Ranking the 5 Best Cubs Starting Pitching Targets at the MLB Trade Deadline

The MLB Trade Deadline buzz is only getting louder.

In just about 10 days, contenders will have their big-name acquisitions set in stone, and the playoff picture will begin to truly take shape.

For the Chicago Cubs, that will involve getting at the very least one starting pitcher who can buffer all the bad injury luck they've suffered this season.

For a team that currently has Cade Horton, Justin Steele, Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown, Hoby Milner and Daniel Palencia — to name a few — either out for the season or marred by prolonged IL stints, it won't be a shock when the Cubs pick up several arms at the Aug. 3 deadline.

The Cubs, despite carrying a team ERA of 4.27 (No. 20 in MLB), have managed to still be in control of the top NL Wild Card spot and are 13 games over .500 heading into a weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Chicago is very much a top NL contender. Which pitchers are their best bet to take them back to the playoffs for the second consecutive season? Let's rank their five best rumored targets:

5. Kevin Gausman (RHP, Toronto Blue Jays)

Jul 21, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 stats: 4.51 ERA, 115.2 IP, 117 SO, 1.28 WHIP, 23.3 K%, 6.9 BB%

Per multiple reports, the struggling Toronto Blue Jays are almost certain to trade 35-year-old Kevin Gausman.

His no-trade list featured eight teams, and the Cubs are one of the lucky teams not on that chopping block.

The eight teams to which Kevin Gausman can block a trade, according to people briefed on his contract: Reds, Brewers, Tigers, Mets, A’s, White Sox, Pirates, Mariners. Most teams likely to be interested are free to acquire him without restriction.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 22, 2026

If the Cubs have to settle for a rental arm, Gausman would be a guy they could get value out of. His 3.89 FIP and a top-tier run value on his four-seamer, despite it clocking at only 93.9 mph, are intriguing numbers for the Cubs.

4. Joe Ryan (RHP, Minnesota Twins)

Jul 20, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) gets a new baseball after giving up a solo home run the Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Rhys Hoskins (not pictured) in the second inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 stats: 3.38 ERA, 114.1 IP, 131 SO, 1.10 WHIP, 27.8 K%, 5.3 BB%

The Cubs were after Joe Ryan at last year's trade deadline, too. However, he was seemingly the only player in the entire Twins organization who was off-limits after he stayed put amidst a fire sale.

There's also no guarantee that the Twins will even be sellers as they sit 4.5 games out of first place in the AL Central and 2.5 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot.

Ryan is set to be a free agent after the 2027 season, so if the Twins want to get value for him, now would be the time to do it. He'd ultimately cost far more than the top three targets on this list, which makes him more of a dream trade rather than a realistic one. The 30-year-old would be an all-around positive addition to the Cubs' rotation — it just remains to be seen whether Minnesota will hug him tight at the deadline again or not.

3. Emerson Hancock (RHP, Seattle Mariners)

Jun 28, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Emerson Hancock (26) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 stats: 3.16 ERA, 105.1 IP, 97 SO, 1.02 WHIP, 23.4 K%, 6.3 BB%

The 27-year-old Hancock's availability is a new development as of Thursday, stemming fromKen Rosenthal and Will Sammon's report.

The Cubs would have interest in him, per The Athletic, and Seattle could be interested in right-handed bats such as Matt Shaw and Kevin Alcántara.

"The Mariners are in position to trade a starter because they currently have six who are healthy," the two wrote in The Athletic.

That could pose some concern, given that Seattle perhaps views him as the least valuable in their abundant crop of talented starters. But some of his underlying numbers are intriguing, including his overall run value of 21 landing him at seventh-best in MLB. A lot of that comes from his preferred four-seam fastball, which opponents are hitting just .176 against. His strikeout rate has also jumped up 6.8% from last season.

Hancock is affordable (he is making $793,300 this season) and under club control through 2030, which is just what the Cubs are looking for.

2. Reid Detmers (LHP, Los Angeles Angels)

Jul 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers (48) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 stats: 4.05 ERA, 120 IP, 136 SO, 1.10 WHIP, 27.6 K%, 8.9 BB%

The Angels have a bit of a twin bill here in Reid Detmers and José Soriano. If the Cubs can't get one, they should absolutely go for the other — and their 1-2 ranking here could honestly go either way.

Detmers throws a slider that is one of the most lethal in MLB. Opponents are hitting just .174 against it with a 37.4% strikeout rate, and his run value of 15 on breaking balls is the best in MLB.

Detmers' FIP is 3.27, a 0.78-point difference from his actual ERA and a surefire sign that he would benefit from a better defense. He's also managed to slash his opponents' hard-hit rate by 5% compared to last season, moving him to above-average territory. The 26-year-old is under club control until 2029.

1. José Soriano (RHP, Los Angeles Angels)

Mar 31, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jose Soriano (59) smiles after ending the the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

José Soriano, 27, made headlines at the beginning of this season when he posted a 0.24 ERA in his first 37.1 innings — the lowest such figure for a pitcher's first six starts of the season since at least 1913.

That number obviously wasn't going to be sustainable, and Soriano came back down to earth when he posted a 5.34 ERA in each of May and June.

However, Soriano has raised his trade value as of late. He has a 0.89 WHIP in July, and his 52.4% ground ball rate is in the top 10% of MLB, which is an attractive asset for a Cubs team with a top-tier infield defense. That, along with a fastball that can touch 99 mph, would be a great get for a Cubs rotation in need of velocity. The Cubs' pitching staff ranks No. 27 in MLB with an average four-seam fastball velocity of just 93.7 mph.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, the Angels are "interested in a young catcher," and Owen Ayers, the Cubs' rapidly rising No. 10 prospect, makes sense as a fit. Ayers is certain to be MLB-ready soon, and the Cubs already have plenty of catching security with Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, which would be all the more reason to shop Ayers.

Soriano is under club control until 2029, and the Cubs are "aiming more for a starting pitcher who remains under club control beyond this season," according to The Athletic. Of course, that was a theme in these rankings.

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