Cubs Have 'Checked In' With Royals for Pitching Ahead of Trade Deadline

With now just over a week to go ahead of the MLB trade deadline, real reports of discussions between teams are starting to surface rather than just rumors or ideas.

For the last few months, it feels like the Chicago Cubs have found themselves at the center of the rumor mill, but now the actual clock is ticking towards things either happening or not happening.

The Cubs have long been expected to be aggressive when it comes to upgrading their roster despite a strong first half. They still have some fatal flaws when it comes to trying to win in October, and that could be solved before July 31.

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The most glaring weakness is their starting pitching, and while the market is still working itself out, acquiring someone to join the rotation seems more like a when rather than an if for Chicago.

The latest report may shed light on who president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is actually targeting.

According to MLB Network insider Jon Morosi, the Cubs have "checked in" with the Kansas City Royals ahead of the deadline, indicating they could be trying to get a deal done for one of two options.

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As Morosi pointed out, the most likely and realistic target is right-hander Seth Lugo, who is having the best season of his career but has outperformed his $15 million player option for 2026 and is likely to be just a rental.

Left-handed All-Star Kris Bubic has been sensational this year. Chicago would love to get him, but his age and team control for next season makes that a much more difficult trade to pull off.

Lugo has posted a 2.94 ERA and 1.093 WHIP over his 18 starts to follow up on his American League Cy Young runner-up finish in the 2024 season. On a Royals team that is three games below .500 and 11 games out of the AL Central at the time of Morosi's report, Lugo makes a ton of sense to be dealt.

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Bubic, on the other hand, has a 2.38 ERA and has already amassed an impressive bWAR of 3.7 over 19 starts. He strikes more batters out than Lugo and has the makings of a potential future ace at the age of 27.

Lugo, eight years older, could be had for a reasonable price based on what he has shown should Kansas City decide to move on.

In all likelihood, the Cubs are calling on both hurlers and trying to feel out what it would take to land them. Acquiring either one of them changes the outlook of this rotation and could be exactly what Chicago needs at the deadline.

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