Cubs president of baseball Jed Hoyer said in early June that the team may be focusing on him as they approach the Aug. 3 trade deadline. That’s still the case as the offense is struggling this month, as they are among the teams hardest hit by injuries.
“Negotiations are definitely happening. You’re talking to teams about pitching. Usually, this time of year, (negotiations) are on the small side of those deals,” Hoyer told the Mully & Haugh Show on 104.3 The Score Tuesday morning. He pointed to a crowded pitching picture for both teams that leaves many teams straddling the buyer/seller line this far – a common practice by front offices across the league.
“The big moves and important trades that people can talk about are more likely to happen after the All-Star Break or closer to the deadline,” he said. Hoyer added that the front office is looking for seemingly small ways to increase personnel in the short term, using last year’s seemingly small trades. Drew Pomeranz as one example.
Those comments came before the Cubs lost Edward Cabrera for a hamstring in the evening. You will join Late Horton, Justin Steele again Jameson Taillon on the shelf. Taillon will be sidelined beyond the All-Star Break with a mild hamstring strain, while Horton is out for the season after April Tommy John surgery. Steele has not ridden since April 2025, as he has struggled while rehabilitating his elbow.
While the Cubs still hope Steele will make an impact this year, that won’t come out of the rotation. “Whether or not he can help us at the end of the season is unclear,” Hoyer told The Score when asked about the southpaw’s chances of contributing. “I think it’s unrealistic to think that he’s going to fully expand at any point, so if he does help us, I think it’s going to be short-term. … Expecting him to start this year is not possible.”
The long-term hope is that Steele can return to the All-Star form he has shown since 2023-24. It seems like the best outcome of this season is that he can come out of the bullpen and at least go into the next offseason with a clean bill of health. Chicago already has three liberal lefties Caleb Thielbar, Hoby Milner again Ryan Rolison. They’re fine with that but would welcome any offers they can get from Steele if his arm goes up.
Chicago will find out Matthew Boyd coming back from meniscus surgery to switch to the Cabrera rotation in the short term. There is no top-level starting talent, as one would expect the team to get three talented arms off the shelf.
Ben Brown has been the team’s top starter since playing in the rotation when Boyd went down in early May. Shota Imanaga he has struggled recently as his home run stories have resurfaced. Colin Rea again Javier Assad are types of swings that are compressed into backswing roles, while Jordan Wicks he is the only healthy depth starter on the 40-man roster. Jaxon Wigginstheir very talented minor league arm, is working his way back from injury and has pitched a total of 12 2/3 innings this year.
As Hoyer said, it’s unlikely that any of the marquee starters will change teams in the next three to four weeks. Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Casey Mize, Sonny Gray, Foster Griffin, Dustin May again Trevor Rogers are among the upcoming free agents likely to be on the way at the deadline. The Tigers, Mets, Red Sox and Orioles all entered the season hoping to compete, however, and are unlikely to commit to a trade this early. The Nationals and Cardinals are right up there with the Cubs in a crowded NL Wild Card field.
The Rockies don’t have any notable starting pitchers to offer. Angels could (and probably should) trade controllable arms Reid Detmers again José Sorianobut that is not the way they have operated under owner Arte Moreno. The twins were incredibly competitive and that could have led to them catching up Joe Ryan.
Among the teams expected to compete, only the Giants appear to be close to trading. However, they maintain that they do not want to move the ace Logan Webb. Incoming free agent Robbie Ray it should already be there, but you’re playing with a $25MM salary and you’re dealing with walk and home run rates.
