The Chicago Cubs are one of the top teams in the NL and all of Major League Baseball, but the Cubs had a very lackluster trade deadline.
The Cubs had a clear need for help in the rotation, but Chicago didn’t address it. Chicago added Michael Soroka, who can be a swingman or fifth starter, but didn’t get someone who can start playoff games, which was disappointing to Jed Hoyer, the Cubs’ President of Baseball Operations.
“From a starting pitching standpoint, it was a really tight market,” Hoyer said. “Very few rental starters. Of the marquee controllable starters none of them changed hands. We didn’t acquire them but no one else did either. We felt the asking price was something we couldn’t do to the future… We talked about every pitcher that was available. I think sometimes you line up with certain teams and sometimes you don’t.”
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The Cubs did add relievers Taylor Rogers and Andrew Kittredge, as well as super utility man Willi Castro.
The goal for Chicago was to add pitching, which they did, but Hoyer says there were bigger deals the Cubs tried to make.
“I think we came in wanting to add three pitchers,” Hoyer said. “Obviously, there were moves that we worked on that didn’t come together.”
The Cubs are 63-45 and one game back of the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the NL Central.
More MLB: Chicago Cubs add Will Castro in trade with Minnesota Twins
