The Chicago Cubs have specific needs to be addressed before the trade deadline on July 31.
The biggest priority for the Cubs is starting pitching but adding one or two relievers wouldn’t be a bad idea.
As it stands right now, the best starting pitcher available that has been linked to the Cubs is Pittsburgh Pirates former All-Star Mitch Keller.
Keller, 29, is 3-10 with a 3.64 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 18 starts this season. Don’t let the record fool you, the Pirates don’t give their pitchers run support often.
Keller is a perfect fit for the Cubs, but according to FanSided’s Mark Powell, there are several reasons this trade will be difficult for Chicago to pull off.
“First, Keller has been on a tear of late and just shut down one of the Cubs primary competitors in the NL Central,” wrote Powell. “Second, Keller's contract is team-friendly, as he is signed through the 2028 season.”
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Keller just pitched seven shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 2, allowing five hits, striking out seven batters and walking just one.
Keller’s in the second year of a five-year, $77 million contract, boosting the asking price in a potential trade.
Powell thinks this would be tough for Cubs fans to swallow but including third baseman Matt Shaw could be what makes a potential deal for Keller go through.
“Shaw makes sense for several reasons. He has big-league experience, and the Pirates are currently shopping their own third baseman in Ke'Bryan Hayes,” said Powell. “Shaw would be a plug-and-play 23-year-old brimming with potential.”
With the Cubs reportedly interested in Hayes, he could be apart of the deal. However, this would be a downgrade at third base and not an upgrade.
The question for the Cubs is, just how desperate are they to acquire a quality starter with years of control?
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