Cubs Rumors: Three trades they need to make before the deadline

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These three deals could put the Cubs over the top in this strange 2020 season

It’s getting close to that time of year where the haves and the have nots start coming to the fore- that’s right- the MLB Trade Deadline is rapidly approaching on August 31. Now, the goal of every team is to win, and teams are so bunched during this realigned and shortened 2020 season, just about everyone thinks they have a shot at winning. With an expanded playoff, that makes it even more likely.

That being said, there are always going to be teams who have a better shot just due to sheer talent and lineup and roster construction. The Cubs seem to be one of those this year for sure after a 13-5 start to this bizarre season.

The Cubs also may or may not need to get under the Luxury Tax threshold before August 31 to reset penalties and punishments for having spent too much money too many years in a row. If the Cubs do need to cut bait with some high-priced individuals, the reason for making some trades might be a bit unorthodox or strange, given the fact the Cubs have jumped out to such a successful start.

Without further ado, let’s hop right into some possible deals the Cubs should make or at least strongly consider before the deadline comes and goes.

Josh Staumont, KC Royals (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

Cubs: How long have we pinned for a lockdown triple-digits reliever?

Forgive me for going back to the well with the Royals for another deal, but it seems as though Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have a pretty good working relationship with the Royals Dayton Moore. Why not try and wheel and deal with someone the Cubs might be able to use and someone who’s just a tad bit familiar at the moment.

Enter Josh Staumont, the 26-year-old Royals version of the Cubs Dillon Maples- who, last week, just so happened to throw one of the most impressive innings against the Cubs that fans have seen in a long time. If you don’t recall the inning, Staumont retired the heart of the Cubs lineup in order in the eighth inning of the 2-0 Cubs win.

And, while that may not be impressive in and of itself, consider how he did it. Facing Javier Baez, Willson Contreras, and Kyle Schwarber, Staumont uses his 97-99 mph heater and 82-84 mph devastating curveball to eviscerate all three of the Cubs sluggers completely.

Sure, you might say that those three guys are no strangers to strikeouts, but how Staumont got them and how they looked speaks volumes for his ability and raw stuff. They looked like Little Leaguers.

Josh Staumont, KC Royals (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: How good did this guy look against us?

Which brings me to the point- despite the nasty stuff, he has yet to establish himself on the big league level due to command issues. Sound familiar? There’s a reason I comped him to Dillon Maples, who also boasts a high 90s fastball and adds in a devastating slider that could be one of the best in the big leagues–if he could throw strikes with it consistently.

Last year with the Royals, Staumont was mediocre in limited time but had concerning peripherals. He pitched 19 1/3 IP, had 15 Ks and 10 BB, and also gave up four home runs. So far this year, Staumont has cleaned it up considerably, striking out 17 while only walking five in just 8.2 innings pitched. He’s also averaging 98 mph on his fastball, and it’s awfully nice to be able to have someone come out of the pen throwing BBs.

Before Staumont establishes himself as a stud at the big league level, the Cubs would be smart to roll the dice on his 2020 command and get him. Offering one or two of their second-tier prospects (Ryan Jensen, Chase Strumpf, Christopher Morel, Pedro Martinez, Tyson Miller, Keegan Thompson, etc.) to a team that is still a ways away from realistically competing. Staumont isn’t a free agent until 2026, so the Cubs would theoretically be getting his best years for dirt cheap.

Clint Frazier, NY Yankees (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: We do have a DH position available now…

If you recall (and of course you do, because it was from the best Cubs year ever) in 2016, the Cubs gave up a stud prospect (Gleyber Torres) who was blocked entirely by other guys in Chicago to acquire the best closer in the game (Aroldis Chapman) from the Yankees.

It worked out pretty darn well for both teams. The Yanks punted the rest of the 2016 season and resigned Chapman in the offseason after he helped the Cubs get to and win the World Series.

Oh, and that Torres guy- yeah, he turned out to be pretty good.

Fast Forward to 2020. The Yankees have a guy rotting on their bench most days (although he did play last night thanks to injuries to both Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge), who can go 3-for-3 with a bomb, double and five RBI. The Yankees have yet to commit to the 25-year-old they got in the Andrew Miller trade from 2016, even though all indications point to Clint Frazier being able to lace baseballs consistently.

Jose Quintana, Chicago Cubs (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Do the Cubs need Quintana?

The problem is, Giancarlo Stanton is under contract to be the Yankees DH for the next seven years. The Yankees don’t think much of Frazier’s ability to play the outfield– where he remains, to put it nicely, very raw. If you need proof, look at the guys not named Aaron Judge, who have played out there in front of him this year. Brett Gardner is 8-for-45, and Aaron Hicks is 10-for-48, while only one guy (Mike Tauchman) is swinging the bat pretty well (now 13-for-38 after four hits in his last couple games).

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If the Yankees aren’t going to play him when their two colossal sluggers return, as they haven’t the last couple seasons, they should attempt to get something for him in trade. With the Yankees rotation in a little bit of disrepair at the moment behind the best pitcher in baseball, Gerrit Cole, perhaps the Cubs could work something out there.

With two expiring contracts from back-end rotation pieces (but still improvements for the Yankees at this moment), and possible money to recoup to get under the luxury tax still. Is it possible the Cubs could trade either Tyler Chatwood (if healthy, of course) or, more likely, Jose Quintana (once he comes back and proves himself healthy) to get under the tax threshold? Can Alec Mills and the South Bend shuttle continue to cover the 5th spot?

The Yankees haven’t seen many purposes to Frazier as of yet, and the Cubs could use him as their DH pretty consistently. He also gives them another right-handed option off the bench if he’s not starting so they don’t have to use Josh Phegley to pinch-hit against someone like Josh Hader. Could this be a win-win where the Yankees get some much-needed pitching while giving up a blocked guy who has a ton of unrealized potential?

Kevin Pillar, Boston Red Sox (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Upgrade over Almora?

The last move is a very small one that could be one of those under-the-radar improvements that’s pretty hard even to see. However, with it looking more and more like Albert Almora is pretty much buried on the Cubs bench, why not upgrade our “defensive” fourth outfielder with a guy who can hit a lefty and give you a tough at-bat against someone like- you guessed it- Hader.

Kevin Pillar is an unnecessary big-picture component on a bad Boston Red Sox team. He is 31 years old, he’s on a one-year deal, and he’s not part of any plans in Beantown. If the Cubs considered Pillar a slight upgrade over Almora, they could theoretically pull the trigger on this deal relatively quickly and not have to give up a whole lot. Pillar is only making the prorated part of his $4.2 million salary, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to get him if the Cubs do have money to spend.

Pillar is currently slashing .313/.343/.469, and boy would that be an upgrade over what they’re presently getting from Almora (or even Souza or Caratini as right-handed DH options). If the Cubs feel the need to pad their depth and bench with solid players who better than the ones they’ve already got there, you may see a guy like Pillar in blue pinstripes. Even better is that the Cubs probably only need to include a low-tier prospect or PTBNL in the deal.

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Or they could go the Billy Hamilton/Terrance Gore trade route, which would be a great idea given the 26th man the club is working with this season. Those two would be a weapon on the bench to pinch-run late in a game, and Hamilton would be a great defensive replacement in center as well.

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Cubs Rumors: Three trades they need to make before deadline