The Chicago Cubs looked like a playoff contender early in the season, led by excellent starting pitching. With the MLB trade deadline approaching, it appears Chicago is now at least preparing to be sellers and breaking up its starting rotation.
Entering MLB games today, the Cubs have the third-worst record in MLB (29-41) since May 1. It’s not the fault of Chicago’s pitching staff as its starting rotation sports a 3.77 ERA (7th in MLB) over the last 70 games. Unfortunately, the Cubs lineup is holding this club back.
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Chicago hoped that more time would lead to a turnaround but the club has shown zero signs of improvement in July. As a result, the Cubs front office reportedly has engaged in trade talks with two American League teams regarding a starting pitcher.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Sunday that the Cubs have had trade talks with the Boston RAed Sox and New York Yankees about starting pitcher Jameson Taiollon. As of now, those talks appear to be exploratory with Chicago still undecided on how it will approach the MLB trade deadline.
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- Jameson Taillon stats (ESPN): 3.10 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 75 strikeouts in 93 innings pitched
While Taillon doesn’t have much swing-and-miss to his game, he’s been excellent for Chicago this season. The 32-year-old righty is second on the team in quality starts (nine) and ranks third in Wins Above replacement (1.8). He’s also a pitcher the Yankees are very familiar with, since he pitched for New York from 2021-’22.
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While the Cubs haven’t made an official decision on their approach to the trade deadline, the early losses after the All-Star Break make it more likely they will be sellers. If that’s the case, Taillon and outfielder Cody Bellinger could both be on the move this summer.