The Cubs have already made their summer direction pretty clear: they’re buyers. After shaking off the ugly stretch that buried them in April and the early part of June, Chicago is in position to add at the deadline. The real question is what kind of help they should chase.
There’s room for the Cubs to go after rental pieces if the right opportunity pops up. If they keep winning, they could even get themselves into the Tarik Skubal conversation before July ends. But the more obvious need - and the one that keeps coming back around - is controllable pitching.
That matters now and later. Chicago needs arms for this season, sure, but Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and Jameson Taillon are all free agents after the year. So if the Cubs can land a starter who stays under control beyond this season, that’s the cleanest solution.
The Angels may have just opened the door.
Los Angeles looked like a tricky match for Chicago because of two names in particular: Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers. Both are controllable starters, both fit the Cubs’ need, and Chicago’s prospect base - heavy on position players - lines up well with what the Angels should want back.
For a while, though, there was a catch. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported last week that the Angels were not interested in moving Soriano or Detmers, and that the call was coming from owner Arte Moreno.
That may have changed. The Angels fired general manager Perry Minasian and brought in former St.
Louis Cardinals executive John Mozeliak. The early read is that Moreno won’t be getting in Mozeliak’s way, and Jon Heyman noted that could lead to Soriano or Detmers being dealt at the deadline.
If that happens, the Cubs have to be in the mix.
Soriano has cooled off after an early surge that had him in the American League Cy Young conversation, but the numbers still pop: a 3.42 ERA, more than 26% of hitters struck out, and a fastball that lives in the upper 90s. He’s under control through the 2028 season.
Detmers brings the same kind of long-term appeal. Back in a starting role this year, the 26-year-old has posted a 3.88 ERA and struck out more than 27% of the hitters he’s faced. He, too, is under control through the 2028 season.
That leaves Jed Hoyer with the kind of decision that can define a deadline. Last summer, the Cubs clearly weren’t eager to meet the asking price for controllable starting pitching.
This year, the prices figure to be steep again. But if Chicago wants to solve a real need without kicking the can down the road, this might be the moment to pay up.
In Other News...
Dansby Swansons Sudden Turnaround Has Cubs Fans Breathing Again
Dansby Swansons bat has finally started to look like the one the Cubs expected when they brought him in, and the change has come fast enough to feel a little jarring. After spending much of the spring buried in a slump, he has suddenly been driving the ball again, stacking up home runs and RBIs in recent games and giving Chicago a much-needed jolt from the middle of the lineup.
Swanson has pointed to a mental reset in early June as part of the turnaround, along with work with assistant coach John Mallee, and the results have been loud enough to put him in some rare Cubs company. His recent power burst has him mentioned alongside a short list of names from franchise history, which is a reminder of how quickly a rough stretch can flip when a veteran hitter finds his timing again. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Suddenly Have A Prospect Bat Fans Have Been Waiting For
Josiah Hartshorn has gone from a name tucked deep in the Cubs farm system to one of the organizations most interesting young bats. The 19-year-old switch-hitting outfielder has climbed quickly in prospect circles, with Baseball America pushing him up to No. 29 on its Top 100 leaderboard after a strong start to the season in Single-A and an even louder showing once he reached High-A.
Hartshorn opened the year with a .884 OPS before the promotion, then kept forcing the issue in South Bend with a .953 OPS and more power than evaluators were expecting this soon. The rising profile has already earned him a spot in the 2026 Futures Game at All-Star Weekend, and for the Cubs, the bigger question now is how far this bat can keep carrying as the competition keeps getting tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Turn To A Familiar Bullpen Fix As Injury Pressure Mounts
The Cubs made a familiar bullpen move this week, optioning left-hander Jordan Wicks to Triple-A and bringing veteran lefty Drew Pomeranz back onto the active roster as the injuries in the relief corps continue to pile up. It is the kind of shuffle that says as much about the current state of the pitching staff as it does about the player coming in, with Chicago leaning on a name it knows well to help steady the late innings.
Pomeranz had already shown he could be more than a stopgap for this club, which is part of why his return stands out now. The Cubs are trying to piece together innings without several key relievers available, and in that kind of environment, experience matters almost as much as stuff. Whether this is simply a temporary patch or the start of another meaningful run for Pomeranz is the part still to watch. [Read more 🡒]