With the trade deadline creeping closer, the Cubs are staring at the same frustrating reality that has followed them for much of the summer: the market for frontline pitching looks thin, and the price tag is only going up.
That’s the backdrop for the latest Hunter Greene chatter. On paper, the Reds right-hander would be exactly the kind of arm Chicago would love to chase - young, electric, and under control for years. In practice, though, he looks like the sort of target that sounds better in theory than in a real deadline deal.
Greene checks every box teams dream about. He’s 26, throws a high-90s fastball, and has been one of baseball’s best starters when healthy.
Over the past two seasons, he’s posted a 2.76 ERA and 3.37 FIP with a strikeout rate of 10.5 K/9. Cincinnati also has him locked in on a 6-year, $53 million extension that runs through 2028, with a club option for 2029.
Even with the Reds sitting six games back in the Wild Card chase, he still looks like the kind of arm a young team would normally hang onto.
Still, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale included Greene among possible deadline movers, even if he believes the right-hander ultimately stays put. Nightengale wrote "the Reds are intrigued just to see what they could command on the market" in a year where there may not be many clear sellers. That alone is enough to keep rival clubs interested, because Greene’s age and control would make him one of the most attractive pitching names available before August 3.
The Cubs, though, have a couple of obvious hurdles here. The first is that Cincinnati is said to be "waiting to see if someone blows them away," and that kind of bidding war is not usually how Jed Hoyer operates, especially for a pitcher who still comes with some questions. The second is the simple reality of the division: deals like this rarely happen between Central rivals, and a star of Greene’s caliber would almost certainly come with an extra tax for anyone inside the division.
Chicago’s broader problem is that there just aren’t many clean solutions on the board. The Red Sox, Twins and Tigers have either held on longer than expected or turned things around, which makes names like Joe Ryan, Sonny Gray and Tarik Skubal look less and less available by the day. Even the Mets may not be a source for Clay Holmes, since SNY’s Chelsea James reported there is mutual interest in an extension.
That leaves the Cubs looking at a smaller pool of possible starters, and most of the remaining options are going to cost real prospect capital. The most obvious controllable arms they could pursue are Angels starters Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano, unless the Giants are willing to move Logan Webb in a major deal.
All three would be expensive, and Detmers and Soriano each bring their own questions. The Angels’ situation is also complicated by owner Arte Moreno, who might not want interim GM John Mozeliak moving the team’s two best arms who aren’t headed for free agency.
If the Cubs decide the market is too wild for a long-term swing, a rental may end up being the more realistic route. Freddy Peralta, despite a career-high 5.01 ERA, stands out because of the Craig Counsell connection. Robbie Ray is another name that fits as a solid innings-eater with upside, and he’s in the middle of a strong season with the Giants.
For Chicago, the goal is straightforward even if the path isn’t: find enough pitching to support an elite offense without emptying the farm system. If the Cubs can patch together a staff that keeps them in games in October while holding onto Josiah Hartshorn and the rest of their top prospects, that would still count as a solid deadline outcome - even if it’s not the splashier move fans are hoping for.
In Other News...
Mets Fans Wont Love This New Cubs Trade Prediction
Pitching help remains the Cubs obvious winter-to-deadline concern, and that has already pushed Chicago into the market once this season. CBS Sports analyst Mike Axisa recently floated a scenario in which the Cubs could keep mining the same lane, after earlier dealing for David Peterson from the Mets and continuing to look for arms that can help stabilize a staff hit by injuries and uneven performance.
The latest prediction is the kind of idea that would not sit well in Queens, because it has the Cubs circling New York again as the 2026 trade deadline approaches. Axisas case leans on recent performance and contract situations, with Freddy Peralta standing out as a possible buy-low target and Huascar Brazoban also in the mix, while Chicagos search for another reliever piece remains part of the larger picture. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Fans Just Got Another Reason To Sweat The Trade Deadline
The days leading into the Aug. 3 trade deadline already had Cubs fans bracing for movement, and two of the organizations top prospects only added to the unease. Moises Ballesteros and Kevin Alcantara each posted motivational, somewhat cryptic messages on Instagram, a small detail on its own but one that landed at a tense moment for a team expected to be active in the market.
Alcantara was recently sent back to Triple-A this week, while Ballesteros stayed put after the Cubs chose to call up James Triantos for his MLB debut instead of bringing him back to the majors. With starting pitching still the obvious area to watch, the front office has plenty to weigh as it sorts through possible upgrades, and the uncertainty around both young players is just another reason the deadline feels worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Lefty Bullpen Churn Just Took Another Turn
The Cubs search for left-handed relief help took another hit when Drew Pomeranz was designated for assignment after a rough stretch in Chicago. He had already been battling to get traction after a difficult run with the Angels, and the latest stint never really gave the Cubs much reason to keep him in the mix.
With Pomeranz out of the picture, the bullpens lefty depth is down to Caleb Thielbar and Ryan Rolison for now, which keeps the front offices options open if it wants to add another southpaw. Chicago can always keep an eye on the market, but the bigger question over the next stretch may be how aggressively it balances that need against the rest of its pitching priorities. [Read more 🡒]