The Chicago Cubs scratched one of their pitching prospects from his scheduled start as the MLB trade deadline approaches, creating another storyline to watch as the club weighs its options.
The unexplained scratch grabbed Chicago fans and media attention, with the Cubs facing decisions that could reshape their roster and prospect pool before the trade deadline, and the possibility that with the scratch a trade could be imminent.
Mason McGwire’s Scratch Raises Deadline Questions
The prospect in question is Mason McGwire, who was slated as the South Bend Cubs’ scheduled starter Thursday night, then was swapped out for right-hander Ethan Flanagan with no explanation. Minor league organizations aren’t required to disclose why a pitcher gets pulled, and the Cubs didn’t, according to Cubbies Crib‘s Jordan Campbell.
“Mason McGwire was originally the listed starter for South Bend tonight but ended up being swapped for Flanagan,” FullCountTommy wrote on social media. “Could be any number of things from website error to injury to ‘OMG he’s traded,’ but definitely makes you perk up this time of year.”
The 22-year-old right-hander carries a famous name. He’s the son of Mark McGwire, the former Athletics and Cardinals slugger who won the 1987 AL Rookie of the Year award, made 12 All-Star teams and set what was then the single-season home run record with 70 in 1998, en route to 583 for his career.
Mason, born Jan. 5, 2004, in Irvine, California, pitched at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo before the Cubs selected him in the eighth round, 233rd overall, of the 2022 draft. His younger brother, Max McGwire, played collegiately at Saint Louis, Oklahoma and San Diego.
On the mound, McGwire has quietly built his best professional season. Across 56 innings between Single-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend, he owns a 2.89 ERA and a 3-3 record, with 71 strikeouts and a 1.14 WHIP. He earned Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honors on April 19, then a trip to the All-Star Futures Game, before landing in South Bend in late May. His minor league career earned run average is less impressive and sits at 5.51 over 132 1/3 innings.
Cubs’ Pitching Search Puts Every Arm Under Microscope
None of that track record matters if the front office decides McGwire holds more value as trade capital than as a starter. Chicago’s need for frontline pitching is hardly a secret, and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has been rumored to be considering a bid for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, though the preference internally leans toward a starter under club control beyond this season rather than a two-month rental, according to MLB.com.
Giants left-hander Robbie Ray, Mets right-handers Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes, and Blue Jays righty Kevin Gausman have all surfaced as pending free agents Chicago could pursue instead, while Angels arms Reid Detmers and José Soriano offer multiple extra years of control. Mets reliever Luke Weaver has drawn interest as bullpen help too.
The Cubs have already moved once, landing right-hander Aaron Civale from the Athletics for minor league pitcher Aiden Moffett and cash. McGwire’s name, alongside fellow prospect Jaxon Wiggins, has circulated in broader trade chatter, and parting with either would almost certainly require landing a controllable starter, not a rental arm, even Skubal.
For now, McGwire’s scratch remains unexplained. Workload management wouldn’t be unprecedented for a Cubs system that has managed his innings before. Neither would a trade.
Cubs Pitching Prospect Scratched From Start as Trade Deadline Nears