The Cubs are in position to make the last stretch of July matter, but the names that could really help them don’t come from a friendly trade partner. That’s the catch.
Chicago sits 12 games over .500 after surviving a first half full of pitching injuries, and it owns the top wild-card spot in the National League. But with plenty of baseball still ahead, Jed Hoyer can’t afford to treat the deadline like last year’s quiet approach.
The problem is obvious: the best fits are buried on teams that would rather not do the Cubs any favors. Milwaukee, Cincinnati and the White Sox all have pieces that would look awfully good in Chicago, but those are the kinds of deals that usually stay stuck in rumor territory.
Andrew Abbott is the first arm that jumps out. The Reds left-hander wasn’t even an immediate trade thought because he isn’t arbitration eligible until next season, but MLB insider Jon Morosi has made the case that he should be a prime candidate for Cincinnati to shop before the deadline. Abbott was an All-Star just last season, he’s only 27, and even though he hasn’t matched that level this year, he still looks like the sort of pitcher who could help a club trying to cover short-term needs while also thinking ahead to staff turnover after the season.
Trevor Megill is the kind of name that lives in the “not happening” bucket. The Cubs and Brewers have plenty of history, Craig Counsell knows him from Milwaukee, and Megill even made his big-league debut with Chicago in 2021.
None of that changes the reality that he’s a key part of the Brewers’ bullpen and was carrying a 1.46 FIP into the All-Star break. Chicago needs help late in games, but this is the sort of reunion that doesn’t have a real path to becoming a deal.
Sean Newcomb is the one with at least a sliver of a chance. Maybe 3 percent, as the source puts it, though even that might be generous with the White Sox tied for first in the American League Central heading into the second half.
Newcomb, a 10-year veteran who has played for five teams and spent 2022 with the Cubs, is on a one-year, $4.5 million contract. If the Sox decide to move expiring pieces, he could be available.
He’s put together a strong season, posting a 2.52 ERA and 2.69 FIP over 53 2/3 innings, and his profile fits what Chicago needs: he limits hard contact, misses barrels and keeps the ball on the ground.
For a Cubs team that has already leaned on random bullpen additions and survived more pitching chaos than it wanted, the deadline is shaping up as a chance to add real help. The issue is simple. The most appealing options may all be wearing the wrong uniform.
In Other News...
Willson Contreras Just Added A New Twist To The Cubs Deadline
Willson Contreras has turned his first half in Boston into one of the more notable comeback stories of the season, pairing a .921 OPS with 20 home runs at the All-Star break and earning both an American League All-Star nod and a spot in the Home Run Derby. For the Cubs, it is a reminder that the deadline can still be shaped by familiar names, especially when a player who once mattered so much in Chicago is now thriving in a new place.
Bostons rise into the contender conversation adds another wrinkle for teams watching the market, because the Red Sox are no longer in the position of a club simply sorting out its future. Chicago has been linked to pitching help as the deadline approaches, but the Red Soxs standing could make that path more complicated, with the kind of moves the Cubs are hoping to explore potentially getting harder to pull off. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Scouts At Wrigley Hint At A Bigger Deadline Push
The Yankees presence at Wrigley this week offered a pretty clear reminder that the trade market is already starting to take shape around the Cubs series with the Twins. New York sent scouts to evaluate Minnesota talent with an eye on the 2024 deadline, a sign the club is looking for ways to patch holes and add depth as injuries and roster needs continue to pile up.
For the Cubs, it is another example of how a late-July series can become part showcase, part rumor mill, with rival front offices watching every inning for clues. The Yankees have been tied to help at catcher, in the rotation and in the outfield, and the fact they are tracking multiple Twins players suggests they are preparing for a more aggressive push than a simple cosmetic move. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Crow-Armstrong Just Put One Wrigley Dream In Doubt
The Cubs are already looking ahead to 2027, when Wrigley Field will host the MLB All-Star Game for the first time in 37 years. For Pete Crow-Armstrong, that means the center fielder who has become one of the clubs brightest young names could be in the middle of the sports biggest midsummer showcase on his home turf, with the Home Run Derby likely to be part of the conversation long before the first pitch is thrown.
Several former Cubs have already made clear they expect Crow-Armstrong to take his turn in the derby spotlight when the event arrives on the North Side. The idea fits the moment, and it fits the setting, but there is still some uncertainty around whether the Cubs' All-Star outfielder will actually say yes when the invitation becomes real. [Read more 🡒]