Chicago Cubs could face big trouble in potential pitcher trade

The Chicago Cubs are suddenly rolling, as evidenced by their 23-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. The Cubs have gone 15-4 over their last 19 games to improve to 49-38 on the year, somewhat erasing the memory of a brutal 7-22 stretch prior.

It should now be abundantly clear that the Cubs will be buyers at the MLB trade deadline, and it’s very obvious what Chicago needs.

The Cubs’ starting rotation is an absolute mess, as it has been ravaged by injuries and has simply underwhelmed as a whole. Jed Hoyer did recently swing a trade to acquire David Peterson from the New York Mets, but Chicago will need more than that.

Fortunately, the Cubs have until Aug. 3 to make some moves, and their recent hot streak has bought them some more time in that regard.

But could Chicago be in some trouble when it comes to acquiring a frontline pitcher? ESPN’s David Schoenfield thinks so.

Chicago Cubs could face difficulty at MLB trade deadline

Schoenfield recently ran a piece on what every team should do before the deadline, and for the Cubs, making a push for Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta was at the top of the list.

Peralta is widely viewed as a trade candidate in the coming weeks, and Chicago has long been floated as a potential destination. But could the Cubs swing even bigger and attempt to pry Tarik Skubal away from the Detroit Tigers?

Schoenfield thinks it’s a possibility, but he isn’t counting on it.

“The Cubs have run hot and cold all season — they’ve had winning streaks of 10 and 11 games, a 10-game losing streak and now a 9-1 run — so another seasoned starter is key. They could be in the mix for Skubal as well, although the Brewers, Dodgers and Rays have an edge in farm system quality,” Schoenfield wrote.

This goes beyond Skubal, too. Because there aren’t many teams willing to sell at the moment, the list of available quality starters before the deadline could be rather short. That means the competition will be fiercer, which could result in Chicago losing out.

The Cubs still have some intriguing pieces, but guys like Jaxon Wiggins, Moises Ballesteros and Kevin Alcantara have lost some of their luster. And let’s remember that Chicago already moved Owen Caissie — who has been on a tear lately — for Edward Cabrera over the winter.

There is no doubt that the Cubs will be in the mix for starting pitching, but they may have some difficulty getting what they want.

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