The Chicago Cubs made good use of the MLB trade deadline to add pitching reinforcements.
They brought aboard an ace-level pitcher from the Toronto Blue Jays, Kevin Gausman. They also acquired Clay Holmes from the New York Mets, as well as Holmes’ Mets teammate, David Peterson.
Turns out, though, the Cubs nearly made a different move.
Fansided’s Pat Ragazzo, citing anonymous sources in a report on Friday, writes that the Cubs wanted to trade for Connelly Early.
Early is a young left-handed pitcher who was with the Boston Red Sox. Boston ended up trading him to the Washington Nationals for Curtis Mead — an infielder who was hurt in his very first game with the Red Sox.
While the Cubs seemingly did just fine with their deals, Early would’ve been a fascinating pickup, because he has a half-decade of club control still to go. He wouldn’t have just helped the Cubs in the near-term but also in the long-term.
Connelly Early Cubs Rumor
Part of the problem for the Cubs, Ragazzo notes, is that the Red Sox were able to pull off the deal with the Nationals nine days before the deadline. That likely caught some teams by surprise.
In some ways, it worked out just fine for Chicago.
“The Cubs needed impact pitching and they needed it now after all of the injuries to their staff this season,” Ragazzo writes. “Early hasn’t pitched since Jun. 30 due to left elbow inflammation. He was moved to the 60-day IL by the Nationals on Aug. 22. So while the 24-year-old Early would have been a nice piece for the Cubs’ future, coming along with six years of control, he might not pitch again this year as a result of his elbow injury. He could begin a rehab assignment next week, but we’re running out of time in the regular season.”
It would’ve also been interesting to see who the Red Sox may have wanted from the Cubs for Early. Considering they got an active MLB player in Mead from the Nats, Early might’ve cost Chicago a player who is currently in a Cubs uniform.
The Other Outcomes
The Cubs have done well with the pitchers they did get.
Gausman has been bumpier than Chicago would’ve hoped, but his postseason experience matters.
Holmes has a 1.55 ERA so far with the Cubs, so that has to feel good for the Chicago front office.
Peterson was acquired earlier in the season and has been better with the Cubs than he was with the Mets, so that counts for something.
None of those guys has the long-term outlook of Early, but they’re helping right now, and that’s really what the Cubs needed anyway.
Cubs Wanted Red Sox Pitcher Before Nationals Trade