Craig Counsell Sends Clear Message To Cubs Front Office Ahead of Trade Deadline

The Chicago Cubs will play 11 more games before the August 3rd trade deadline. 

They’ll close out their series against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday evening, and then play a three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a four-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals, and another three-game set against the New York Yankees before the trade deadline. 

The expectation around the league is that the Cubs will be buyers at this year’s trade deadline. They currently sit in the top Wild Card spot in the National League and will be gearing up for a deep postseason run. 

Despite all the injuries this team has dealt with throughout the season, it is impressive that this group sits 13 games above .500 on July 22. Pete Crow-Armstrong has put the offense on his back, the rotation has done just enough to keep the Cubs in games, and unexpected relievers like Trent Thornton and Ryan Rolison have stepped up in the bullpen. 

However, the Cubs definitely need to acquire some pieces at the trade deadline. It’s almost imperative that they do so if they want to make a deep postseason run. Manager Craig Counsell also seems to agree with that statement.  

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic recently wrote a Cubs piece about the team’s trade deadline needs. Here’s what Counsell’s message was to the front office ahead of the 2026 trade deadline. 

“Just make the team better,” he told reporters. 

The Cubs obviously need some pitching help at the trade deadline. They should be looking to acquire at least one premier starting pitcher and multiple high-leverage relievers. Pitching should no doubt be at the top of the front office’s wish list. 

Luckily for the North Siders, plenty of elite starters and top bullpen arms should be available to trade for. 

Some starters who could be available include Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Joe Ryan, Logan Webb, Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano, and Robbie Ray. Skubal will be an expensive two-month rental, while trading for controllable starters like Ryan, Webb, Detmers, and Soriano could cost a lot. 

Some high-leverage bullpen arms who could be available include Mason Miller, Wandy Peralta, Luke Weaver, A.J. Minter, and Adrian Morejon. Miller would obviously be the most expensive reliever to trade for, given his elite status and multiple years of control remaining. 

It’s definitely going to be an interesting deadline for the Cubs. They desperately need to upgrade both their rotation and bullpen for the stretch run. Counsell sees it as well, which is why he’s encouraging Jed Hoyer and company to make the team better.