Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Chicago Cubs rotation faces significant challenges with multiple starters on the injured list and others regressing.
- A trade for a Tigers pitcher could provide the stability Chicago needs to bolster its postseason chances.
- The proposed deal highlights Chicago's deep farm system and Detroit's interest in young talent with high upside.
No contender should be as clear-eyed in its intention at the MLB trade deadline as the Chicago Cubs. While there is more than enough positional talent on the Cubs roster to sustain a World Series run, the rotation is in dire straits. Justin Steele's rehab has hit multiple snags, while Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown are now stuck on the IL, too. With Matthew Boyd and Shōta Imanaga both regressing this season, Chicago is frightfully thin on pitchers you can feel good about in October.
We've seen Jed Hoyer operate with a bit more aggression these past couple years. There's no reason to stop at the deadline. While Tarik Skubal is the Detroit Tigers ace every Cubs fan dreams of at night, Casey Mize is a totally acceptable (and much more affordable) alternative. Here's how Chicago can get it done.
This Cubs-Tigers trade sends Casey Mize to the North Side
Mize has followed up an All-Star campaign in 2025 with even better output in 2026. He has a 2.79 ERA and 0.99 WHIP through 14 starts, with 77 strikeouts in 77.1 innings. He can bury the sinker against righties and ride the fastball against lefties, with an excellent slider and splitter to play off of the heater.
There's a good chance Mize is starting Game 1 of a playoff series for the Cubs. On Detroit's end, the chance to flip an expiring contract for two long-term contributors should be strongly considered. Detroit has a better chance of re-signing Mize in free agency than Skubal, but neither is remotely guaranteed.
Why the Cubs would make this trade
This is a pure rental for the Cubs — although we can't rule out Mize re-signing in Chicago, as the Cubs can spend when they want to (see: Bregman, Alex). Even as a rental, however, the upside with Mize is considerable. The Cubs are probably the most talent-rich team in the National League besides the Dodgers and Braves. That lineup, when everything is clicking, looks like a championship lineup.
Chicago just needs a shred of stability on the mound. Mize checks almost every box. Command, strikeouts, soft contact. His primaries are just as strong as his secondaries. You'd maybe like a bit more durability on his track record, but Mize looks the best he has even been this season.
If the Cubs can get Ben Brown back in the saddle and up to speed before October, that's a respectable one-two punch. If Boyd or Imanaga can channel past All-Star form — or even just look more like they did earlier in the season, at least in Imanaga's case — Chicago will be cooking with gas. Praying for a triumphant Justin Steele return in 2026 is probably a fool's errand, but it's not impossible. The Cubs are also sitting on Jaxon Wiggins, one of the most talented pitching prospects in MLB. It's a smidge soon to peg him as the next Trey Yesavage or Cam Schlittler-type postseason hero, but never say never.
In short, the Cubs have a chance of cobbling together a workable postseason rotation with Mize in the fold. Without him or a comparable addition, that mountain is much harder to climb. He brings stability, a true anchor point, where one does not presently exist. With him, maybe the pieces can fall into place on the North Side.
Why the Tigers would make this trade
Even after trading Owen Caissie, the Cubs simply do not have a spot for Kevin Alcántara. The 24-year-old is a major talent and he deserves the chance to play full-time in the majors. Chicago could look to next season, after Sieya Suzuki hits free agency, but Matt Shaw isn't going anywhere, and the infield is not opening up for him. Chicago also has Brett Bateman, James Triantos and other prospects coming up behind Alcántara in the pipeline. Whatever narrow window existed, there's a chance he already missed it.
Alcántara isn't a sure thing at this stage in his career, but it's hard to imagine a better lottery ticket for the Tigers development staff. He's a big, super athletic outfielder who generates easy power, with plus speed, a strong arm and Gold Glove potential once he puts it all together on the diamond. He needs to cut down on the swing-and-miss, but at 24 and with a long window of club control, Alcántara could pay massive dividends for Detroit.
Brooks Caple, a 23-year-old right-hander, is more than a toss-in, too. At 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, he has a projectable frame, with a mid-90s fastball that carries through the zone and misses a lot of bats. He's performing well in Double-A this season and could take a stab at the Tigers rotation sooner than later. Detroit's track record of developing pitchers is stronger than just about any organization in MLB.
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