Cubs 'Expressing Interest' in Pair of Diamondbacks Starting Pitchers

It seems like the top priority of Jed Hoyer is to land the Chicago Cubs another starting pitcher.

Plenty of names have been floated as possibilities for them to go after, and since it appears like multiple options will be made available, it's easy to link the Cubs to just about every name out there.

However, with the trade deadline now days away, reports are starting to come out that gives some insight into who exactly Chicago is honing in on before July 31.

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According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, that includes the pair of Arizona Diamondbacks starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.

"Teams that have been heavily scouting the Diamondbacks view Merrill Kelly as their best available pitcher ahead of Zac Gallen. Kelly, 36, has a career 2.25 ERA in four postseason starts. Each are free agents after the season, with the Cubs expressing interest as they scour the market for a starter," the insider reported.

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Whether or not the Cubs view that assessment in the same light isn't clear, but landing one of the two would be a huge step in the right direction when it comes to creating a more formidable rotation.

Other reports have suggested Chicago would prefer to acquire a starting pitcher with club control instead of one who is a rental. So perhaps either Gallen or Kelly would be backup options if they aren't able to secure one of their preferred targets.

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This is now something to keep an eye on.

The Diamondbacks have begun their fire sale, trading Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners and Randal Grichuk to the Kansas City Royals in early deadline deals. So if the Cubs want one of these two starting pitchers, they shouldn't wait around for long.

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