The Chicago Cubs didn't do anything crazy at the trade deadline. Perhaps they should have. With Justin Steele out for the season, they didn't go out and grab a frontline starter to go with Shota Imanaga. Sandy Alcantara, Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, and others were available for them to choose from, yet they chose to not upgrade their rotation, which may come back to bite them.
However, the 2025 MLB Postseason schedule was released today, and it presents some interesting features. The Cubs are essentially a lock to make it to October, even if they have to make it through the Wild Card Series.
The NLDS starts on the same day as the ALDS, that being Saturday, October 4. However, unlike the ALDS, which will have Game 2 the next day, the NLDS gets a day off, with Game 2 coming on Monday, October 6.
This means, the Cubs could potentially start Shota Imanaga for Game 1 of the NLDS but also have him available before a potential Game 5.
Jed Hoyer, Cubs receive huge break with postseason schedule
If Imanaga starts Game 1, the Cubs could have him back on full rest to start Game 4 if they are facing elimination, as there will be four days between Games 1 and 4. And if they are really desperate, they could go with Imanaga on short rest for Game 3 if they are down 2-0 and looking at being swept.
So, Hoyer and the Cubs may have just lucked out a little bit. They don't have the deep rotation necessary to strike fear into the rest of the National League, but can at least ride Imanaga's arm if they get to the NLDS.
Of course, this would all go for naught if they lose in the Wild Card round, but the way the schedule works for the NLDS is actually quite favorable for the North Siders. In that case, they could use Imanaga very similarly to how the San Francisco Giants used Madison Bumgarner in the 2014 postseason when they rode his arm to their third World Series title in five years.
But it would have been nice if the Cubs had actually tried to land a top arm and give themselves a better chance to win a title this coming October, but we'll see if this wrinkle in the schedule gives them an advantage.