Cubs Urged to Acquire Division Rival's $5M Starter Amid Rotation Uncertainty

Newsweek

20 hours ago

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Just how desperate are the Chicago Cubs for starting pitching right now?
A rotation upgrade was one of the most obvious needs the Cubs had at the trade deadline, but the best they could find was the oft-injured Mike Soroka, who only lasted two innings in Chicago before heading back to the injured list.
Between Colin Rea, Javier Assad and Jameson Taillon, the Cubs are hoping they can patch together the back half of their rotation before the playoffs arrive. But there may be a chance they could find more reinforcements this month.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 14: A detailed view of a Chicago Cubs hat in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park on May 14, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 14: A detailed view of a Chicago Cubs hat in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park on May 14, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.With the waiver deadline looming on Aug. 31, one Cubs writer sees a division rival's starter as an ideal pickup for Chicago -- if he's available.
On Tuesday, Lior Lampert of FanSided nudged the Cubs to grab Pittsburgh Pirates starter Andrew Heaney, who is in the middle of a down year even after a hot start, assuming the last-place Pirates put him on waivers.
"Hard-throwing rookie Cade Horton's ascension has helped the stabilize their rotation beyond the dynamic one-two punch of All-Star Matthew Boyd and ace Shota Imanaga," Lampert wrote. "However, Heaney could instantly surpass Ben Brown (and Jameson Taillon when healthy) as Chicago's fifth fiddle if the Pirates let him go.
"Heaney has gone 5-10 with a 4.99 ERA, 1.319 WHIP and 83 strikeouts across 119 innings of work with the Pirates this year. What the veteran southpaw lacks in swing-and-miss stuff, he makes up for with valuable playoff experience. His efforts in 2023 contributed to the Texas Rangers' improbable World Series victory, which should pique the interest of the championship-contending Cubs."
The market for Heaney must have been horrible at the deadline, because there's no reason for the Pirates to keep him around. If he were to hit waivers, the only thing standing between him and the Cubs might be Chicago's record, because every team with a worse record would get first dibs.
The ability to put the lefty in a swingman role in the playoffs might be attractive, and paying down the remainder of his $5.25 million salary is of little consequence. Still, the slumping Cubs can't count on a waiver pickup to solve their many problems.
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