Chicago Cubs Should Seek Deal With Crosstown Rivals To Bolster Pitching Staff

The Chicago Cubs have responded as well as they could have hoped after losing their first two games of the season to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Series.

Since that 0-2 start, they have gone 14-7, cementing their status as one of the best teams not only in the National League, but MLB as a whole. They are currently in first place in the NL Central, ahead of the 11-10 Milwaukee Brewers.

To this point, what has been carrying the Cubs is an explosive offense.

They are getting the job done at the plate with their star offseason acquisition, right fielder Kyle Tucker, setting the tone for his teammates to follow.

He has been everything the team had hoped for an more, anchoring the lineup and allowing everyone else to feed off of it.

Entering play on Sunday, April 20, Chicago was leading baseball with 6.22 runs per game. Their .346 on-base percentage and .462 slugging percentage are both tops in the MLB, tearing the cover off the ball.

Nine of the 14 players who have taken at-bats with the Cubs thus far have registered triple digit OPS+ numbers as everyone is contributing up and down the lineup.

While their offense is clearly good enough to hang with any opponent in baseball, where they need to find some answers is on the pitching mound.

Losing Justin Steele to an elbow injury for the season is a major blow. Javier Assad was already on the injured list, testing the limits of their depth in the starting rotation.

It remains to be seen if Chicago’s ownership will allow the front office to make a big splash and push for the kind of upgrade on the mound that can help push them over the edge.

Right now, a front end starter would help elevate the team into becoming true contenders. Could that be why they slashed payroll this winter to keep options open during the season?

If they don’t go to the top of the market, targeting someone such as former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins, they could turn to their crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox, to make a deal.

They have veteran left-handed pitcher Martin Perez, who feels like a good bet to be on the move ahead of the trade deadline given the current state of the White Sox.

Already 12 games under the .500 mark at 4-16, they are almost assured of being sellers. Contenders looking to bolster the back end of their rotation will be lining up to acquire the veteran.

Perez has been solid through his first four starts of the campaign with a 3.15 ERA across 20 innings with 18 strikeouts. He has allowed only one home run, cutting back drastically on long balls allowed after being above the league average in six out of the last seven campaigns.

There are certainly fans who would hope the Cubs would aim higher, pairing a true ace with Shota Imanaga to offset the loss of Steele.

But, Perez would be an excellent alternative option.

He has a solid track record, making the All-Star team in 2022 with the Texas Rangers, and was part of their World Series winning team in 2023. While not an ace, he can provide a capable innings eater to allow Colin Rea to remain in his multiple inning role he has thrived in thus far this season.

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