Pedro Ramirez has turned himself into one of the Cubs’ most interesting pieces at exactly the wrong time for the front office.
What started as a promising stretch from a mid-tier prospect has become a real roster problem for Chicago. Ramirez has worked his way into a valuable bench and utility role, and now the Cubs have to weigh that production against a pressing need: finding a starting pitcher before the Aug. 3 deadline.
That’s the kind of decision that gets messy fast. Ramirez is batting over .300, can move around the diamond, and has become the sort of player every contender wants to have tucked on the bench. The question is whether that makes him too useful to move, or exactly the kind of trade chip that can bring back the arm the Cubs need.
His bat has been impossible to ignore. In the first eight games he played after the All-Star break, Ramirez had five multi-hit games and led the entire team in OPS. He also sat atop the Cubs’ post-break OPS list at 1.133, ahead of Seiya Suzuki at 1.017, Nico Hoerner at .950, Pete Crow-Armstrong at .936, Miguel Amaya at .905, Alex Bregman at .862, Ian Happ at .773, Michael Conforto at .768, Dansby Swanson at .755, Michael Busch at .727 and Carson Kelly at .432.
Through his first 34 MLB games, Ramirez has hit .322/.362/.471 with 10 extra-base hits. For a player who isn’t in the lineup every day, that’s a huge return. He’s been useful as both a fill-in and a pinch-hitter, and the Cubs have gotten real value out of his ability to step in and produce.
The other part of his appeal is the flexibility. Ramirez was mostly a second baseman in the minors, but he’s already logged time at third base, first base and left field in his first big league stint. That kind of coverage gives Craig Counsell a true Swiss Army knife on the bench, and that matters even more as the season moves toward the stretch run and the playoffs.
But versatility and production also raise his trade value. Every club wants a player who can hit and handle multiple spots, which is why Ramirez could be one of the Cubs’ best assets if they decide to swing a deal for pitching.
And Chicago needs pitching help. Starting pitchers are expensive at the deadline, and after moving Jameson Taillon, the Cubs know they need to add one now.
Reports also indicate President Jed Hoyer is open to dealing major league players to make a move happen. Matt Shaw can also fill a similar role to Ramirez once he comes off the injured list, which only adds to the possibility that Ramirez could be moved.
If the Cubs do trade him, the ideal return would be a starter with multiple years of team control. That would help them now and also address future rotation concerns, with Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga both set to hit free agency after 2026.
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