Cubs Trade Idea Urges Chicago to 'Take a Risk' on Former Cy Young Starter
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Cubs Trade Idea Urges Chicago to 'Take a Risk' on Former Cy Young Starter originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Chicago Cubs have constructed a fearsome lineup of hitters in 2025, led by outfielders Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki.
But their starting rotation is far less of a sure thing after injuries to Justin Steele, Javier Assad and Shota Imanaga — although the latter is on the verge of a return.
Either way, adding one more high-potential arm would be beneficial. And that was the exact thought process behind ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan's number one trade idea for the Cubbies on June 3.
"Among Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon, the Cubs have a perfectly OK starting rotation to take into a playoff series," Passan began.
Arguing: "Considering the lineups they could face in the NL playoffs -- the [Los Angeles] Dodgers, [Philadelphia] Phillies, [New York] Mets and [Arizona] Diamondbacks, among others -- OK might not be enough."
For this reason, Passan labeled former Cy Young winner and Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara the "best fit" for Chicago at the trade deadline, despite his early-season struggles.
"That's not to say Alcántara would suddenly morph into a world-beater once he put on a Cubs uniform," Passan acknowledged. "He's just the kind of guy on whom teams in need take a risk."
The Cubs are one of those teams, in Passan's opinion.
"The calculus here could change if [Framber] Valdez or [Zac] Gallen becomes available," the insider went on to note, "but in terms of pitchers teams know will be available, Alcántara, even a slightly diminished version, is the best [available]."
"With two more years of club control beyond this season, he slots nicely into the front of a rotation that lost Justin Steele to Tommy John surgery," Passan reasoned, concluding: "And don't forget [that] the Cubs had a deal in place for Jesús Luzardo before medicals scuttled it. The teams are very familiar with one another's systems, and that always helps when trying to facilitate a trade."
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
