The Chicago Cubs are in the market for pitchers.
That was made abundantly clear by president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.
Who they might go after and the level of pitcher they are searching for is the next thing that has yet to be determined, with many fans wanting the front office to make a splash while those close to the team are not sold that this will be the mindset of the organization.
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History suggests the Cubs will searching for additions on the margins.
And with that in mind, perhaps there is no better target for them to pursue than Aaron Civale, the recent addition of the Chicago White Sox who gave up their former third overall pick Andrew Vaughn to the Milwaukee Brewers to get him.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Civale’s stay on the South Side of Chicago won’t be a long one, since the White Sox are planning to flip him at the deadline with the belief they can get back “at least a couple of mid-tier prospects in return.”
For the Cubs, this should be of interest to them.
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Civale might have struggled with the Tampa Bay Rays after he was acquired at the deadline in 2023, but he’s been a solid starter overall with a career 4.06 ERA in 123 Major League starts for a 103 ERA+.
The right-handed veteran is not going to be the ace of Chicago’s staff if they were to land him, but he would lengthen their pitching depth and give them a reliable backend starter who can reliably take the ball every fifth day.
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The Cubs should also be familiar with Civale, too.
After his disappointing stint with the Rays, the Brewers traded for him in the early portion of last July. And in 19 starts for Chicago’s NL Central rivals, he posted a 3.84 ERA and an ERA+ of 106.
Whether or not Hoyer has Civale circled as a target isn’t quite clear. But with their crosstown rivals looking to offload him before July 31, the Cubs now firmly know one solid starter who will be available ahead of the deadline who would boost their roster.
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