Chicago Cubs: Is Nathan Eovaldi a trade target at a reasonable price tag

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The Chicago Cubs need pitching depth, but appear unlikely to land a blue-chip talent. Could another arm they’re familiar with fill the need in the pitching staff?

Let’s face facts. We all know the Chicago Cubs need pitching depth. That’s universally accepted. You know what should also be as accepted? The Cubs will not be trading for Jacob deGrom. Know that. Come to terms with it. Move on.

Yes, deGrom is available, but his price tag is comparable the that of a Porsche 911. I’m guessing here, but I figure he would cost at least Ian Happ, Addison Russell, plus a couple top prospects. Would the rotation look better, at least on paper? Yes. But at what cost?

The Mets right-hander is an undisputed ace. That isn’t what the Cubs need. Jon Lester is the ace of the staff. Kyle Hendricks has the tools to be a front-end guy. If Yu Darvish gets sorted out, that’s a third ‘ace’ on this team’s starting rotation. A deGrom deal just doesn’t make sense.

Chicago will be connected to the next-tier guys. We’re talking Nathan Eovaldi, J.A. Happ-type arms. We went into Happ last week – but given the rumors between Eovaldi and the Cubs, there might be something there.

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

A name that makes more sense

Here we circle back to Eovaldi, the Tampa Bay Rays’ 28-year-old right-hander. He is indeed an injury concern, but in comparison to DeGrom’s Porsche price tag Eovaldi would most likely cost something along the lines of a Chevy Cruze.

(I’m just shooting in the dark here) but he could cost the Cubs a package centered around David Bote and/or Victor Caratini. Even though these two have proven their value this season it would be a little bit easier to part with them as opposed to Happ, Russell or another of the big league regulars. His price tag could be even lower given it’s clearly a buyer’s market and he’s got a fairly significant injury history.

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When Eovaldi is right, he has proven to be an excellent pitcher. His best season came in 2015 with the Yankees He went 14-3 with a 4.20 ERA in 27 starts. Peripherals suggest he pitched even better – (3.42 FIP). On the flip side, though, he carries a career 1.353 WHIP and has allowed at least 10 hits per nine in three of the last five seasons.

As for the Cubs’ current group of arms, Jon Lester continues doing Jon Lester-like things. He’s 12-3 with a 3.13 ERA in his first 20 starts of the season, good enough to earn his fifth All-Star nod.

Other than that, the Cubs’ rotation has been shaky Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana, have been inconsistent, face it, Tyler Chatwood has been bad, and that might still be an understatement. Mike Montgomery has been solid, but with him in the rotation, a clear void exists in the bullpen for a long man.

Then we come to Yu Darvish. If he were on the mound doing what he’s capable of, we likely wouldn’t be having this discussion. But he hasn’t pitched in over two months, and his return from the disabled list still seems quite a ways away.

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Will the Cubs trade for him?

All signs point the Cubs making at least one deal before the deadline, but in my opinion, I see them trading for a reliever and not a starter.

As noted above, Lester is an ace – despite approaching his mid-30s. Both Hendricks and Quintana are more than capable of bolstering a rotation come October. And, despite the odds, Darvish could come back down the stretch and play the role of midseason acquisition.

At the end of the day, you need a minimum of three quality arms. The Cubs already have that. Meanwhile, the bullpen remains overworked – and it’s shown of late. Adding one or two arms to the pen could do a great deal for Chicago in the season’s final two-plus months.

Next: Chicago Cubs: Are the Reds the model in the search for pitching?

However, if they do choose to add a starter, expect Eovaldi. Be shocked, flabbergasted and downright shocked if the guy joining the mix is Jacob deGrom.

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