1 knock against every Cubs prospect that could be moved at the trade deadline

Trade rumors continue to swirl across the league, but the first domino is yet to fall. The Chicago Cubs remain connected to virtually every starting pitcher on the market, ranging from high-impact rentals like Tarik Skubal to controllable pieces such as Emerson Hancock and everyone in between.

Jed Hoyer badly needs to shore up the starting rotation and probably add a proven bullpen arm or two if he wants to make the most of his team's resilient showing to this point in the 2026 season. But that'll be easier said than done given the state of the Cubs' farm system, which has some depth, but lacks a bona-fide blue chip talent to build a deal around.

That hasn't stopped Cubs fans from clutching their proverbial pearls when hypothetical trade packages are floated online, though. Many are, in a tradition as old as time, over-valuing the cards in Hoyer's hand, in hopes of convincing themselves a team like the Tigers will take a subpar return for a back-to-back Cy Young Award winner.

That's not going to happen.

So as we draw ever closer to the Aug. 3 trade deadline, let's take a look at one knock organizations may have against some of the Cubs' most valuable prospect trade chips.

These prospect criticisms could derail the Cubs' trade deadline hopes

Jefferson Rojas

One of the Cubs' most highly-regarded prospects, Jefferson Rojas doesn't have a glaring flaw. He's playing well at Double-A Knoxville this season, slashing .275/.338/.469 with 15 homers and 16 stolen bases. With Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman locking down the middle infield and hot corner for the rest of the decade, Rojas feels particularly expendable.

That being said, he's not even a top 50 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. You can use him as a piece in a deal, sure, but you're not going to be able to use him the way, as an example, the Padres did Leo De Vries last summer when they acquired Mason Miller from the Athletics. Rojas is a valuable piece, yes, but he alone isn't going to get a deal done.

Kevin Alcantara

Kevin Alcantara has never really been given a legitimate runway at the big-league level and it's hard to look past that fact, regardless of the Cubs' crowded outfield picture. If the front office was convinced he was the real deal, they'd have found a way to force him into the mix by now. That hasn't happened and I don't think that's a coincidence.

He's seen very limited MLB action this year and showcased his biggest weakness right away, striking out in 42.9 percent of his 21 plate appearances. The swing-and-miss has long been the question with Alcantara, who has struck out more than 30 percent of the time at Triple-A this year, too. The shine has come off and, despite his considerable tools, there are very real questions about his game.

Owen Ayers

One of the Cubs' big prospect breakouts of the year, Owen Ayers has climbed from High-A to Triple-A this season, and is now knocking on the doors of Wrigley Field. Carson Kelly being mentioned in trade rumors recently has only increased the focus on Ayers, a former 19th-round pick, and undoubtedly elevating his standing in the eyes of Cubs fans.

There's a lot to like about him. But heading into this season, the 25-year-old backstop had a career .218/.310/.360 slash line in the low levels of the minors. Is this breakout (.320/.429/.621) sustainable? That's the big question teams will have to answer when his name comes up in trade talks.

Jaxon Wiggins

Stop me if you've heard this one before. The Cubs have a promising young arm who, when healthy, has you daydreaming of him carving up hitters on a sunny afternoon at the Friendly Confines. The only problem is health is a major issue. That's the deal with Jaxon Wiggins, the organization's top-ranked pitching prospect.

Elbow inflammation derailed the start of his season and heading into August, he's thrown less than 30 professional innings this year, struggling to a 6.91 ERA. Can he turn that 70-grade fastball into consistent results? Can he hold up over the course of a full pro season? Those are both valid concerns for any team that might have interest in the 24-year-old right-hander.

Josiah Hartshorn

Josiah Hartshorn has been the story of the Cubs' farm system this year, putting up eye-popping numbers at A and High-A - including an impressive .401 on-base percentage and .511 slugging percentage.

He'll be a consensus top-50 prospect by the end of the year and is, undoubtedly Hoyer's most valuable prospect. A former sixth-round pick out of high school, Hartshorn is still just 19 years old and, if you're poking holes in any part of his game, it's probably that he has all of 400 professional plate appearances to his name - and a lot can happen between the low levels of the minors and reaching the bigs.

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