The Chicago Cubs started this season incredibly hot. The team boasted a dominant 27-12 record initially. Then the bottom fell out completely. A brutal three-week stretch followed.
The Cubs dropped 18 of their next 23 games. They now sit at a mediocre 32-30. Manager Craig Counsell needs answers fast because the rotation remains a massive question mark today.
Injuries have ravaged the pitching staff all year. Cade Horton underwent season-ending elbow surgery recently. Justin Steele suffered a frustrating recovery setback. The team relies heavily on Ben Brown right now.
Playoff baseball demands a true stopper. A team needs a lockdown ace in October. The current roster simply lacks that dominant arm.
Jeff Passan’s Solution for the Chicago Cubs’ Problem
GettyTarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan has a solution. The two-time American League Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal.
“If Skubal costs Matt Shaw, it’s the price to pay. If Detroit would prefer Moises Ballesteros, so be it. If the Tigers want both, it shouldn’t be dismissed outright,” Passan wrote. “Of all the teams in this tier, the Cubs have the most to gain by adding Skubal.”
“With change on the horizon due to a handful of free agents, spending on a short-term acquisition is a dodgy way to do business. But nobody beats the Dodgers by accident.”
“And the same aggressiveness that pushed Chicago to get Kyle Tucker for the 2025 season shouldn’t abate simply because he didn’t play to their expectations.”
The Detroit Tigers hold the ultimate trade chip. Skubal dominates hitters with overpowering stuff.
The left-hander returned recently from an elbow scope. He looks healthy and highly effective right now.
Skubal hits free agency after this season. The Tigers want a franchise-altering return for him.
Chicago Cubs’ Depth Problem
GettyPitchers Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers and Tarik Skubal #29, right, who are both on the injured list, watch from the dugout during the second inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park.
Chicago expects rotation reinforcements very soon. Edward Cabrera returns to the mound this weekend. A finger blister sidelined him in late May. Matthew Boyd also nears a major league return. He makes a second rehab start on Saturday.
Boyd recovers from recent left knee surgery. Counsell desperately needs these healthy bodies back.
Health remains a massive hurdle for Chicago. The team demoted Jordan Wicks earlier this week. Wicks surrendered 11 runs across two awful starts. He struggled immensely while replacing Cabrera.
The staff simply lacks reliable depth right now. You cannot win championships with patchwork rotations.
The Los Angeles Dodgers boast multiple elite starters. The Philadelphia Phillies run out dominant arms daily. The Milwaukee Brewers feature top-tier rotation talent. Even the Pittsburgh Pirates have reliable stoppers.
Chicago falls painfully short in this specific category.
Chicago Cubs Urged to Trade for Two-Time Cy Young Award Winner