The Chicago Cubs know they’ll be buyers at the trade deadline. They also know what they need: starting pitching.
It’s time to start identifying the sellers. Could the Arizona Diamondbacks be one of them?
There aren’t many teams with good starting pitching who will be trying to unload talent at this year’s trade deadline. So the D-backs, who went to the World Series in 2023, could make a killing if they fall far enough out of the race to commit to a fire sale.
The top two starters on that Arizona World Series squad, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, are both impending free agents. Trade deadline norms would dictate that if the D-backs really are sellers, both should be available.
On Tuesday, Zach Pressnell of FanSided strongly urged the Cubs to acquire either Gallen or Kelly, as the former is younger and has an All-Star appearance, but the latter has arguably been more reliable.
“Either Gallen or Kelly would be a huge pickup for the Cubs. Chicago is getting desperate at this point, especially with the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers surging up the National League Central standings,” Pressnell wrote.
“(Gallen is) typically consistent and the Cubs would be betting on him to return to form if they landed him… Kelly is also on the final year of his contract which makes him another obvious potential trade piece.”
Gallen, 29, has an ugly 5.13 ERA in 13 starts this year, but is only two years removed from a third-place Cy Young Award finish. Kelly, 36, is 5-2 with a 3.78 ERA in 12 starts. They’re now once again the top two names in the Arizona rotation following Corbin Burnes’ elbow injury.
The Cubs would also have to weigh the prospect cost of acquiring either hurler, as the younger Gallen would probably come at a slightly higher price tag. Either way, the pitching-needy Cubs would be getting a serious upgrade.
