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The Chicago Cubs have been one of Major League Baseball's best teams this season. They join the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers as the only teams with multiple All-Star starters. Cubs outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker are both National League MVP candidates. However, Chicago is under pressure to bring in a winning player at the trade deadline.
Looking at the Cubs' roster, the biggest weakness is easy to see. The lack of starting pitching on Craig Counsell's team could hold them back in the playoffs. Shota Imanaga has been dominant despite his injuries, but the depth behind him is slim. Luckily for Chicago, there are veteran pitchers all over the league that could be available for the right price, including Kyle Hendricks.
The Los Angeles Angels had a stretch where it looked like they could be competitive. However, Mike Trout and the Angels have come back down to earth. They are too far out of the race in the American League East to make a real run at an AL playoff berth. Despite their struggles they could change the course of the season by moving one of their veterans to a contender like the Cubs.
Los Angeles could ask for a lot in exchange for Hendricks. The veteran starter has been good, even if the offense has let him down throughout the season. While he is not the ace he used to be, the 34-year-old is plenty good enough to hold his own in the back end of a starting rotation.
Here is a trade that the Cubs could offer the Angels for Hendricks before the July 31 deadline.
Cubs receive: SP Kyle Hendricks
Angels receive: SP Jaxon Wiggins
Why should the Cubs trade for Hendricks?
The Cubs have a great one-two punch at the top of their rotation. Imanaga and Matthew Boyd have both been dominant this season. However, the drop-off between them and the third-best starter in Chicago is big. Jameson Taillon currently sits on the Cubs' injured list and Cade Horton is still finding his way in the major leagues.
Trading for Hendricks would reunite him with the team that he started his career with. He is one of the few players left from the team that won the World Series in 2016. The veteran starter has never made an All-Star team, but has proved throughout his career that he can hold his own against the best pitchers in the league.
Chicago losing Justin Steele earlier in the season had them in the market for a pitcher long before the trade deadline. Now that their lead in the NL Central is down to less than five games, the pressure is on. Counsell's team has talent, but championship teams are often led by their rotation. At this point, the Cubs have two playoff-level starters. They need at least three to win it all.
Hendricks' return to Chicago would be a triumphant moment for the team. It could be the morale boost they need heading into the second half of the season. The Cubs are one or two pieces away from being the NL World Series favorite. The trade deadline could help them go toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Dodgers late in the fall.
Why should the Angels trade for Wiggins?
Los Angeles manager Ron Washington and his team have a bright future. Mike Trout is having the healthiest season he has had in years so far in 2025. He and Jorge Soler have led the Angels offense to a better season than many expected. However, the team's long-term outlook is murky, especially when it comes to their pitching. Jose Soriano and Jack Kochanowicz are good, but the Angels need at least one more young pitcher to build around in the future.
Multiple Angels pitchers could be moved within the next month. While the trades would leave open spots in the rotation, Washington does not have enough pitching prospects capable of filling them. In at least one deal that Los Angeles makes, they need to bring in a young arm. If they do, the prospect will have half a season to build experience in the major leagues.
Jaxon Wiggins fits the mold of what the team needs perfectly. At 23 years old, the righty has dominated at A+ and Double-A Knoxville in 2025. His 2.08 ERA translates well to any level, but he needs to work his way through Triple-A before getting a call-up to the Angels' roster. He has his whole career in front of him, giving Washington another talented pitcher to mold.
At this point in his career, Hendricks is on a timer. He has been effective, but all it takes is one bad start for him to begin fading out of the league. The Angels' best move is to move on from their veterans and get as much as they can while their value is high. The Cubs could jump at the opportunity and pay Los Angeles what it takes to enter the inner circle of title contention.
