2 dark horse trade candidates that could help Cubs win the Central

1. German Marquez

Entering Wednesday, the Cubs’ starting rotation has the 11th-worst ERA in baseball (4.57). And that’s with improvement over the last week or two (sub-4.00 collective ERA over the last seven and 15 days). Adding a top of the rotation might be nice, but getting one of those will not be easy and it’ll be easier to look toward likely trade deadline sellers for a wider range of options.

Marquez has made 14 starts for the Colorado Rockies this season (76.1 innings), with a 4.60 ERA, two complete games, a 9.4 K/9 and a 4.2 BB/9. But two rough outings, including his most recent start on June 12 against the Cincinnati Reds (eight earned runs allowed in five innings), have inflated his ERA. Over his six starts prior to that outing, he had a 1.89 ERA.

Take out those two bad outings, at home at Coors Field against the San Francisco Giants and in the bandbox that is Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, and Marquez has a 2.93 ERA over his other 12 starts this season.

Marquez is under team control at reasonable rates through 2024 (with a club option for 2024). The Rockies are going to be selling, it’s just a matter of who will be gone by the end of July. With Jon Gray injured, Marquez is now the starting pitcher they have that contending teams will have the most interest in. The Cubs should be at the front of the line to get him, ahead of the division-rival Cardinals.