Trade Deadline Watch: Cubs linked to Royals pitcher |
Dustin Riese
· · 6 hours ago
Now that the calendar has flipped to July, get ready for the rumor mill to heat up even more, as the Trade Deadline is now less than a month away. The Cubs are expected to be one of the most, if not the most, aggressive teams at the deadline, as Jed Hoyer is all in for this season.
Being all-in comes with its perks, but also its drawbacks, as the Cubs will have to give up a significant number of assets to acquire what they want to improve their roster. Given what they have already accomplished this season, that is a risk worth taking as the Cubs are in the best position they have been in for several years. With every passing day inching us closer to the deadline, more names are being added to the potential Cubs targets, and Wednesday was no different, as another new pitcher is being mentioned as a fit for the Cubs. Like many of the pitchers being discussed, this is another player who would upgrade their rotation even if he isn't seen as an ace, but more so a middle-of-the-rotation arm. Already linked to Seth Lugo, who was discussed last week, it does appear the Cubs have another Kansas City pitcher on their radar, as left-hander Kris Bubic could be a surprise target at the deadline. "The Cubs need to be the Cubs," MLB insider Jon Morosi told 670 The Score recently. "They need to be the big-market team in the 3rd-largest city in our country and make a massive trade or at least an impactful one to address their clearest need, which is a legitimate guy to start Game 1 or 2 of a postseason series." When you look at where the Royals are in the standings and what their record is, it seems highly unlikely that they would even consider selling off assets, as they are in a position to make the wild card. However, like all small-market teams, they tend to be forced to get rid of players sooner than they would like, and Bubic could be the next in line for that trend. Already with two bona fide lefties in Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd, Bubic would enter as the third-best option in this rotation and is someone you could slate as a game two or three starter in any playoff series. Formally a top-100 prospect, Bubic broke onto the scene in 2020, but it wasn't until recently that he started to turn the corner as a starter. While his 17-35 record isn't ideal, his 4.15 ERA is a prime example that the win-loss record is one of the more useless statistics to consider when evaluating a starting pitcher. Most of his success has occurred in the past three seasons, and ironically, it took place after he suffered a season-ending elbow injury in 2023, which necessitated Tommy John surgery. He was 0-2 that season with a 3.94 ERA before returning to the mound in 2024 as a bullpen arm. Across his 27 games in 2024, Bubic began to show the potential the Royals had known he possessed, posting a 1-1 record with a 2.67 ERA. Fully healthy again, Bubic earned one of the five rotation spots for the Royals coming out of Spring and has been one of the more overlooked arms in all of baseball this season. Once again, if you strictly look at his record, 6-6, adding him to the Cubs rotation may not get you as excited as some other additions would. However, with a 2.25 ERA across his 16 starts, you can see where the love is, as he has been one of the toughest pitchers to go against this season. The primary reason for his sudden success is that Bubic has abandoned his curveball in favor of a slider and has begun using his fastball more frequently. Before the injury, that fastball was around 93 MPH, and now it consistently sits around 94-95 MPH, so you can see the nice jump in velocity and how it has helped. Along with that comes the offspeed offerings, as the slider/change combination not only made him a stud reliever but has also helped turn him into one of the game's better starters this season. Now, two years removed from his injury, Bubic has been rolling and is coming off a month where he earned AL Pitcher of the Month honors. In other words, his stock is at an all-time high, and when it comes to the Royals, they may look to move him now before that stock starts to fall. What stands out the most about the possibility of the Cubs adding him to their rotation is that he is not only 27 years old, but he also has several years of team control remaining, which would put him in line to start for the Cubs for several years. As good as an option he would be, do you think the Cubs would enter a season with Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and Bubic as four of their five starters? It's possible, but unless Jameson Taillon and Cade Horton can find more consistency, the Cubs would put together a rare rotation that has four left-handed options next season. With the Royals officially five games under .500 and on the verge of selling, keep an eye on Bubic over the next three weeks as his market should start to intensify. .@jonmorosi: "The Cubs need to be the Cubs. They need to be the big-market team in the 3rd-largest city in our country and make a massive trade — or at least an impactful one — to address their clearest need, which is a legitimate guy to start Game 1 or 2 of a postseason series." pic.twitter.com/ea3DxkCGf6
