The Chicago Cubs have already made one trade, but that’s not the finish line. With Monday night’s deadline approaching, the plan is to add multiple pitchers, and at least one of them is expected to be a reliever who can sharpen the bullpen’s edge.
Big names like Jeff Hoffman and Luke Weaver are in the mix, but the Cubs’ bigger need is clear: more strikeouts from the high-leverage group. That makes the list of possible targets a little wider than the headline-grabbers.
One name that fits the profile is Drew Anderson. The 32-year-old right-hander has bounced around the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, and Texas Rangers, then went overseas and found success in Japan and South Korea before returning to the States this offseason.
The increased velocity has shown up in the numbers. In 63.2 innings, Anderson has a 28.3 K% and 8.7 BB% with a 47.9% ground ball rate.
His 4.24 ERA looks ordinary on the surface, but since April 24 he’s been much sharper, logging a 3.44 ERA with a 30.6 K%.
There’s also Jacob Latz, a lefty who would give the Cubs another strong option from that side. Once Hoby Milner comes back from his rehab assignment, Chicago will already have three left-handed relievers, but Latz could still bring real value.
The 30-year-old has been excellent in 2026, putting up a 1.80 ERA with a 28.0 K%, 6.00 BB%, and a 40.7% ground ball rate. His fastball sits at 95mph, and he won’t be a free agent until 2031.
He also just surfaced in trade talk Monday morning, with the Texas Rangers sliding after losing five straight and sitting four games below .500 since the All-Star break. Latz, a native of Lemont, was an All-Star for the Rangers this year.
Anthony Bender is another arm the Cubs could circle. The Miami Marlins right-hander is under control beyond 2026 and will be arb-eligible next year.
He has been steady throughout his big league career with Miami, carrying a 2.97 ERA across 218 innings. This season, Bender has a 2.62 ERA, 29.3 K%, 8.6 BB%, and a 44% ground ball rate.
The Marlins have reportedly made plenty of players available outside their core starters, so Bender could make sense if the Cubs want something more dependable without paying the premium that would come with Luke Weaver.
Then there’s Pete Fairbanks, the kind of name that could stir up Cubs fans fast. Chicago had interest in him last summer when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays, and again in the offseason when he was a free agent.
He’s still missing bats, with a 30.1 K% in 35.1 innings, but the results have been rough: a 6.37 ERA in 38 appearances. The split against left-handed hitters is brutal, while right-handed hitters have had a much tougher time.
Fairbanks has a 9.64 ERA against lefties with seven homers allowed and a .263/.364/.618 line, but against righties he’s been strong, posting a 2.70 ERA with one homer allowed and a .200/.279/.283 line. He signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the Marlins and is 17 for 20 in save chances this year.
Antonio Senzatela is another right-hander linked to the Cubs. The former starter is working his first full season as a reliever for the Colorado Rockies and has a 3.61 ERA.
He averages 97mph, though the strikeout totals haven’t matched the velocity, with his strikeout rate sitting at 21%. Even so, he gets ground balls at better than a 40% clip, and he’s been effective away from Coors Field, where he owns a 2.57 ERA in 28 innings on the road in 2026.
In Other News...
Cubs Just Got Pulled Into Torontos Deadline Rotation Shakeup
Torontos deadline-day rotation shuffle has already sent ripple effects through the league, and the Cubs were pulled into the middle of it before the dust could settle. The Blue Jays moved quickly ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, adding Jose Soriano from the Angels while also reshaping the staff with veteran arms, a sign they were prioritizing immediate stability as they mapped out the rest of 2026 and even looked ahead to 2027.
For Chicago, the bigger story is how this kind of deal changes the market around it. A club in deadline mode can turn one trade into a broader reset, and the Cubs now sit in the orbit of a Blue Jays rotation plan that could still keep evolving as Toronto weighs future moves involving its veteran pitchers. Even after the first wave of action, the way Toronto sorts out its staff may decide whether this becomes a one-off adjustment or the start of something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Just Paid A Real Prospect Price For An October Push
The Cubs made a clear win-now move, parting with one of their better infield prospects to shore up the roster for the stretch run. Jefferson Rojas was sent to the Mets in a deal that brought back Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor, a transaction that signals Chicago is treating October as more than a distant goal and more like a window worth pushing through right now.
Holmes gives the Cubs a right-handed arm who is still on the injured list but getting close to a return, while Taylor adds experienced outfield depth for the final months of the season. It is the kind of trade that usually comes with an uncomfortable cost, and Chicago paid it by moving a player it had reason to value, betting the short-term upgrade will matter more than the long-term regret. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Just Got A Surprising Deadline Opening They Still Needed
The Cubs still have not made a trade move, but they do have one of the more intriguing deadline paths to monitor as they poke around with Texas. The Rangers have shifted their approach enough to at least listen on some pitching, which has put Chicago in the mix for arms such as Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore and Jacob Latz. For a club looking for help without blowing up its deadline, that kind of opening is worth watching closely.
Texas, though, has also sent a mixed message to rival front offices, which is part of what makes this whole thing feel so unsettled. Trade talks can turn quickly at this time of year, and the Cubs are weighing options in a market where the other side may not be nearly as available as it first seemed. [Read more 🡒]