Cubs' Trade Deadline 'Wish List' Revealed in Report, Includes 2 Starting Pitchers

Locked in a battle with the Milwaukee Brewers atop the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs have four spots on the roster they would like to address prior to the trade deadline.

Per ESPN's Jesse Rogers, the Cubs' deadline "wish list" includes two starting pitchers, one reliever, help at third base and a backup outfielder who can play center field.

Of the four areas Chicago's front office wants to address, the rotation was cited as the "biggest priority" by Rogers. Depth is not a strength for this group right now, with Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga as the only pitchers with a sub-4.00 ERA in at least 70 innings.

Boyd, who made the NL All-Star team, is an interesting player to keep an eye on for the rest of the year. His 123.2 innings this season nearly matches his total from the previous three years combined (124.0). This is the first time he's thrown at least 100 innings in a season since 2019.

Virtually every starter who has been mentioned as a trade target has been connected to the Cubs at one point.

The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma reported over the weekend they are "very interested" in MacKenzie Gore, but the Washington Nationals could seek a massive haul for the 26-year-old since he is under team control through 2027.

Per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel (h/t Rogers), the Nationals would want Matt Shaw as the primary piece in a trade for Gore, but the Cubs don't intend to move the promising young third baseman.

Mooney and Will Sammon also cited Zac Gallen and Sandy Alcántara as trade targets for the Cubs, as well as several other teams.

One late addition to the trade rumor mill is Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians. The 2020 AL Cy Young winner struck out seven in four innings in a rehab start on Tuesday as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.

ESPN's Jeff Passan cited Bieber, who is making $10 million this season and has a $16 million player option for 2026, as an option for the Cubs. As the Guardians continue to hover around the .500 mark, they could decide to sell ahead of the deadline to start building for 2026.

Relievers who have been of interest to the Cubs at various points include Griffin Jax and Jhoan Durán of the Minnesota Twins, Raisel Iglesias of the Atlanta Braves and Kyle Finnegan of the Nationals.

It seems all but certain that if the Cubs make a move, it will be for pitching before anything else. The asking price for starters seems incredibly high right now, but things always change when the deadline gets closer.

The Cubs might also feel a little bit of heat to do something after losing the first two games of their series against the Brewers to start this week, dropping them two games back in the division race.

Despite falling behind Milwaukee in the NL Central, the Cubs still occupy the top spot in the wild card race with a one game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies.