The Chicago Cubs were still trying to get Jose Soriano even after the Toronto Blue Jays had already landed him from the Los Angeles Angels.
That detail surfaced after the deadline, when it became clear just how much movement was happening behind the scenes once Soriano changed hands. The Blue Jays had pulled off the trade with the Angels, but that didn’t stop other clubs from circling immediately. Among the teams that reached out to Toronto were the Cubs and the Minnesota Twins, according to The Athletic.
The Jays were willing to listen, and the Twins apparently got the furthest in those conversations. Minnesota was prepared to put together a package led by Kaelen Culpepper, its third-ranked prospect, but nothing came together for Soriano.
Still, the Twins and Blue Jays did end up matching up on another deal, with reliever Jeff Hoffman going to Minnesota.
For Chicago, the Soriano pursuit was part of a busy deadline stretch that already included multiple conversations with Toronto. The Cubs made two separate deals with the Blue Jays: Jameson Taillon, who was designated for assignment after his start on July 26, was sent to Toronto, and Kevin Gausman later went to the Cubs in a different trade that brought back a pair of prospects.
Soriano was not the only arm Chicago had its eye on, either. The Cubs were also among the teams interested in Reid Detmers as they looked for a controllable starting pitcher. That interest never turned into a deal, but it did lead to more trade talk with the Angels.
Chicago and Los Angeles did wind up completing one move, with the Cubs sending Moises Ballesteros, the headliner, along with right-handed pitching prospect Mason McGwire, to the Angels for reliever Ryan Zeferjahn.
So while Soriano stayed with Toronto, the trail of calls around him hints at how close this deadline could have come to getting even stranger. A three-team setup involving the Cubs, Angels and Blue Jays never happened, but it’s easy to see why the idea would have been on the table.
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