The Chicago Cubs need help in the starting rotation and have until Thursday to make a move. Shōta Imanaga and Matthew Boyd have been great, but the Cubs need more.
Cubs starters have a 3.93 ERA this season. It's not terrible, but the Milwaukee Brewers have taken the division lead, and the Cubs need to make improvements across the board. Justin Seele is out for the year, so the rotation was likely already a focal point. They could contact the Pittsburgh Pirates about one of their starters.
The Pirates may not be entertaining offers for Paul Skenes, but they could be open to moving Mitch Keller. Keller signed a five-year, $77 million deal in 2024. The Athletic's Jim Bowden proposed this trade that would send Keller to Chicago:
- Cubs receive: RHP Mitch Keller
- Pirates receive: OF Owen Caissie (Cubs' No. 1 prospect) and INF Cristian Hernandez (Cubs' No. 11 prospect)
Keller has a 3.53 ERA in 21 starts this year. He was an All-Star in 2023 and has multiple years of club control. He is not going to be cheap, and the Pirates are going to want Caissie in the deal. Would the Cubs be willing to part with him?
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"The Pirates need to add offense, especially power, to their lineup," wrote Bowden. "They rank last in the majors in runs scored and home runs. Caissie, whom major-league executives identified in our early July survey as the most-likely prospect to be traded at the deadline, appears to be major-league-ready. The 23-year-old has slashed .278/.379/.569 this season in Triple A with 23 doubles and 20 home runs, and he could go right into the Pirates’ lineup."
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