With five starters sidelined, Chicago must target a seasoned arm. David Schoenfield urges the North Siders to land a resilient strikeout specialist to stabilize their rotation.
The Chicago Cubs are going to be in the market for a starting pitcher at this year’s trade deadline.
The Cubs currently have five starting pitchers on the injured list. Edward Cabrera is dealing with an adductor/hamstring strain. Ben Brown has a neck strain. Jameson Taillon has been out since early June with a hamstring strain. Cade Horton is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April, and Justin Steele will not start any games this year.
That puts the North Siders in the driver’s seat to acquire a premier starting pitcher by the August 3rd trade deadline. The good news for them is that there should be plenty of quality starters available for trade, including Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal.
The Cubs have reportedly done their “homework” on Skubal ahead of the trade deadline. While the southpaw will be the top trade target for most teams next month, it’s not going to be easy to trade for the back-to-back reigning American League Cy Young winner.
That could force Chicago to pivot elsewhere.
In ESPN’s latest trade deadline piece, senior writer David Schoenfield urges the Cubs to trade for Mets All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta. Here’s what Schoenfield had to say about the team’s deadline needs ahead of next month.
“The Cubs have run hot and cold all season -- they've had winning streaks of 10 and 11 games, a 10-game losing streak and now a 9-1 run -- so another seasoned starter is key. They could be in the mix for Skubal as well, although the Brewers, Dodgers and Rays have an edge in farm system quality.”
It’s growing increasingly likely that the Mets could look to deal Peralta by that August 3rd deadline. The two-time All-Star will be a free agent at the end of the 2026 season, and New York faces an uphill battle to make the postseason this year. The Mets currently have the second-worst record in the National League at 36-52.
That’s where the Cubs could come into play.
They are desperately in need of an ace in the rotation. Although Peralta has struggled a bit this year with a 4.81 ERA across 95 ⅓ innings pitched, the Mets right-hander has pitched better than his current numbers suggest.
His expected ERA (3.77) is 104 points lower than his actual ERA, and he ranks in the upper half of the league in expected batting average against (.237), whiff rate (26.1%), and barrel rate (4.9%). That 104-point ERA difference is a sign that Peralta has gotten a bit unlucky in the first half.
Getting Peralta would immediately boost Chicago’s rotation. He has struck out 200+ batters in three consecutive seasons and finished with a 2.70 ERA during the 2025 campaign. Pitching behind this Cubs’ defense should also help the veteran get back into form on the mound.
Skubal is no doubt the better pitcher, but Peralta makes a lot of sense for the Cubs. He would cost far less than the Tigers left-hander, and Chicago’s front office has already struck a deal with the Mets once this year.
