Cubs Reportedly Eye Eugenio Suarez, McMahon, Alcantara and More amid MLB Trade Rumors

Starting pitching and a third baseman are on the Chicago Cubs' shopping list ahead of the MLB trade deadline, according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden.

Bowden cited seven candidates who are on Chicago's radar in terms of pitching: the Pittsburgh Pirates' Mitch Keller, Arizona Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, Miami Marlins' Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, and Baltimore Orioles' Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano.

At the hot corner, Bowden reported Arizona's Eugenio Suárez or the Colorado Rockies' Ryan McMahon are players the Cubs "would love to land."

Chicago made it a priority to win this year when it acquired Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. With no guarantees on whether the four-time All-Star sticks around beyond 2025, the team doesn't want to waste his tenure in the Windy City.

And at 59-40, the Cubs are tied for first place in the National League Central and on pace to reach the postseason. That only increases the need to fortify the roster for the stretch run.

Chicago's rotation had a glaring hole from the moment Justin Steele underwent season-ending elbow surgery in April.

One problem for the Cubs and anybody else in the market for pitching is that there aren't many great options. That's putting an even higher premium on the players who could realistically get moved.

The Marlins, for example, "are not going to trade [Alcantara] at a discounted rate," per Bowden, despite the fact he's he's 4-9 with a 7.14 ERA through 19 appearances.

With Suárez, there's a somewhat similar dilemma for much different reasons.

The two-time All-Star is leading the NL with 35 homers and has an MLB-best 85 RBI. He's the top hitter available, so the Diamondbacks can command a high price tag in a trade.

If Suárez is deemed to be too expensive, then you're talking about pivoting to an alternative (McMahon) who's batting .217 and has a career OPS+ below 100.

In terms of their mindset, the Cubs are clearly a buyer. What that tangibly turns into is anybody's guess.