1 trade Cubs must not make at 2026 MLB trade deadline

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1 trade Cubs must not make at 2026 MLB trade deadline

Steve Silverman, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Fri, Jul 10, 2026 ·

5 min read

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As the 2026 season reaches the All-Star break, the Chicago Cubs are on track to make the playoffs and they still have hopes of tracking down the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central Division.

It will be a major undertaking since they are 7.0 games behind the Brewers at this point, but few teams have shown they can go on a hot streak like the Cubs. They have already had two 10-game winning streaks this season. As they prepare to face the Reds in a three-game series in Cincinnati , they are on a very impressive run, having won 18 of their last 25 games.

It's not all about the hot streaks. They have also endured a 10-game losing streak this season, one that left manager Craig Counsell searching for answers as to how such a talented team could drift into such a deep chasm.

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The Cubs are loaded with talent throughout their lineup. Centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is an MVP candidate as he has put impressive numbers together since the start of June. He is slashing .296/.387/.543 with 21 home runs, 52 runs batted in and 23 stolen bases while playing brilliantly in centerfield.

The Cubs have four additional players with double figures in home runs, including Ian Happ with 17, Dansby Swanson with 16, Seiya Suzuki checks in with 15 long balls and Michael Busch with 11 home runs.

Power is a big part of the Cubs offensive game, and if Alex Bregman ever gets back to his top form, their power game could improve significantly.

Pitching is the biggest need for the Cubs

The Cubs have significant needs on the mound. They are quite likely to be active on the trade front before the Aug. 3 deadline and they need to add to their pitching staff — both starters and in the bullpen.

They need a top of the line starter, and not a mediocre starter with ordinary velocity who happens to be having a decent year.

The pitcher they need to avoid is right-hander Michael Wacha of the Kansas City Royals . Wacha is the ace of the Kansas City pitching staff. He has made 19 starts this season and 12 of them have been quality starts. However, he has a 3.77 earned run average and has 96 strikeouts in 119.1 inning. He has allowed 14 home runs and 34 bases on balls.

There is little doubt that Wacha has know-how on the mound, but he is not a hard thrower. When he needs that little extra to get a strikeout, he is unlikely to call on his fastball because that pitch can get hit for distance unless he has nearly perfect location.

Wacha is a decent pitcher on an average or below-average team. But in a big game against the Dodgers , Brewers, Braves or Phillies , he is unlikely to do the job for 6 innings in any game he starts.

The Cubs need the kind of quality starters who can deliver at the biggest moment, and that pitcher is not Wacha at this point in his career.

The Cubs would be much better off concentrating on elite pitchers. Tarik Skubal of the Tigers is clearly at the top of everyone's list, but the Cubs may not feel comfortable with the price Detroit will almost certainly try to extract from them. Unless they could get Skubal to agree to a new contract with multiple years, he would be too much of a gamble.

The pitchers for the Cubs to consider are Joe Ryan of the Twins, Reid Detmers of the Angels, Casey Mize of the Tigers and Sonny Gray of the Red Sox . Ryan might be the priciest pitcher of these four, while Gray appears to be the hottest of the group as he has a 10-1 record pitching for a suddenly scalding team that was brutal for nearly three full months.

Cubs could trade Suzuki, if …

Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

If the Cubs are going to acquire a significant starting pitcher — or a top reliever like Aroldis Chapman of the Red Sox — they are going to have to make the trade worthwhile.

Obviously, they are not going to give up Crow-Armstrong at any point because he is the center piece of the franchise. Trade partners may make a pitch for Suzuki, and general manager Carter Hawkins and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer are going to have to give such a deal strong consideration. Suzuki has excellent power and he appears to be finding his stride after he was slowed by right knee discomfort in mid-June.

Suzuki did not suffer a major injury, and he has played in 77 games for the Cubs. He is slashing .266/.347/.467. While PCA is clearly their flashiest player, Suzuki may turn out to be their top power source by the end of the season.

However, Suzuki will be a free agent at the end of the season. He has a no-trade clause in his contract, so the Cubs would have to get him to agree to such a deal. If he could bring in a solid starter, the Cubs would have to give strong consideration to trading Suzuki.

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