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The Chicago Cubs are still ahead in the National League Central, even with a recent Milwaukee Brewers charge. Despite their division lead, Chicago is expected to be active in the trade market. They made the deal for Kyle Tucker this offseason, making this an all-in year for Craig Counsell's club. ESPN's Jeff Passan says the perfect Cubs MLB trade deadline piece is Sandy Alcantara, not Mitch Keller.
“The market for Alcántara might not reflect his résumé,” Passan wrote. “A former Cy Young Award winner, the 29-year-old has been arguably the worst pitcher in baseball this season, with an ERA just above 7.22. Some teams — even ones that could desperately use starting pitching — see the remaining two years and $38.3 million on Alcántara's deal as an impediment to any trade, particularly with Marlins GM Peter Bendix asking for a haul in return.”
Passan continued, “Whether it's Alcántara or another starter, the Cubs are a good starter away from having one of the top teams in baseball.”
The Cubs should be looking for any starting pitcher at the MLB trade deadline, even if Alcantara is unavailable. They lost Justin Steele for the season with Tommy John surgery, and Shota Imanaga has missed time. Relying solely on Matthew Boyd's resurgent season to carry them in October would not be the way to win a World Series.
The Cubs have shown interest in Pirates starter Mitch Keller. He has a 3.58 ERA in 19 starts this season, which is significantly better than Alcantara's stats this year. The 2022 Cy Young winner has a 7.22 ERA and has allowed 73 earned runs, the most in the major leagues. Both Keller and Alcantara have multiple years of control and a lot of money left on their contracts.
The Cubs look to salvage a series against the Twins before finishing the first half in The Bronx against the Yankees.
