It’s no secret that the Chicago Cubs need some starting pitching help down the stretch. 

With the season-ending injury to Cade Horton, the setback of Justin Steele, and the uncertainty of Ben Brown’s return, it’s important for the Cubs to acquire that top-of-the-line starting pitcher. The front office simply needs to upgrade the rotation by the August 3rd trade deadline. 

Luckily, there are plenty of top starting pitchers who should be available at this year’s trade deadline. These five pitchers on expiring contracts could be realistic deadline targets for the North Siders.  

New York Mets starter Freddy Peralta will almost certainly be moved at the deadline. The Mets have the second-worst record in the National League (43-61), and Peralta will be a free agent at the end of the 2026 campaign. 

The Cubs are obviously very familiar with Peralta from his time with the Brewers. Manager Craig Counsell also spent six years with Peralta in Milwaukee. Although the two-time All-Star is in the midst of a career-worst year, some positive regression should head his way on a new team. His 3.82 expected ERA is 119 points lower than his actual ERA (5.01)

It’s unclear whether the Washington Nationals will trade away Foster Griffin. The Nationals are still technically in the Wild Card race, as they sit three games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. 

If Washington decides to move him, he’s a logical fit for the Cubs. The southpaw is having a career year on the mound, posting a 2.68 ERA, 1.031 WHIP, and 111 strikeouts across 117 ⅓ innings pitched. Griffin has also allowed one run or fewer in eight consecutive outings dating back to the beginning of June. 

There’s a near 100% chance that the San Francisco Giants will get rid of veteran Robbie Ray by August 3. The Giants are 11 ½ games back of the final Wild Card spot, and there’s no need for San Francisco to hold onto him since he is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the year. 

Ray’s trade value is rising, as he has thrown the ball well recently. He has a 1.21 ERA over his last six starts, which included allowing one earned run across four innings against the Mariners in his last start. With a 3.33 ERA and 96 strikeouts on the year, the Cubs could use another veteran in their rotation.

It’s probably more realistic that the Cubs would trade for Casey Mize instead of Tarik Skubal at the deadline. The price for Skubal could be out of Chicago’s range, which could force the front office to go after a different Tigers pitcher. 

Skubal is obviously the better pitcher, but Mize has been a relatively consistent starting pitcher this year. He entered his start against the Royals on Saturday with a 2.79 ERA and a 25.6% strikeout rate. His 2.72 ERA since the beginning of May could help the Cubs’ rotation over the final two months of the regular season and into the playoffs. 

All signs point to the Toronto Blue Jays getting rid of Kevin Gausman at this year’s trade deadline. Toronto continues to drop further down in the Wild Card race, and the Blue Jays are reportedly already listening to offers on the veteran right-hander. 

Gausman is really struggling on the mound right now. He has a 6.56 ERA over his last nine starts and has allowed at least four runs in five of his last nine outings. But a change of scenery could help him at this point. Some encouraging news is that his ERA (4.51) is much higher than his expected ERA (4.01) and FIP (3.68).