The Chicago Cubs have been one of the best teams in baseball this season, entering MLB games today with 27 wins and several double-digit wins. This comes as the club's pitching staff has been decimated by injuries, but that could change at the MLB trade deadline.
MLB insider Robert Murray named starting pitchers Robbie Ray (San Francisco Giants), Joe Ryan (Minnesota Twins) and Freddy Peralta (New York Mets) among potential Cubs trade targets this summer.
Peralta surfaced in MLB trade rumors last week when Bruce Levin reported that the Cubs had talked to the Mets about a trade for the All-Star pitcher. Although that report has since been retracted, New York has given no indication it is willing to trade Peralta yet.
Chicago still desperately needs starting pitching. While Matthew Boyd (meniscus surgery) may only be sidelined for a month, Cade Horton had season-ending elbow surgery in April and fellow starter Justin Steele now faces an uncertain timeline for his return after recovering from elbow surgery.
Entering the game on May 12, the Cubs' rotation ranked seventh in ERA (3.77), sixth in WHIP (1.17) and ninth in quality starts (15). However, since April 26, Chicago's rotation ranks 16th in WHIP (1.26) and 12th in ERA (3.71), depth is becoming a bigger issue.
Evaluating the Cubs' potential trade targets
Robbie Ray and Freddy Peralta appear to be the most realistic trade targets for Chicago. Both have expiring contracts, reducing the potential acquisition cost for either starter and increasing the likelihood that either San Francisco or New York is willing to make a move.
Ray, who is making $25 million this season, has outperformed Peralta this season. The 6-foot-2 southpaw has recorded a 2.76 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP in 45.2 innings, striking out 26.1 percent of the batters he faced for a .198 batting average.
Peralta, who is owed just $8 million this season, hasn't been as effective in his first season with New York. While he has a solid 3.12 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP in 43.1 innings, it comes with a career-low 23.2 percent strikeout rate.
Given the Cubs' infield arrangement, Peralta may be a better option. The 29-year-old righty ranks 36th among starting pitchers in groundball rate (43.7 percent), while Ray is 74th (27.4 percent).
