It's long been known the Chicago Cubs would be pursuing a starting pitcher before the trade deadline, but at this point it's still unclear as to who they're going to go after. The latest rumors indicate some starters on the San Diego Padres' staff could be targeted.
Luckily for Chicago, the team avoided disaster after the MRI on Jason Hammel's left leg found no structural damage or strains and he's not expected to miss his turn in the rotation, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com.
Even general manager Jed Hoyer admitted the team dodged a big "scare" and reiterated starting pitching will be the team's focus at the trade deadline.
"I think this will be a tighter market than usual early on, just because the American League is so jumbled up," he told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. "I don't think teams have really declared themselves yet. The National League's a little bit different, but I think it'll take some time to break through. Maybe after the All-Star break that'll happen."
The NL is a bit different because a number of teams have fallen far out of the playoff race and are likely to become sellers (in some capacity) before the deadline. These clubs include the Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins, but now one other team could fall under that category.
"The Cubs and Astros are among the many teams that could target the Padres' starting pitchers," says FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. "The Cubs, with their surplus of middle infielders, would seem to match up well ... the Padres' Tyson Ross is under club control through 2017. He would carry the most value of that group."
It's been said the Cubs' ideal target at the trade deadline would be an established young arm with at least two or three years of club control. Ross fits the bill there, but he won't be cheap given his success since being converted to a full-time starter last year (3.00 ERA and 313 strikeouts in 50 starts over that span). If Chicago deems Ross too pricey (if he's made available), then Andrew Cashner could be another option. He's under contract through 2016 and has underperformed this year, which will likely decrease his value.
We posited this scenario in a previous article.
It's likely the Cubs look to acquire a starter on the cheap and save the big splash for the offseason when a number of starters will hit free agency. Chicago has the money to spend when that moment comes, but what if they are feeling ambitious before July 31?
"Getting [Cole] Hamels and [Jonathan] Papelbon would be a coup for Theo Epstein," writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "He's got the pieces to pull off both. The Cubs match up well with the Mets, the A's (Sonny Gray?), and the White Sox (if Epstein wants to put together an all-prospects package for Chris Sale as he once tried to do for Felix Hernandez when he was Red Sox GM). The Reds are also a fit if Epstein seeks [Johnny] Cueto or Mike Leake."
Something like this probably won't happen, but nothing can be ruled out until the deadline passes. Just know the Cubs will be exploring their starting pitching options and hope to add depth beyond Hammel, Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta.
