We're less than two weeks away from the MLB trade deadline, meaning we must read between the lines of everything that managers, GMs and owners say about roster building, trades, etc. We must become Jake Gyllenhaal in Zodiac, essentially, and lose our minds trying to crack the code. For the Chicago Cubs, the "code" at this year's deadline might be... adding players who haven't played well? Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, come on down!
Okay, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. But according to Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer, there's upside to adding veterans who have struggled this year but have produced at high levels in the past. In an article at The Athletic by Shadev Sharma, Hoyer talked about, essentially, taking shots on players that may just need some adjustments to get back on track:
“Sometimes a guy that didn’t have a great (first half) of the year, doesn’t mean he’s not a good player,” Hoyer said. “You try to look under the hood and see if there are reasons for optimism. Is this a guy we can tweak something with? Has he been unlucky? All those different things.”
Hoyer brought up the 2021 Atlanta Braves, who made multiple moves for struggling veterans including Jorge Soler, who crushed a home run in Game 6 of the World Series.
So, who could Hoyer potentially be referencing when he mentions these potential reclamation projects? Well, two of the biggest names on the pitching market, Alcantara and Gallen, do fit that description.
Jed Hoyer and Cubs could target Alcantara, Gallen
Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara went from Cy Young winner, unquestioned ace, to basically the worst player in baseball. From 2021 to 2023, he posted a WAR of over 16 and looked like a longtime top-level starter. But in 2025, after Tommy John, he's been a shell of himself. He has a minus-1.7 WAR this season and an ERA of 7.14. He's getting hit hard most times he takes the mound and the Marlins
That definitely sounds like a player who falls into the category of "not a great first half." But with Alcantara struggling so much after a serious injury, does he qualify as someone with whom there are reasons for optimism? How will Hoyer take injuries into account? Obviously, if the Cubs can acquire anything close to 2022 Sandy Alcantara at the deadline, they should do that immediately. And if Hoyer and Craig Counsell can bring that version out, they might be on their way to a World Series ring.
Zac Gallen, meanwhile, might fit the description even better; no major injury, no reason to believe he should be considerably worse than years past, but still, Gallen has posted a career-worst year in 2025 with an ERA currently sitting at 5.40.
The reasons for optimism here? Gallen has a few games where he looks like himself, including great starts against the Giants and Padres just this month. But he followed those up with a clunker against the Angels, and that's been the story of the season.
Chicago's approach at the deadline might not thrill fans; adding players who have been bad this year sounds silly on the surface. But taking gambles on struggling veterans who have been good in the past is a strategy that's worked for teams in the past — if they're smart enough to make the right "tweaks," as Hoyer puts it — and sounds like it could be the approach for Hoyer & Co. the next few weeks.