The Chicago Cubs are buyers at this year’s trade deadline, but they’re facing tougher competition than usual for the limited resources available from sellers.
Baseball’s expanded playoff format has changed the deadline game. More teams are hanging on longer, or even buying aggressively, instead of selling. A .500 team isn’t automatically looking to move pieces anymore – sometimes they’re going all-in on a playoff push.
But across town, the last-place Chicago White Sox are deep into their rebuild. They’ll be selling; it’s just a question of what they’ve got to offer and whether any of it might help the Cubs.
According to one baseball writer, there’s a veteran White Sox starter whose recent hot streak should put him on the Cubs’ radar.
On Monday, Jack Ankony of White Sox on SI pointed out that 32-year-old Adrian Houser could be a Cubs trade fit, thanks to the North Side’s lack of proven starting depth and his 1.90 ERA through seven starts this season.
“Houser’s trade value is nearing an all-time personal high. There might be some benefit in keeping him around to mentor a young White Sox pitching staff, but the White Sox are still a few years away from competing,” Ankony wrote.
“It’s also a logical deal from the Cubs’ perspective. With Justin Steele out for the season, they clearly need another starting pitcher and bullpen help. Slotting Houser into a mid-rotation starting role would allow the Cubs to move Colin Rea, Ben Brown or Cade Horton to the bullpen and boost the pitching staff in multiple ways.”
Let’s be honest – Houser has never been anything close to an All-Star, so buying into a seven-start hot streak is a risky proposition for the Cubs.
But there’s reason to believe he could stay hot a while longer. Look at his 3.23 FIP and 94th percentile fastball run value as supporting evidence. Those aren’t fluky numbers.
The way I see it, if all the White Sox are looking for is a mid-level prospect or two, the Cubs can knock themselves out. That also doesn’t preclude them from adding another starter if they’re heart desires something bigger.
With Justin Steele out for the season, the Cubs need rotation help. The question isn’t whether they’ll add pitching, but how aggressive they’ll get in pursuing it.
