The Chicago Cubs have one of the best offenses in baseball and have seen massive contributions from players like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, and the offseason addition of Kyle Tucker. Chicago is in a tie with the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central, which is shaping to be a great division race down the stretch.
The Cubs’ struggles have come on the pitching side of things, mainly the rotation. They have two soft lefties at the top in Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd, but Chicago lacks a dominant right-handed starter, and they’ve had to rely on youngsters Ben Brown and prospect Cade Horton to eat innings. With three days left until the trade deadline, it feels as if the Cubs must make a move for a starter to compete with Milwaukee’s deep and excellent rotation.
Cubs Urged to Trade for Merrill Kelly
The Arizona Diamondbacks are expected to sell off their best players on expiring contracts, and we’ve already seen a glimpse of those sell tactics with both Josh Naylor and Randal Grichuk already being traded.
Merrill Kelly has been Arizona’s best arm this season, and he’s also a player on an expiring contract, as he’s hitting free agency this winter. The Chicago Cubs should be firmly in talks with the Diamondbacks for Kelly, and if it comes down to a bidding war, Chicago certainly has the assets to pull the deal off.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com recently listed Merril Kelly as one of the players most likely to be traded:
“The 36-year-old veteran has been his typically consistent self in 2025, posting a 3.32 ERA in 122 innings (22 starts) this season. Kelly didn’t make his big league debut until age 30, spending four years pitching in Korea after spending five unremarkable years in the Rays system, but he has a 3.76 career ERA over parts of seven seasons with Arizona and would be a solid mid-rotation addition for many contenders.”
Kelly has not been named to an All-Star in his career, but he has pitched like one over the past few seasons. He’s made the most starts in the National League this season and is on pace for another 170-inning season. He missed some of 2024 due to injury, but in his last three seasons of making at least 30 starts, Kelly has not had an ERA above 3.50.
What Could the Cubs Offer Arizona?
The Diamondbacks are likely looking for young talent to replace Merrill Kelly, but the fact that he could be a rental addition drives down the price.
Arizona might ask for Cade Horton or Owen Caissie, the Chicago Cubs’ top pitching and position player prospects. If Caissie or Horton are unavailable, it would still likely cost Chicago a top-five prospect.
Regardless, the Cubs must heavily consider pulling off a deal like this. They must add to their rotation depth if they want to continue to compete in the NL Central. There are just three days left until July 31st, and Chicago has not made any moves yet, but expect that to change.
Cubs Trade Idea Lands Desperately Needed Ace from Diamondbacks