{"id":186917,"date":"2026-05-15T23:09:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T23:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=186917"},"modified":"2026-05-15T23:09:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T23:09:11","slug":"%f0%9f%9a%a8-breaking-the-cubs-may-be-closing-in-on-a-game-changer-chicago-has-reportedly-received-a-major-positive-update-in-its-pursuit-of-a-star-pitcher-sparking-excitement-across-cubs-n","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=186917","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8 BREAKING THE CUBS MAY BE CLOSING IN ON A GAME-CHANGER \u2014 Chicago has reportedly received a major positive update in its pursuit of a star pitcher, sparking excitement across Cubs Nation as fans begin to believe the front office could be preparing a blockbuster move capable of transforming the team into a serious October threat \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-1451120070-e1778856889400.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-1451120070-e1778856889400.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-1451120070-e1778856889400.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-1451120070-e1778856889400.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Cubs Receive Positive Update on Pursuit of Star Pitcher\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Chicago Cubs will most likely be looking to bring in a quality starting pitcher this summer. Heading into the 2026 campaign, the North Siders had a very respectable rotation. Edward Cabrera, who was acquired from the Miami Marlins in January, was seen as the missing piece of the puzzle. Nevertheless, injuries have decimated Chicago\u2019s starting pitching this season.<\/p>\n<p>It was previously reported that the Cubs were interested in targeting Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets. The star pitcher only just joined the Queens club in the offseason, but is set to become a free agent in the fall. If the Mets cannot turn things around quickly, Peralta could very well become available. According to 104.3 The Score\u2019s David Haugh, Chicago views the ace as their \u201cdream\u201d target.<\/p>\n<p>While acquiring a top-tier starter is typically costly, Peralta could potentially be had for a discounted price. The Athletic\u2019s Sahadev Sharma is now claiming that grabbing the Mets standout would likely take \u201ca good prospect, but perhaps not an obviously great one.\u201d This ultimately comes down to the fact that Peralta is currently viewed as a rental. Middle-tiered prospects and\/or teens with potential could be enough to strike a deal.<\/p>\n<p>Sharma, however, believes that the Cubs may have to be patient in their pursuit of another starter. Acquiring quality starting pitchers this early in a season is somewhat rare. A team like the Mets also needs time to figure out if they will be buyers or sellers this summer.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Chicago Cubs More Likely to Target Rentals Like Freddy Peralta<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_6011441\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2275914379-e1778856938129.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=782\" alt=\"Cubs Receive Positive Update on Pursuit of Star Pitcher\" width=\"782\" height=\"440\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6011441\" data-lazy-load=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-6011441\">GettyFreddy Peralta has ties to Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Peralta, however, will likely not be the only pitching target of the Chicago Cubs. Marlins standout Sandy Alcantara could also become an option. The former Cy Young winner\u2019s value has seemingly dipped in recent years due to inconsistency. In fact, he currently has a 3.90 ERA and is averaging a career low 6.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Because of these factors, Sharma claims that the Cubs \u201cprobably have enough\u201d prospects to pry him away from Miami.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, Chicago would have to pay significantly more for an ace starter under contract beyond 2026. Minnesota Twins star Joe Ryan would fit in this category if his club makes him available. According to MLB.com, the Cubs have the 23rd-best farm system in baseball. The lack of top-tier prospects in the organization may hinder their chances of making such a deal.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Miami and New York Struggles Would Benefit Chicago<\/h2>\n<p>Ultimately, Chicago Cubs fans will be hoping that the Marlins and Mets struggle through the summer months. If so, both teams could put some star players up for sale ahead of the trade deadline. At the moment, both teams are fairly far out of a playoff spot. The Mets, however, are gaining some momentum since promoting top prospect A.J. Ewing.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2229464905-e1767734311392.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" alt=\"Cubs Get Positive Update in Pursuit of $118 Million Star Pitcher\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Counsell could very well use his previous connection to Peralta to help facilitate a deal. The two worked together with the Milwaukee Brewers for six years before going their separate ways. Peralta has also fared well pitching at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field throughout his career.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getty The Chicago Cubs will most likely be looking to bring in a quality starting pitcher this summer. Heading into the 2026 campaign, the North Siders had&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":186918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-186917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\ud83d\udea8 BREAKING THE CUBS MAY BE CLOSING IN ON A GAME-CHANGER \u2014 Chicago has reportedly received a major positive update in its pursuit of a star pitcher, sparking excitement across Cubs Nation as fans begin to believe the front office could be preparing a blockbuster move capable of transforming the team into a serious October threat \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47 - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=186917\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\ud83d\udea8 BREAKING THE CUBS MAY BE CLOSING IN ON A GAME-CHANGER \u2014 Chicago has reportedly received a major positive update in its pursuit of a star pitcher, sparking excitement across Cubs Nation as fans begin to believe the front office could be preparing a blockbuster move capable of transforming the team into a serious October threat \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47 - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Getty The Chicago Cubs will most likely be looking to bring in a quality starting pitcher this summer. 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