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Forbes
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Deals That Could Happen With The MLB's Trade Deadline Looming
Earlier in the week, I looked at three potential deals that make sense before the MLB trade deadline on Thursday. Now, with the deadline less than 24 hours away, let's look at three more trade scenarios that could help contenders bolster their rosters and non-contending teams add young players. Miami Marlins-Chicago Cubs The Marlins trade right-handers Edward Cabrera and Sandy Alcantara to the Cubs for third baseman Matt Shaw, corner infielder/corner outfielder prospect Jonathon Long, and middle infield prospect Ed Howard. The Cubs need pitching depth as they battle the Milwaukee Brewers for the National League Central title, and Cabrera and Alcantara would improve their rotation for the stretch run and beyond. Cabrera won't be eligible for free agency until 2027, and Alcantara has another year left on his five-year $56-million contract and a club option for $21 million in '27. Cabrera, 27, is having a good season with a 4-5 record with a 3.35 ERA in 18 starts. The 29-year-old Alcantara won the NL Cy Young Award in 2022 but missed last season after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery and has struggled this year, going 6-9 with a 6.36 ERA in 21 starts. The Marlins would get a long-term solution at third base in Shaw. The 23-year-old rookie is hitting .223 with six homers and 14 stolen bases in 74 games, but was ranked by Baseball America as the game's No. 35 prospect coming into the season. Long, 23, has been overshadowed in a prospect-laden lineup at Triple-A Iowa, hitting .313 with 16 home runs in 98 games while being ranked as the Cubs' No. 7 prospect by Baseball America. Howard, 23, was the Cubs' first-round draft pick in 2020 but could use a change of scenery after hitting .219 in 271 minor-league games during an injury-plagued career. Minnesota Twins-Boston Red Sox The Twins trade right-hander Joe Ryan to the Red Sox for right fielder Roman Anthony. This deal would send shockwaves throughout baseball because Anthony was universally considered the top prospect in baseball at the beginning of spring training. However, the Red Sox need a starting pitcher as they try to reach the postseason since 2021, and president of baseball operations Craig Breslow and manager Alex Cora have both emphatically said the organization's days of rebuilding are over. What makes Ryan attractive is that he is under contractual control through 2027 and could pair with left-hander Garrett Crochet at the top of the rotation. The 29-year-old Ryan was also selected to the All-Star Game for the first time this season and has a 10-5 record and 2.82 ERA in 21 games (20 starts). It would be hard for the Red Sox to part with Anthony, but they have substantial outfield depth with left fielder Jarren Duran, center fielder Cedanne Rafaela, and right fielder Wilyer Abreu. The 21-year-old Anthony has a .275 batting average and two home runs in 42 games as a rookie and would give the Twins a cornerstone player to build around. Baltimore Orioles-Milwaukee Brewers The Orioles trade designated hitter/first baseman Ryan O'Hearn to the Brewers for right-handed pitching prospects Bryce Meccage and Coleman Crow. The Brewers would like one more potent hitter for the stretch run, and Hearn was the starting designated hitter for the American League in the All-Star Game. O'Hearn is batting .283 with 12 home runs in 93 games in his last season before reaching free agency. The Orioles' organization is top-heavy with hitters and could use some pitching. The 19-year-old Meccage is ranked as the Brewers' No. 25 prospect by Baseball America and is 1-3 with a 4.14 ERA in 17 starts for Low-A Carolina. Crow, 24, was recently promoted to Triple-A Nashville after going 4-0 with a 2.51 ERA in 10 starts for Double-A Biloxi and would be an interesting target at the MLB trade deadline.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cubs trade rumors: MacKenzie Gore, Merrill Kelly among 7 best options for Chicago at 2025 deadline
One year ago, the Cubs openly said they were approaching the trade deadline with an eye toward 2025. Well, 2025 is here, and the time to strike is now. Chicago is looking to build a sustainable winner, but with Kyle Tucker set to hit free agency in the winter and the NL potentially more wide open than expected, Cubs fans are anticipating some aggressiveness ahead of the trade deadline. Pitching will be front of mind for Jed Hoyer. The Cubs' offense is in excellent shape, particularly with rookie Matt Shaw on a torrid pace since the All-Star break. With Justin Steele out for the season plus a need for veterans in the bullpen, it's likely the pitching staff will see at least an addition or two before the July 31 deadline. Here's a look at the Cubs' top trade targets, from MacKenzie Gore to Griffin Jax. Cubs trade deadline targets MacKenzie Gore, SP, Nationals It would still be a bit of a surprise to see the Nationals trade Gore, who is under contract through 2027, but Washington appears to at least be listening to offers — and the Cubs are reportedly showing serious interest. Chicago has the prospects to match up with the Nationals, with Owen Caissie likely headlining any package. Gore has been prone to blowups during his time with the Nationals, but when he's on, he's on. An All-Star for the first time this season, Gore has a 3.27 FIP and averages 11 strikeouts per nine innings. Acquiring Gore would be a signal that the Cubs are all in on contending both this season and long-term. Merrill Kelly, SP, Diamondbacks Kelly is a rental who doesn't offer nearly the same excitement as Gore would, but the results are tough to argue. The 36-year-old has a 3.22 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 22 starts this season and has kept his ERA in the low 3s in each of his past three full seasons. Kelly also has postseason experience after posting a 2.25 ERA over four starts during Arizona's run to the World Series in 2023. If the Cubs are looking for a stable arm to serve out the rest of the season, Kelly could be the best option. Mitch Keller, SP, Pirates Whether the Pirates could be enticed to make a Keller trade within the division, let alone any Keller deal at all, is unknown, but the Cubs' interest in Gore signals that Hoyer is willing to make strong offers for controllable starters. Keller doesn't miss many bats, but he has impressive control and carries a 3.53 ERA and 3.42 FIP this season. One red flag for the Cubs might be that Keller has finished seasons much more slowly than he's started them, which might not bode well for October. Sandy Alcantara, SP, Marlins The Cubs have been tied to Alcantara throughout the season, even as the former Cy Young Award winner has struggled mightily. After a promising seven-inning outing against the Padres got him back on track, could Alcantara be an option for a Cubs team likely to add a starter? If the Cubs can fix him, Alcantara can be a fairly cheap rotation option for 2026 and even 2027 due to a team option on his deal. The Marlins won't feel any pressure to trade him, but the Cubs have a strong enough prospect pool to pique Miami's interest. Raisel Iglesias, CL, Braves The Cubs are looking for late-inning relievers, but they don't necessarily need someone who can step into the closer's role immediately with Daniel Palencia getting the job done to this point. That could make Raisel Iglesias an interesting reclamation project. With 235 saves under his belt, Iglesias has enough experience in high-pressure situations to be trusted in postseason games, but he has an ERA of 5.09 on the season. In 10 seasons as a full-time reliever, however, Iglesias has posted an ERA north of 3.00 only one other time. The Braves are safely out of contention and could be willing to deal Iglesias at a mild discount after his struggles. Jhoan Duran, CL, Twins The Twins are not likely to trade both Duran and Griffin Jax, but the Cubs might just have enough in the tank to get Minnesota listening on Duran. The 27-year-old has bounced back from a rocky 2024 to post a 1.86 ERA and 2.38 FIP through 48 appearances this season, and the flamethrower is one of the top available relief arms, due partly to his contract running all the way through 2027. It would take a steep offer for the Twins to part with Duran, but the Cubs went all-in on a closer in 2016 and could very well do the same in 2025. Griffin Jax, RP, Twins Coming slightly cheaper than Duran — but still expensive — would be Griffin Jax, who posted a sparkling 2.03 ERA last season but has run into some tough luck in 2025 with an ERA of 4.00. The underlying numbers make Jax a top relief arm on the market, as he is averaging 14 strikeouts per nine innings and carries a 2.07 FIP that is nearly half of his ERA. Jax has very limited experience as a closer, but the Cubs could pair him with Palencia at the back of the bullpen and enter October with a formidable tandem.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Cubs Must Balance Trade Deadline With Organization's Young Talent
Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (6) celebrates a two run home run during the seventh inning of ... More a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Talia Sprague) The July 31 MLB trade deadline will set the course for a lot of teams hoping to make deep playoff runs. Come Friday, they will have the roster they're going to have to depend on for the last two months of the regular season and the postseason. Each of the teams hoping to add talent in order to help ensure they are successful in October are targeting similar things: Everyone wants better starting pitching, and adding a strong bat to the lineup is always a good thing. But in trading for a starter or a slugger (or both), these teams also have to consider how much they want to mortgage their future to get those players. For example, the Chicago Cubs are locked in a very tight division race with the Milwaukee Brewers. Their starting pitching depth has been tested by injury, and they've been linked to a number of starters on the market as a result. They have also been connected with the Diamondbacks, who are likely going to move Eugenio Suarez by Thursday afternoon. Both trades would make a significant difference in the Cubs' playoff hopes. They currently have a 96% chance at a postseason spot, according to Fangraphs, but winning the division would be a major advantage over just getting a wild card spot. The Cubs are going to need to be active at the trade deadline in order to give themselves the best chance to win the National League Central, but that activity has to be weighed against the young talent already in the organization. That means not only the prospects in their highly-ranked farm system, but some of the guys on the major league roster right now. Namely, starter Cade Horton and Matt Shaw. Horton has pitched well enough since the beginning of July to secure himself a spot in the rotation even if the Cubs add more pitching, but Shaw's situation is different. He is probably the Cubs' third baseman of the future, but until the last couple of weeks, it's been hard to argue that he is the right third baseman for the rest of the 2025 season. That's raised the natural question of whether the Cubs should make a move at the hot corner. If the Cubs make a move for Suarez, there's little doubt he will bolster the offense. They have done well on their own thus far, but any time a team can add a batter who has 36 home runs and an .898 OPS, they should do it. But Shaw's play since the All-Star break shouldn't be ignored. Since July 18, Shaw has hit four home runs and has a 1.542 OPS. He's 11-for-23 (.478) and has only struck out once. It's a small sample, but Shaw was a first-round draft pick in 2023 who was a productive hitter at each of his stops in the Cubs' minor league system. Any player's rookie season is going to have ups and downs, but for Shaw it's been mostly down thus far. As for his recent play, however, he credits his uptick in production to the mental break of the mid-July pause in action. 'I think just playing free and having a lot of fun has been really huge for me,' Shaw said. 'The All-Star break is nice to get some perspective and kind of take a step back. 'Not grinding, mentally just kind of letting things happen. Not pressing and putting a lot of pressure on myself. Kind of playing with a little more freedom.' Shaw seems to have turned a corner at the plate, even if the sample size is small. Is that enough to sit back and let another take trade for Suarez? The Cubs are rumored to be in competition for the Arizona third baseman with a few teams, including their division rival Brewers, so passing on him could mean they surrender Suarez to the team that could take the NL Central from them. For that reason, the Cubs might have to be aggressive about the short term at some expense to the long term. They haven't won a playoff game since 2017 and lost the division lead to the Brewers late in the season in 2018 and don't want to see the same thing happen again. Suarez could be a major part of taking a step forward from both of those things. He would be a rental, as he is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2026, so the worst case long term scenario is that Shaw takes a little bit of a back seat for a few months before assuming the reins at third base again next year. Whatever does happen, the Cubs have a few more days to keep working to secure their spot at the top of the NL Central. Fittingly, the last three games before the deadline are all against the Brewers. For those games, they will have to win with the guys they have. 'It's a front office job,' Cubs manager Craig Counsell said of the team's trade plans. 'This is our team, and you're happy with our team, and you're happy to go to battle with your team tonight, and that's the way you look at it. It's not much more than that. It's simple, really. If there's new players here, there's new players here, and we'll figure it out.'
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Matt Shaw's recent surge won't end the Cubs' pursuit of Eugenio Suárez at trade deadline
CHICAGO — Matt Shaw exited Yankee Stadium and hopped into a rental car for the ride to his family's lake house in upstate New York. The All-Star break had just begun for the Chicago Cubs in the middle of July, and their rookie third baseman needed to exhale and recharge. Joined by his wife Danielle, Shaw brought along their dog and enjoyed access to a boat and some quiet. The water, the Adirondack Mountains and a few days without baseball proved to be soothing. Advertisement 'It was perfect,' Shaw said. 'Needed it.' Playing loose and with more confidence, Shaw has sharply boosted his offensive production out of that All-Star break, a surge that coincides with the run-up to Thursday's trade deadline, a crucial moment for a team with World Series aspirations. Shaw's improvement won't end the Cubs' pursuit of All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez, according to a source briefed on the club's discussions. But it is a potentially significant development as the Cubs work through the cost-benefit analysis of any possible deals with the Arizona Diamondbacks and other sellers. Besides Suárez, Arizona's group of players who can become free agents after this season includes starting pitchers Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen and reliever Shelby Miller. The Diamondbacks have already unloaded first baseman Josh Naylor and outfielder Randal Grichuk in separate deals for younger, cost-controlled talent. At the age of 34, Suárez is producing a monster season, slugging 36 home runs, 87 RBIs and an .898 OPS. While one league official pointed to the law of averages, wondering if Suárez would eventually cool off in August and September, a team source made the counterpoint: 'Sometimes, it's just your year.' Suárez is performing at such a high level — at the one position where the Cubs entered the season with a big question mark — that the organization can't yet foreclose the possibility of acquiring the right-handed slugger. Especially when the Milwaukee Brewers, a heated division rival, have also been linked to Suárez, whose career numbers against the Cubs include 36 home runs and 94 RBIs in 132 games. The Cubs truly appreciate how Shaw has handled this entire adjustment period. 'I haven't read anything or looked at it,' he said. 'I don't really follow any of the media.' He had worked hard last winter to put himself in position to become the Opening Day third baseman after Alex Bregman turned down Chicago's underwhelming offer and signed with the Boston Red Sox. Shaw didn't mope when the Cubs demoted him to Triple-A Iowa in the middle of April after only 68 plate appearances (.172 batting average). He used the minor-league reset to make some tweaks to his stance and swing, re-establishing a comfort zone in the batter's box. His effort, instincts and athleticism have turned him into a plus defender at a position where he previously had limited experience. Advertisement The Cubs evaluated Shaw so highly that they made him the No. 13 pick in the 2023 draft out of the University of Maryland, and then promoted him to Double A before the end of that year. The Cubs retained Shaw through a few trading cycles, and then placed him on their season-opening trip to Japan, even though his Triple A experience to that point had amounted to only 35 games. Shaw made his major-league debut in the Tokyo Dome against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the defending World Series champs. That organizational belief in Shaw's talent is genuine, and his overall body of work has made him a positive contributor (1.6 WAR, per Baseball Reference) with an OPS+ that's now slightly under the major-league average. Cubs manager Craig Counsell indicated that he has not discussed any trade possibilities with Shaw, nor does he view it as a distraction. 'Matt's getting a great opportunity,' Counsell said. 'We're trying to do the best, and he's trying to do the best to take advantage of it. And you go from there. But I think you should have to earn your spots on teams like this. That's completely fair. (But) it doesn't get easier (later in the season). You got to earn that.' Under the circumstances, Counsell credited Shaw for 'doing a great job.' Since the All-Star break, Shaw has hit four of his six home runs while posting a .444 batting average. His two-run homer helped break open Saturday night's 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox, and he chipped in with an RBI double during Sunday afternoon's 5-4 victory at Rate Field as the Cubs won a crosstown series on the South Side. At the same time, the Cubs are an organization obsessed with data and process. Making any decision off 27 at-bats in the second half would be an overreaction. More than likely, Shaw isn't as great as he appears to be right now, but he's also not as bad as he looked, at times, earlier this season. He had a good run in May, a poor offensive showing in June, and then this July resurgence. Advertisement Shaw is a focused, well-rounded player figuring things out at game speed, in front of sellout crowds, while trying to keep his spot on an older club that expects to play in October. The next test will be Monday night in Milwaukee. The Cubs and Brewers, currently tied for first place in the National League Central, will play a big three-game series that leads into Thursday's 5 p.m. CT deadline. 'If you were to ask me who the Cubs are interested in,' Shaw said, 'I would have said I had no idea. I really don't. That's kind of how we are as a team. I don't think anybody is really thinking about that stuff. We're a great team. We have a great record. We are playing good baseball. We're here enjoying it.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner shows off all-around game against the White Sox
CHICAGO (AP) — Nico Hoerner delivered for the Chicago Cubs on Sunday — at the plate and in the field. Hoerner hit an RBI single and scored from first on Matt Shaw's double in the sixth inning of the Cubs' series finale against the Chicago White Sox. He also reached on an infield single in the second on the 14th pitch of his at-bat against Sean Burke. But Hoerner's best moment of the afternoon was a heady defensive play in the third at Rate Field. The White Sox had runners on first and second with one out when Chase Meidroth popped up to Hoerner at second base. Meidroth was called out via the infield fly rule, and Hoerner let the ball drop to see if any of the baserunners would try to advance. When Lenyn Sosa broke for third, Hoerner — a Gold Glove winner in 2023 — threw him out for the inning-ending double play. ___ AP MLB: Jay Cohen, The Associated Press
