Cade Horton’s subtle success provides silver lining after the deadline disaster

The Chicago Cubs entered Thursday’s trade deadline in desperate need of a frontline starter to bolster the rotation. While fans clamored for the likes of MacKenzie Gore or Edward Cabrera, the Cubs instead walked out with Michael Soroka, an All-Star with the Atlanta Braves in 2019, but hardly the move fans were hoping for.

Cubs president Jed Hoyer cited heavy asking prices as his reason for standing pat at the deadline, with sources saying that teams were asking for a combination of Owen Caissie, Matt Shaw, and Cade Horton in a deal for a top starter.

Each one of those players is still a member of the Cubs organization after the Trade Deadline, with Horton putting forward an outing in Friday's win over the Baltimore Orioles that added some silver linings to this week's disappointment.

In what amounted to a pitcher’s duel, Horton put forward five scoreless innings, his third straight start without giving up a run. Horton limited the Orioles to just two hits on the day, walking three but also striking out three batters in the process.

Cade Horton continues to shine after an incredible month of June

Horton’s success has hardly been new for the Cubs recently. After getting tagged for seven runs in Houston to close out the month of June, Horton put forward an incredible July that flew under the radar of many Cubs fans.

Across four starts, Horton only allowed four runs in 23 2/3 innings, with all four of those runs coming against the Minnesota Twins on July 9. While baserunners have been an issue for Horton across the season, he struck out 17 batters while only walking eight across the month of July.

With his latest scoring outing, Horton brought his season ERA down to 3.42, impressive numbers for a rookie experiencing his first taste in a big-league rotation. After initially coming up as an injury replacement to Shota Imanaga earlier in the season, Horton has more than earned his spot in the rotation and given Cubs fans optimism for the future.

While the Cubs may have missed out on Gore, they may have their own gem on their hands in Horton. The Cubs rookie is three years younger, and is already playing a crucial role in their rotation. 

Questions remain, as Horton has never thrown above 100 innings in his professional career, but should the Cubs manage to properly develop him, they will have an ace on their hands sooner rather than later.