The Chicago Cubs are 37-22, sitting first in the NL Central division and tied for the best record in the entire National League.
It’s been a phenomenal start to the campaign that has validated preseason optimism and even exceeded any reasonable expectations.
This has also come despite the fact that the team lost star left-handed pitcher Justin Steele for the year and co-ace Shota Imanaga has missed time with his own ailment.
Veteran hurlers Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd have done very well to hold down the fort in the absence of Steele and Imanaga, and there’s also an X-factor in promising rookie Cade Horton. But Chicago will likely need to add another legitimate top-of-the-rotation arm to get the job done in the playoffs.
The offseason acquisition of star outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros has changed the equation for the Cubs in 2025.
There is no guarantee that Tucker will be in the organization any longer than this campaign, so president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has every incentive to do whatever it takes to capitalize on this year.
The outlook long-term is good, but if Tucker leaves, it’s hard to see Chicago being more of a World Series contender than they are at this very moment.
That means that Hoyer should be aggressive in filling the void Steele has left in the rotation, and possibly the best option available is Baltimore Orioles pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano.
Sugano, a 35-year-old rookie in the midst of his first season in the United States, has been a revelation in the midst of a nightmare campaign in Baltimore.
The righty owns a 3.23 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP, and he has proven to be a master of limiting hard contact, earning just 35 strikeouts in 64 innings of work but finding success anyway.
Sugano would fit like a glove with the Cubs, slotting in behind Imanaga upon his return and adding another veteran Japanese star to a group that already includes not just Imanaga, but also outfielder Seiya Suzuki.
According to MLB Pipeline, Chicago boasts the eighth-best farm system in the league, so the organization does have the prospect capital to make a big move without totally depleting the cupboard.
It seems unlikely that Matt Shaw or Horton would be on the table for a player with as short of a track record as Sugano has, but could the Cubs be enticed to move a lower-tier Top 100 prospect like Kevin Alcantara or Jefferson Rojas?
It would be a steep price to pay, but if it ends in a World Series championship that helps convince Tucker to stick around, it would be well worth it.
