Cubs' Ideal Trade Deadline Plan Reportedly Has Them Adding 3 Pitchers

The Chicago Cubs are dreaming big this trade deadline.

While it's been known for weeks that the organization plans to pursue pitching help, exactly how many names they hope to bring in has been a worthwhile question. Would it be one blockbuster move for a starting pitcher? Could they look to pair that player with a low-cost reliever? Well, as has become increasingly clear in recent days, everything is on the table for the Bulls!

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney gave fans a better idea of Jed Hoyer's ideal plans for the next few days. As the Cubs gear up for a hopeful postseason run, they will look to add up to three new pitchers to their clubhouse. More specifically, the reported goal is to either secure two starting pitchers and a reliever or one starting pitcher and two relievers.

Chicago has been linked to essentially every big-name pitcher on the market. While some once believed that they could sit out the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, recent rumors suggest that they may try to throw their hat in the ring. The Angels' Reid Detmers has also been a very popular name associated with the Cubs, as he would offer several years of control. Los Angeles' José Soriano is in a similar situation, and he was even scratched from his start on Saturday. Get out the eyeball emojis!

Nevertheless, pulling off one trade is already hard enough, so can the Cubs really manage to land three new names? It's a lofty goal, especially when we consider their farm system isn't necessarily viewed as the most prestigious unit.

Which Path Should They Choose?

Jul 20, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the Cubs go the route of pursuing two starting pitchers, these will likely be two of the more modest options on the market. In other words, it's highly unlikely we see them grab Tarik Skubal AND one of the cost-controlled options. They just don't have the kind of assets to pull that off.

Does that mean they shouldn't go down this road? Of course not. Their rotation has been rocky enough to certainly consider grabbing two new starters. Especially if they believe they can rejuvenate one of the struggling available arms, this could be an extremely beneficial path to go down.

Take Freddy Peralta, for instance. There has obviously been plenty of smoke around him and the Cubs for months. Sitting with a 4.99 ERA and on an expiring deal, the Cubs may be able to grab him and still have enough left over to legitimately go after someone with a couple of years remaining, like Soriano.

Heck, I even wonder if the Cubs could try to kill two birds with one stone in a deal with New York. What if they can land Peralta and a top reliever like Luke Weaver? To be sure, this would cost them a good amount more, but it could make sense if the plan is to go with this two-starters, one-reliever route.

It's also worth noting that adding two starters would give the Cubs a chance to put Javier Assad and Colin Rea in the bullpen. The looming return of Edward Cabrera could even mean moving David Peterson into a relief role. In other words, you essentially improve your bullpen without even having to add new faces.

If the Cubs did want to bring in some new relievers, though, they might as well push all their chips in on one of the top starters. This would mean pulling off a Skubal blockbuster or securing a long-term piece like Detmers or Hancock. If this is the route Hoyer went, I don't think anyone would be too upset.

To be sure, it's not shocking to hear that the Cubs plan to add more than one pitcher. But the fact that they could look to bring in as many as three speaks to how aggressive they are willing to be. Of course, it also speaks to how concerned they are about their current situation, which would make failing to pull this off all the more concerning!

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