Chicago Cubs: 5 pitchers to monitor on trade block

The Chicago Cubs are starting to look more like themselves again. But, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t monitor who is likely to be dealt.

Prior to the 2019 MLB All Star Break, the Chicago Cubs were lacking an identity. They lacked a bit of consistency. But, does that really surprise anyone?

It seemed to be the same old story from a season ago. There were days where the bats would wake up but the pitching suffered. There were days where the pitching was rock solid, yet the offense couldn’t even muster a run or two. We began to wonder if these Cubs would ever return to their 2016 World Series form.

Since said All Star Break, the North side has caught some fire. Winning six out of seven since the break, the Cubs seemed to have found that magic once again. Joe Maddon‘s crew has been able to sustain offensively, putting up over six runs per contest during that span. Now, I won’t speak too soon of course, but it sure would be nice to see them keep it going.

In order to do so, many might argue that Theo Epstein and his crew make a move before the trade deadline passes at 4PM ET on July 31. The Cubs have made a habit out of making moves every summer it seems, and it shouldn’t shock anyone if they did it again this year. The only difference is, this year they have a lot less to work with in terms of trade material.

Nonetheless, it’s going to be a deadline to monitor if you’re a Cubs fan. Yu Darvish finally got his first win at Wrigley Field this past week, which was nice to see. The team is also still expecting Cole Hamels to return as well. Things are starting to click, or so it seems.

Still, the bullpen can be a problem at times. Will Brandon Morrow return? If so, for how long? Chicago brought in Craig Kimbrel, but their woes are still apparent with many of the other guys.

If the Cubs were to add a pitcher, maybe one of the following names would make sense. These five pitchers are all amongst recent trade rumors and are worth watching as the deadline approaches.

(Note: The majority of the following numbers used are through July 18, 2019)