Logan Webb dominated the Cubs on Sunday, but his performance also served as a reminder of the type of controllable frontline starter Chicago should be targeting at the trade deadline.
The Chicago Cubs went over a month without winning a series. After sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in a four-game set at Wrigley Field from May 4 through May 7, the Cubs played 10 consecutive series without a single series victory.
That changed over the weekend when the Cubs took the first two games from the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. But even after back-to-back victories, the Cubs were stifled in the series finale on Sunday by Giants right-hander Logan Webb.
Webb kept the Cubs off the scoreboard through seven innings on Sunday afternoon and only allowed an unearned run in the top of the eighth on a throwing error by first baseman Casey Schmitt. Webb threw 106 pitches on the day, finishing with eight innings pitched, seven hits, zero earned runs, and seven strikeouts.
He earned the win with a 5-1 final score and improved to 4-4 on the season with a 3.46 ERA. And for the Cubs, perhaps it was a preview of a trade deadline target who would check all of their boxes.
San Francisco is 29-43 on the season, which is tied for the second-worst record in baseball. And while Webb is under contract through the 2028 season, it could be the perfect opportunity for the Giants to sell high on one of the best starting pitchers available on the market.
It won't come cheap, but Logan Webb is exactly the kind of arm the Cubs could use in 2026 and beyond. He's 29 years old, and he's as reliable as it gets from both a durability and production standpoint. From 2022-2025, Webb averaged 205 innings pitched per season while posting a 3.22 ERA and 1.17 WHIP.
He missed three weeks on the IL in the month of May, but has a 0.66 ERA over 27.1 inning pitched since being activated.
Webb is a Gold Glove Award winner when it comes to fielding his position. He throws strikes and rarely gets himself into trouble. He's also one of baseball's best pitchers when it comes to generating ground balls, something that would serve him well playing for a strong defensive team like the Cubs, who specifically thrive with their infield defense.
At 37-35, the Cubs have some work to do if they plan on getting back into the NL Central race. But even if the division winds up being a lost cause, the Cubs could still be in the wild card hunt for the long haul, as long as they find a solution for a pitching staff that has lost Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon to the injured list.
Webb would provide the Cubs with immediate relief. He'd also be a reliable arm they can count on moving forward.
Steele's prolonged absence makes him a difficult variable to predict, even when he does return to the mound. Horton will be lost well into the 2027 season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Taillon is a free agent at the end of the 2026 season, as is Shota Imanaga. Boyd has a mutual option on his deal.
There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Cubs' starting rotation moving forward, and it wouldn't be a bad idea for Jed Hoyer and Chicago's front office to be proactive in landing a controllable arm.
Logan Webb is an All-Star. He's consistent. He has the ability to dominate on any given night. He's been incredibly durable throughout his big league career, and in two career postseason starts, he's thrown 14.2 innings with one earned run and 17 strikeouts. Both of those games came against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
So while Webb was sitting down Cubs hitters on Sunday afternoon, maybe the next time Cubs fans see him, it will be with Webb in a Cubs uniform.
