Cubs Reportedly 'Very Interested' in MacKenzie Gore, Linked to Raisel Iglesias

The Chicago Cubs reportedly are interested in a handful of pitchers ahead of the MLB deadline this week.

Per The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma, the Cubs are "very interested" in Washington Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore, though his price is "viewed as sky-high."

According to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan, "the general sense is that Gore won't go anywhere," but the Nationals are "listening."

Mooney and Sharma also noted that Atlanta Braves' Raisel Iglesias "is one of several options under consideration" for the Cubs.

Gore, 26, is in his third season in Washington after starting his career with the San Diego Padres. He's having the best season of his young career, with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP, though the Nationals' struggles mean he has a 4-10 record.

Washington is 43-62 on the year, 13.5 games back in the wild card race, so it will likely be willing to trade one of its best arms if it can get the right offer. The Cubs, who appear ready to make a deep playoff run, could benefit tremendously from Gore, so they might be willing to meet the Nationals' "sky-high" price point.

Iglesias, now in his fourth season with the Braves, has struggled this year. He has a 5.09 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP, both of which are the worst of his career. While his numbers are rough, the veteran is coming off one of the best seasons of his career when he collected a 1.95 ERA with 34 saves. He's also played well in recent weeks, so his rough start could be behind him.

Iglesias is in the final year of his contract, so Chicago wouldn't have to make a major commitment to him. The Braves are in a position to sell at the deadline since they're 12 games back in the wild card race, and Iglesias could net a solid return for Atlanta.