Cubs Have Perfect Trade Package For Mariners Right-Hander Emerson Hancock

The Chicago Cubs will be buyers at this year’s trade deadline. 

The Cubs currently sit 15 games over .500 with a record of 61-46. They own the top Wild Card spot in the National League and have won 27 of their last 39 games. Their recent winning streak should force the front office’s hand to be aggressive at the August 3rd deadline. 

While the North Siders have played really good baseball recently, they desperately need some starting pitching help. If Chicago wants to make a deep postseason run, the front office must go out and acquire a premier starting pitcher. 

Luckily, there’s a team that makes a lot of sense as a potential trade partner. 

The Seattle Mariners are reportedly open to trading right-hander Emerson Hancock. The Marieners have an overload of starting pitching and could be looking to deal the 27-year-old in exchange for a bat. 

That’s where the Cubs could come into play. They need some young controllable starting pitching, and the Mariners right-hander could fit in quite nicely in Chicago’s rotation. Hancock is in the midst of a breakout season, as he has a 3.16 ERA, 1.006 WHIP, and a 24.3% strikeout rate across 105 ⅓ innings pitched. 

The Cubs also have the perfect bat to give the Mariners in exchange for Hancock. Matt Shaw could be exactly the bat that Seattle is looking for in a deal for their young pitcher. Shaw is a controllable bat who has shown some potential in the majors.  

Cubs Receive: Emerson Hancock 

Mariners Receive: Matt Shaw

Chicago could decide to trade Pedro Ramirez instead of Matt Shaw in a potential Hancock deal since Ramirez has multiple years of control remaining. The front office would have to decide whether it’s worth keeping Shaw or Ramirez in this type of trade. 

But Shaw could be more expendable since Ramirez has shown a bit more offensively in his short time in the big leagues. 

This trade makes too much sense for both sides. Shaw won’t be a free agent until after the 2031 season, and Hancock won’t hit free agency until after the 2030 season. Both teams would fill a short-term need while also keeping the future in mind. 

Just look at the trade that the Nationals and Red Sox made over the weekend. The Nationals traded a controllable bat (Curtis Mead) in exchange for a controllable pitcher (Connelly Early). Mead won’t be a free agent until after the 2030 season, while Early will hit free agency after the 2031 campaign. 

The Cubs and Mariners could make a similar trade involving Hancock and Shaw before next week.