The Chicago Cubs have clear needs on their roster to address ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
Their offense has been incredibe, ranking near the top of baseball in virtually every statistic. They can score plenty of runs, which has been needed with some shaky performances by the pitching staff.
If the Cubs want to remain atop the National League Central as legitimate World Series contenders, they need to reinforce a pitching staff that has been hit hard by injuries and some ineffective performances.
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Alas, the market they will be shopping in may not be the same one as some of the other contenders around the league.
It is anyone’s guess how ownership is going to allow the front office to operate.
Will there be restraints on spending, which was the case over the winter after acquiring Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros? Or will they be able to go out and make a splash, upgrading for the stretch run?
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One player who may fit the bill is Texas Rangers star, Tyler Mahle.
He has been listed as a possible trade candidate for Chicago ahead of the deadline by Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required), but there are several factors at play which have to be taken into consideration.
First and foremost, the Rangers are not out of the race by any means in the American League. With a 36-36 record, they are 5.5 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West and only one game behind the Seattle Mariners, who hold the final wild card spot.
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Right now, Texas is not in a position to start selling assets and may never be.
Another thing to consider for the Cubs is the injury history Mahle has.
He is currently on the injured list with shoulder fatigue, but it isn’t related to the stress reaction he dealt with in 2024.
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Regardless, another shoulder ailment for a pitcher who has dealt with them the last three years is a concern.
Given how many injuries they are already battling on the mound, it might make more sense for Chicago to target a less injury-prone hurler they can count on to eat up innings down the stretch.
Mahle’s statistics still look great with a 2.34 ERA, which has only started going up over his last two starts, surrendering eight of his 20 earned runs in that span. The shoulder fatigue could certainly play a part in the recent drop off in production.
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