Cubs' Cade Horton, Matt Shaw Drew Interest from Teams Before 2025 MLB Trade Deadline

Amid fan frustration that they didn't do more leading up to the July 31 trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs' lack of activity was due in part to the players opposing teams were asking for.

Per The Athletic's Patrick Mooney, Cade Horton and Matt Shaw were two players rival teams "constantly asked about" prior to the deadline.

Mooney noted Cubs officials felt like they would have had to trade Horton and at least one other high-level prospect to acquire a starting pitcher with multiple years of team control remaining, which they considered a "nonstarter" in talks.

The Cubs made a series of minor moves, including acquiring Willi Castro, Taylor Rogers, Michael Soroka and Andrew Kittredge. All four players did address needs for the club, but none of them are major difference-makers in a pennant race.

Another issue that developed afterward is Soroka left his first start with the Cubs after two innings due to shoulder discomfort.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer acknowledged afterward they were aware of the risk with Soroka due to his velocity issues during his final month with the Washington Nationals, but they were comfortable with his medicals to go through with the trade.

ESPN's Jeff Passan noted the Cubs looked into acquiring Joe Ryan, MacKenzie Gore, Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, but they considered the price on all of them to be too high.

Despite the unhappiness from the North Side of Chicago, it's hard to completely fault the Cubs for how they operated. Gore has swing-and-miss stuff, but he has tailed off as the season has gone on with a 7.54 ERA since the All-Star break.

Alcantara's ERA sits at 5.87 in 26 starts. Cabrera has already surpassed his career high in innings pitched (124.2). Ryan (3.22 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 144 innings) is the only one from that group who could reasonably be counted on to start Game 1 of a potential playoff series.

The Twins' asking price for Ryan was justifiably high because he is under team control through 2027. The Cubs made a bet on Horton, who is three years younger and won't be arbitration-eligible until 2028, turning into a key piece of their rotation.

It's still a small sample size at the MLB level, but Horton is on track to justify the Cubs' decision. He has a 2.92 ERA in 19 starts so far as a rookie. The right-hander has allowed just eight earned runs in 53.2 innings (1.34 ERA) since the start of July.

Shaw, who was the team's top prospect entering this season, is still adjusting to MLB pitching with a .694 OPS, but his defense at the hot corner has been stellar. His 10 defensive runs saved ranks second among all third basemen.

The Cubs (77-58) are a safe bet to make the playoffs, despite falling 6.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. They lead the San Diego Padres by two games for the No. 1 wild card spot.