The Chicago Cubs may have hit rock bottom on Monday afternoon with their ninth consecutive loss. After having a few-game lead in the NL Central just a few weeks ago, Chicago is in jeopardy of slipping to last place in the Central after the tough losing skid.
With just over two months until the MLB trade deadline, it’s time for the Cubs to seriously start thinking about meaningful trades for starting pitchers, especially after Edward Cabrera was the latest victim to land on the Injured List. Recently, in a piece for FanSided.com, Christopher Kline names the Cubs as a trade destination for Detroit Tigers former No.1 overall MLB draft pic Casey Mize.
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Should the Cubs Trade for Casey Mize?
GettyCasey Mize delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on June 05, 2025.
In Kline’s recent piece, he finds a ‘trade partner’ for every Tigers ‘star’ on the trade block, and mentions Case Mize as a trade candidate:
“Destination: Chicago Cubs”
“Casey Mize has been Detroit’s best non-Skubal pitcher this season, with a sterling 2.47 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across eight starts and 43.2 innings. The metrics back it all up; Mize made the All-Star leap in 2025, and he’s taking another transformative step forward in 2026.”
The only roadblock in a potential Cubs-Tigers trade for Casey Mize is the fact that he’s still under team control for a few more seasons, so acquiring him would be difficult and likely cost a lot.
However, what choice do the Cubs have at this point?
Casey Mize was drafted by the Detroit Tigers with the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2018 MLB draft. Over his career, he holds a pitching record of 25-28 with an ERA of 4.04 over 483+ innings pitched.
With so many injuries stacking up in the rotation and being in such a tough division, Chicago could miss the MLB playoffs altogether, which would be a massive disappointment. And as for the Tigers being potential sellers, Detroit is in last place in the AL Central, and the Tarik Skubal trade rumors have hit an all-time high.
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Chicago Cubs MLB Trade Deadline Outlook
Look, if the Cubs aren’t already too far behind in the standings come July, Chicago will have to be buyers at the MLB trade deadline. After advancing to the NLDS last season, the Cubs have far too many expectations this season.
As it currently projects, Chicago has a starting rotation that consists of Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Colin Rea, and Ben Brown. Ben Brown has actually been pretty effective this season, but he’s being moved from reliever to starter to fill the void.
Even if the Cubs don’t target Casey Mize in a trade, Chicago’s front office will have to bring in a capable arm or two in some capacity if the Cubs want any chance of competing with the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.
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