Cubs May Be Forced Pay Premium to Acquire Rival's Pitcher at Trade Deadline

The Chicago Cubs could find themselves in a spot where their biggest need at the upcoming trade deadline also just so happens to be the position other teams are targeting the most.

Not only is starting pitching going to be heavily sought by just about every single contender who wants to make themselves better ahead of the second half, the market for that starting pitching is not exactly ripe with guys who are likely to be dealt.

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There are names available, but none of them are necessarily the answer to Chicago's need for another legitimate stud at the top of the rotation. With the market shaping up this way though, those who are dealt may still wind up going for the same price that an ace would.

During an interview on 670 The Score, one of baseball's most prominent insiders -- Jon Heyman of the New York Post -- talked about this reality and did not paint a pretty picture for the Cubs ahead of the deadline.

A handful of teams will likely overpay for starting pitching on the MLB trade market simply because of supply and demand, @JonHeyman says.

"Almost every contending team is going to go for a starting pitcher," Heyman says.

"You're going to have to overpay to get a Mitch Keller." pic.twitter.com/Mk0gR7PgHk
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) July 7, 2025

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"The problem really is the number of good starting pitchers who are going to be available is very, very limited and the numbers of teams that need starting pitching are very, very high...I think that almost every contending team is going to go for a starting pitcher," Heyman said. "I think the prices are probably enormous now...They’ve got to be enormous because they know how badly these teams need starters and they know that this is a real seller’s market."

In terms of specifics, Heyman mentioned Pittsburgh Pirates former All-Star right-hander Mitch Keller and that a team like Chicago may have no choice but to overpay for him.

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If it were Keller in the end, this would be far from a disaster, as he is having a very nice year (3.64 ERA, 1.194 WHIP in 18 starts) and under team control at a relatively reasonable number through the 2028 season.

He is a solid middle of the rotation arm, but that does not mean the Cubs are going to have any interest in parting ways with multiple premium-level prospects in exchange for Keller.

This may be the reality of the market though, and if Chicago wants any chance at making meaningful improvements to a rotation which will need it if they are to make any kind of deep run, it might be the only way.

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As things start to heat up over the next couple of weeks, be on the lookout for reports of sky high asking prices for players who are far from superstars.

Keller is just one example, but he could be the best fit, even if the demanded return is a little bit of an overpay.

For more Cubs news, head over to Cubs On SI.