The Chicago Cubs have won 13 of their last 18 games, shooting up the MLB standings as a result. They're now 10 games over .500 and are tied with the Phillies for the first Wild Card spot. After a rough patch in June, the Cubs are looking like a team primed to push for the postseason.
In order for Chicago to go on a run in October, though, they're going to need to address their biggest weaknesses. Fortunately, there are high-end trade targets available for them to pursue that'd fill those needs.
Reliever: Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox
The Cubs' bullpen has been better than expected given the injuries they've dealt with, but they do not have a single reliever with more than three saves. Some of that has to do with Daniel Palencia missing substantial time on the IL, and part of that has to do with Chicago not having a viable alternative. Aroldis Chapman, as Cubs fans know, would be a more than viable alternative.
Chapman was the closer for the Cubs' World Series team back in 2016, and somehow he remains one of the best relievers in the sport even at age 38. He still throws incredibly hard and is striking out 30 percent of the batters he's faced. He'll be the best reliever available, and he'll probably come with an additional year of club control (his mutual option turns into a guaranteed $13 million salary for 2027 if he throws 40 innings and passes an end-of-year physical), so he won't be cheap to acquire by any means. But if you can get a game-changing reliever in a year you're trying to win, you go get that reliever. Cubs fans should know that better than anyone.
Mid-rotation starter: Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers
As clear as the need for bullpen help is, the No. 1 concern for the Cubs is their starting rotation. Cade Horton is out for the year, and who knows if or when the team will get one or more of Justin Steele, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon or Ben Brown back? Chicago needs as much starting pitching help as it can get, even after acquiring David Peterson, and Casey Mize makes sense as a rotation stablizer.
It's easy to forget about Mize, knowing that his teammate, Tarik Skubal, is likely going to be available. But Mize is on an expiring contract and he's in the midst of a breakout year: The right-hander has a 2.63 ERA in 12 starts and is posting the best walk, strikeout and home run rates of his career. Injuries are a concern, as they've been for really his entire career, but Mize would be a valuable mid-rotation arm for Chicago. Since he's a rental, he shouldn't cost too much, even if he won't come cheap.
Frontline starter: Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins
Even if the Cubs were to acquire Mize, that wouldn't be enough given the injury situation the team is in. Again, Horton is out, and it's impossible to count on anyone currently hurt to be healthy in the second half. Chicago will not win without a true ace, and Joe Ryan is just that.
What makes Ryan particularly attractive for a team like the Cubs is that he's making just $6.2 million this season and is under club control for 2027. I don't necessarily think Chicago should be parting with top prospects for a rental like Tarik Skubal, but Ryan can help them next season and can perhaps be extended, too. He's the kind of pitcher they should be all-in for, and while I'm unsure if the Twins would actually move him, Ryan, who has a 3.36 ERA and a sub-3.00 FIP, is a guy worth offering a substantial haul for.
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