Devastated by rotation injuries, Chicago could acquire a premier starter to anchor their staff. An All-Star righty offers the long-term control Jed Hoyer craves.
The expectation is that the Chicago Cubs will look to add starting pitching at this year’s trade deadline.
The Cubs have dealt with plenty of injuries to their rotation this season. Cade Horton underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-April, Justin Steele will not start any games this year after his latest setback, and Matthew Boyd has dealt with three different injuries so far (bicep, meniscus, shoulder).
If the Cubs want to make a deep postseason run, they have to acquire a premier starter at the August 3rd trade deadline. This rotation has struggled as of late, with a 4.49 ERA since the beginning of May.
Luckily, one top-of-the-line starting pitcher appears to be available.
MLB insider Pat Ragazzo reported that the Minnesota Twins “would like to move” starter Joe Ryan at the trade deadline. Ryan would be one of the top starting pitchers available, and the Cubs could be all over him at the deadline.
That’s because Ryan has multiple years of control remaining. He won’t be a free agent until after the 2027 season, which means the Cubs would have him for the remainder of the 2026 campaign and the entire following year.
While he would cost more than maybe someone like Freddy Peralta, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer hasn’t shied away from trading away top prospects for pitchers with multiple years of control in the past.
The Cubs just traded away top prospect Owen Caissie for starting pitcher Edward Cabrera this past offseason.
Ryan would be a big-time get for the Cubs. He has been one of the most consistent starters since entering the league in 2021 and is putting together another All-Star campaign this season. The Twins right-hander currently owns a 2.99 ERA and 99 strikeouts across 87 ⅓ innings pitched.
Even if the North Siders fall out of the division race by the August 3rd deadline, they could still look to acquire Ryan. The team needs more controllable starting pitching for next season, as Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon will all be free agents.
Trading for Ryan this summer would obviously help the Cubs’ rotation down the stretch. He would be their ace the rest of the season and would get the ball in any Game 1 series in the postseason.
Acquiring Ryan would also put the Cubs in a fantastic spot for next season. Steele will be back from his injury, Horton should return by the second half, and Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown should both continue to develop as pitchers. These five starters could do some damage together next year.
Now, it’s not going to be easy to trade for Ryan. The Twins are going to want multiple top prospects in return for an All-Star pitcher with multiple years of control.
But it’s a move the Cubs should make with both 2026 and 2027 in mind.
