With the trade deadline looming, New York eyes Chicago’s Double-A prospects as the Cubs hunt for veteran arms to stabilize their rotation and reinforce a struggling bullpen.
The Chicago Cubs will be looking to swing a deal for pitching at next week’s trade deadline.
They could use some starting pitching help and some bullpen reinforcements for the stretch run. Both are areas of need right now, and it’s imperative that the Cubs acquire multiple pitchers by the August 3rd trade deadline.
Chicago already made one trade for a starting pitcher last month when the team acquired David Peterson from the New York Mets. Peterson got off to a poor start with the Mets, but he has been a consistent arm in the Cubs’ rotation since being acquired. The southpaw has allowed only three runs over his last 17 ⅓ innings pitched.
After making that trade in late June, the Cubs could make another deal with the Mets before next week’s trade deadline. MLB insider Pat Ragazzo recently reported that the Mets have “had scouts on the Cubs’ minor league system, specially their Double-A team.”
The Mets are obviously keeping a close eye on some of the Cubs’ prospects with the deadline just a few days away. Chicago needs some major pitching help, and New York has some valuable arms to sell. Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter, and Huascar Brazoban could all be on the move in the coming days.
Acquiring one of those starters (Peralta/Holmes) with one of those relievers (Weaver/Raley/Minter/Brazoban) could be a move that the Cubs are looking to make. This type of deal would kill two birds with one stone.
It’s interesting that the Mets have spent some time scouting the Cubs’ Double-A team. Chicago doesn’t have many high-level prospects at that level at this point in the season. But the Mets could be keeping a close eye on both infielder Jefferson Rojas and starting pitcher Brooks Caple.
Rojas is the Cubs’ No. 2 overall prospect in the system. He’s batting .269 with 15 home runs, 16 doubles, one triple, 57 RBI, and 15 stolen bases across 86 games with the Knoxville Smokies. The 21-year-old is also the No. 64 overall prospect in baseball on MLB Pipeline.
Caple has shown a lot of encouraging things at the Minor League level this year. He has a 3.26 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 81 strikeouts across 77 ⅓ combined innings at High-A and Double-A. The 23-year-old recently threw six innings of three-run ball with four strikeouts in his most recent outing with the Smokies.
The Mets are obviously not going to limit their scouting only to the Cubs’ Double-A system. However, New York could be looking to acquire a high-upside pitcher in return for any of its pitchers. Caple fits that bill.
The Cubs and Mets could certainly make another deal before the August 3rd deadline. Peralta or Holmes would upgrade the rotation, while Weaver or Raley would be solid additions to a struggling bullpen.
