The Cubs keep proving they’re not easy to pin down. Even with a pile of pitching injuries hanging over them, they’re still stacking wins, and the reason is sitting right in the middle of the lineup.
Lately, Chicago’s offense has been doing the heavy lifting. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dasby Swanson, and Ian Happ have helped keep the scoreboard busy, and the Cubs have looked capable of overwhelming teams when the bats are rolling.
That’s part of why the trade deadline matters so much for this group. The Cubs should have a chance to add another starting pitcher, and that kind of move would give them a better chance to stabilize the rotation. As it stands, they’re a team other clubs can’t afford to overlook.
Last week showed both sides of that reality. Chicago opened against the San Diego Padres and then moved into a series with the St.
Louis Cardinals, a division opponent that has been having a strong year. The Cubs handled the Padres and finished the sweep, capped by a massive 23-run outburst in Wednesday’s series finale.
Then came the swing in the other direction. The Cardinals hammered the Cubs 17-1 in the first game of the series, and Chicago ended up dropping the set 2-1. Even so, the rough finish didn’t knock them down much in the eyes of Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller, who moved them from No. 7 to No. 6 in his latest power rankings.
"If you slept through the first 85 games of the season and happened to start watching Cubs games just in time for them to consecutively smoke the Padres 23-3 and get stomped 17-1 by the Cardinals this past week, well, that was the 2026 Cubs in a nutshell. There have been more ups than downs, but they've had some ridiculously high peaks and some disturbingly low valleys. They have the offense to contend for a World Series, but can they trade for an entire pitching staff over the course of the next four weeks?"
That’s the question hanging over Chicago now. The offense looks dangerous enough to matter in October, but the front office still has work to do if the Cubs are going to turn that firepower into something bigger. Strategic pitching additions over the next few weeks could make all the difference.
In Other News...
Padres Depth Shakeup Could Be Just The Start Of More Moves
The Padres minor league depth chart got a noticeable reset this week, with a cluster of moves that touched multiple levels of the system. Kannon Kemp was reinstated from the injured list, Johan Moreno moved up to Triple-A, and left-handers Ryan Och and Jamie Hitt both advanced to Double-A, giving San Diego a clearer look at some arms it wants to keep moving.
Jos Leclerc is also working his way back from shoulder surgery, and his return could force another round of decisions as the organization sorts out roles and innings across the system. With the draft signing deadline approaching, the Padres may not be done churning the bottom of the roster, and these moves feel like the first part of a larger shuffle rather than the last. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Could Finally Make The Deadline Move Their Lineup Desperately Needs
As the trade deadline approaches, the Padres are still searching for a lineup upgrade that can change the feel of their offense, and one name from a division rival has started to surface in the conversation. The fit is obvious on paper: a productive outfielder in his prime, the kind of bat San Diego has been trying to add, and a player the front office has already evaluated closely in the recent past.
The complication is just as obvious. Dealing within the NL West is never simple, especially when the target is coming off a strong season and comes with years of team control still attached. ESPNs Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan have both suggested there is at least a real chance this gets done before the deadline, but for the Padres the harder part may be turning interest into something the Giants would actually accept. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Could Face A Brutal Deadline Call On Reliable Starter
The Padres are still shopping for rotation help as the deadline approaches, and the need is easy to understand. Injuries have thinned the staff and the depth behind the front end has not offered much cushion, so San Diego is casting a wide net for a starter who can take the ball regularly and steady things over the stretch run.
One name that has surfaced is Michael Wacha, a familiar arm with a track record of giving a club dependable innings and a contract that runs through 2027 with a club option for 2028. Any move of that sort would come down to price as much as fit, especially with San Diego trying to balance urgency against the cost of adding another established starter. [Read more 🡒]