The Chicago Cubs have less than two weeks to sort out their pitching plans before the MLB trade deadline, and the market is already narrowing around the kind of arm they can realistically chase.
The headline names are easy to spot. Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller would fit the bill as major upgrades, but both would come with a steep price. That’s why former MLB GM Jim Bowden of The Athletic pointed the Cubs toward a different kind of target: San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray, whom he called the team’s “perfect” trade fit this summer.
“The Cubs need to keep trying to upgrade their rotation," Bowden writes. "Ray will be a free agent this offseason and would be a solid get for Chicago."
Ray checks a lot of boxes for a team trying to improve without emptying the farm. He’s 34, he’s making a lot of money, and he’s on a contract that runs through the 2026 season, when his five-year, $115 million deal expires. That combination makes him a more realistic trade candidate than the top-tier controllable starters who would likely cost far more.
For Chicago, that matters. Jed Hoyer and the Cubs could probably land Ray at a more manageable price than someone like Skubal, Joe Ryan, or another premium arm, while still bringing in a pitcher who can help right away.
And the production is there. In 20 outings and 110.2 innings this season, Ray has posted a 3.33 ERA with 96 strikeouts and a 120 ERA+. It’s his best season since he won the Cy Young Award with Toronto in 2021.
He may not be in award territory this year, but Ray has been steady, effective, and good enough to look like a real upgrade for the Cubs’ rotation. That’s why Bowden’s label makes sense: affordable, realistic, and useful, with a trade path that looks far more believable than the uncertainty surrounding the biggest names on the board.
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