The Cubs have spent the last couple of weeks getting linked to just about every starting pitcher with a pulse on the trade market, and the reason is obvious: the rotation has been battered harder than any other part of the roster. Even so, Chicago has kept winning at a 62-47 clip, which is why the front office is staring at this deadline with real October ambitions and a very clear need to patch the pitching staff.
One name that has started to bubble up is Emerson Hancock. The Mariners are apparently open to listening, and that alone makes him a fascinating fit for Chicago.
Hancock is 27 and in the middle of a breakout season, having reached 20 starts in 2026 with a 3.26 ERA after making at least 12 starts in each of the previous two years. He brings the kind of profile the Cubs usually like: a deep arsenal built around command and movement.
On top of that, he would come with control through 2030, which is exactly the kind of midseason bonus that can drive a team to ask for the moon.
That asking price may already be getting there. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that league chatter has the Cubs in position to make the strongest push for Hancock if they’re willing to pay up. As he put it:
"Teams are salivating over the idea of acquiring Hancock, who’s easily the most prized young starter on the market. They believe that the Cubs could have the best shot at him if they include outfielder Seiya Suzuki and perhaps infielder Matt Shaw in a deal."
That’s where the conversation gets a lot less sensible from Chicago’s side. The Cubs are chasing pitching because they believe they can make a serious run, and moving one of their best hitters - especially one who has been hot lately - cuts against that goal.
Suzuki is also headed toward free agency, which is why his name has floated around before, including during the team’s ugly ten-game losing streak earlier this season. But even then, it never really sounded like the kind of move a win-now club would make.
Including Matt Shaw would make the idea even harder to swallow. He could be the obvious replacement for Suzuki in right field on a day-to-day basis, and if he’s gone too, the Cubs would be left with Michael Conforto as their only clear solid option there.
None of that means Seattle would be out of line to demand a massive return. Hancock’s control gives the Mariners plenty of leverage.
But for the Cubs, meeting that price while trying to sell themselves as a contender would be a tough sell. They need pitching help, sure.
They just can’t afford to solve one problem by creating another.
Jed Hoyer may well feel the same way. Hancock should remain on the Cubs’ radar, but a deal built around Suzuki and Shaw feels like a bridge too far. A more realistic path would be Shaw plus a couple of top prospects, especially with recent reports suggesting Chicago would be willing to move some of its best prospects for a cost-controlled starter.
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The bigger concern is not just when Brown can pitch again, but how he fits once he does. The current expectation is that a return to game action may not come until mid-September at the earliest, and even then he is likely to come back as a reliever rather than a starter. That leaves the Cubs waiting on a pitcher who was supposed to add depth and flexibility, only to find the path back has become much narrower than expected. [Read more 🡒]
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Justin Steeles latest step forward adds another layer to that bullpen conversation. He is progressing in his throwing program and, while he is not lined up to return as a starter, there is at least a path for him to contribute meaningful innings out of the bullpen later this season. For a Cubs team trying to balance outside additions with internal reinforcements, that kind of update matters as much for the October plan as any deadline rumor. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Lineup Absence Just Raised The Stakes Of A Troubling Rumor
Carson Kelly and Seiya Suzuki were both out of the Cubs starting lineup against the Yankees, a setup that was bound to get attention with the trade deadline approaching. Kellys absence looks much more like a routine rest day as the schedule tightens up, but Suzukis name carries a different kind of weight in Chicago, where he has become one of the clubs key players and one of the most watched bats on the roster.
The backdrop only makes the silence around Suzuki more noticeable, especially with reports tying the Cubs to Mariners pitcher Emmerson Hancock and suggesting a possible package involving Suzuki and Matt Shaw. No official offer has been confirmed, and Suzukis full no-trade clause gives him control over where this rumor can go, but even a single lineup omission is enough to get the deadline conversation moving fast. [Read more 🡒]