Chicago Cubs: Potential pick-ups off the waiver wire

Justin Verlander

Of course, I’m going to start here. Justin Verlander continues to be on the radar of contending teams. So we can only assume he’s still on the Cubs as well. It was believed the Cubs could shoulder the financial burden of his contract. Even with the farm system picked dry at the upper levels, the Cubs still have talent throughout–very little of it major league ready. But Verlander continues to be an intriguing option for a team looking to add another arm.

Verlander and Jake Arrieta are having similar type seasons. While neither of them started off very well, they’ve been rolling since. In his last eight starts, he’s 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA. He’s also averaging 10.3 strikeouts a game in that time. They both seem to be hitting their stride at the right time, but could the Cubs find a way to make it happen?

It’s highly unlikely. The Cubs haven’t “run away” with the division, although they still seem to be the favorite. But trading away whatever they may have left in the system for Verlander doesn’t make much sense. The Cubs would probably be smarter to try and bring back Arrieta this offseason, assuming Scott Boras doesn’t go off his rocker in the amount he’s looking for.