The Chicago Cubs are leading the National League Central, but the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers are still hanging around. The Cubs could swing a big trade to run away with the division.
The Cubs could be on the hunt for pitching this summer. Their starting rotation has a 4.00 ERA and their bullpen has a 3.31 ERA. Their rotation is currently without Justin Steele and Shōta Imanaga, although Imanaga should return this season. However, Steele's absence may force their hand. FanSided's Aldo Soto proposed this trade that would bring two new pitchers to the Cubs from the Baltimore Orioles.
- Cubs receive: RHP Félix Bautista and RHP Zach Eflin
- Orioles receive: OF Kevin Alcantara (Cubs No. 4 prospect), RHP Javier Assad and LHP Luke Little
The Orioles are set up to be sellers at the deadline, barring a drastic turnaround. Bautista was an All-Star in 2023 and won the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award. Eflin is signed to a three-year, $40 million deal and will hit free agency after the season.
"Although Eflin isn't the frontline-type starting pitcher Cubs fans want, he still represents a big upgrade to the rotation and brings along a solid track record," wrote Soto. "The 31-year-old is now down to a 4.08 ERA in nine starts this season with a 1.09 WHIP. Eflin has posted a sub-four ERA as a starter since the beginning of the 2019 season and pitched well for Baltimore last year, recording a 2.60 ERA in 55.1 innings after he was acquired in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays.
"The headliner here is Bautista, who is coming off Tommy John surgery but is still pitching like one of the best closers in MLB. The hard-throwing righty is still under team control through the 2027 season via arbitration after signing a two-year, $2 million deal that expires following this year. In parts of three MLB seasons, Bautista has a 2.06 ERA with a 38.6% K rate and is 60-for-69 in save opportunities. He has a 3.32 ERA with 12 saves so far this year."
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The Cubs would be giving up Alcantara, who is not only one of their prospects but the No. 70 overall prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.
"The Orioles could either see Alcantara as a future piece on their team or potentially flip him later on for more pitching help," wrote Soto.
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