided the sweep with an extra-inning win on Sunday.
The Cubs are 3.5 games back in the wild card race, but the latest report Via Patrick Mooney, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic That suggests the Cubs don’t intend to be buyers at next week’s trade deadline, but it doesn’t signal any notable sales for the Cubs. Chicago is still looking to win next year and is unlikely to move any players under contract unless they find major league talent.
When it comes to the Cubs’ rental player roster, there aren’t many players on the roster that could be sold to other teams. Drew Smiley Smyly has a respectable 2.92 ERA in 37 relief innings, but he has walked 10.2 percent of his opponents and is playing on a contract other teams would be hesitant to pay: He is due $8.5 million in salary this season ($3.2 million) plus a $2.5 million buyout on his $10 million mutual option for the 2025 season.
right handed Kyle Hendricks He will be a free agent after the season, but his $16 million salary and 6.69 ERA are unlikely to generate much interest (unless the Cubs are willing to pay his full signing bonus). Hector Neris In 33 2/3 innings, he has a 3.74 ERA with a 24.2% strikeout rate but a career-worst 16.1% walk rate. Neris is making $9 million a year and will have a $9 million club option that becomes a player option if he plays 24 more games this season (60 total), which could alienate some potential interested parties. Cody Bellinger He could become a free agent after the season, but he’s on injured reserve with a broken finger and the two opt-out clauses in his three-year contract would have made it extremely difficult to trade him anyway.
The Athletic’s report raises the speculation that the starting pitcher will at least listen to offers. Justin SteeleHowever, with three more seasons of club control remaining, the price will likely be the same or higher than what they are asking for the crosstown ace. Garret Crochet (He has two years left of team control) and is the favorite to win the American League Cy Young Award. Tarik Skubal (The latter is not expected to be traded.) There’s no reason to think the Cubs will sell Steele, but someone Juan SotoThat’s a perfectly reasonable amount for a player who finished fifth in the National League Cy Young Award standings last year.
As for Taillon, even if the team doesn’t anticipate a widespread sale, moving him would make sense. When signing a free agent to a long-term deal, the first few years of the contract are what teams are most interested in. The 2025-26 season will be Taillon’s age-33 and age-34 seasons. He’ll make $18 million per season on his $68 million contract. Moving him would free up some funds to acquire a young pitcher in the offseason. Or it could be funds to invest in an entirely different area of need.
The Cubs controlled the steals. Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad, Ben Brown, Hayden Wesneski and Jordan Wicks At least until the 2027 season. Outlook Cade Horton and Brandon Birdsell is rising quickly in the system. There is depth available to trade, and a trade for Taillon could bring in talent, reduce future salary, and ease future luxury tax liabilities. Taillon won’t command nearly the same kind of income as Steele for a number of reasons (age, salary, overall talent level), but there aren’t many pitchers available, so the Cubs could take advantage of that dearth and see if the market holds up.
It’s also worth emphasizing that most teams’ plans are still fairly fluid at this time of year. Teams that are eight, nine, 10 or more games out of making the postseason will undoubtedly be focused on selling (just as teams on the other side of the ball will be primarily focused on strengthening), but nearly half of baseball’s teams are in a relative predicament between those two extremes. There are currently three teams vying for the third wild card spot in the National League (Mets, Diamondbacks, Padres), and five more are within four games of the final spot, including the Cubs. In the American League, there are four teams within six games of the last wild card spot.
For example, if the Cubs were to win six or seven straight games from today, they would probably be much more open to the idea of adding players. That’s especially true since their next three games are against the division-leading Brewers. But such a winning streak is always a long shot, and it’s worth noting that for the time being, Chicago doesn’t view itself as a team that will trade away some underachieving minor league players in exchange for a small rental upgrade. Time will tell if the players on the field can convince the front office to take a more aggressive stance, but for now it seems likely the Cubs will have a relatively quiet deadline day.
