Cubs fans ready to say goodbye to former top pitching prospect at MLB Trade Deadline

The Chicago Cubs are expected to be aggressive in their search for roster upgrades ahead of the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline, and their biggest needs are for a starting pitcher and a utility infielder. While the Cubs have a handful of prospects that will likely be the centerpiece of any trade that they make, it stands to reason that the deadline will serve as a farewell for one of the team's former top pitching prospects.

When Jordan Wicks made his Major League debut for the Cubs in 2023, he was one of three top pitching prospects in the team's farm system. Wicks, Cade Horton, and Hayden Wesneski all figured to be a part of the Cubs' future when constructing their starting rotation. Fast forward to 2025, and that only applies to Horton.

Horton is now a part of the Cubs' rotation, while Wesneski was traded to the Houston Astros as part of the Kyle Tucker trade this past offseason. Wicks, meanwhile, after filling in as emergency arm for the Cubs' bullpen earlier this season, has been relegated to Triple-A Iowa for most of the season. Injuries have certainly played a factor when why he wasn't recalled during times when the Cubs' pitching depth was thin, but it also seems that the team has given up on their former first-round pick.

Former top Cubs prospect may not survive the trade deadline

Wicks hasn't exactly been dominating at the Triple-A level this year. In just over 39 innings pitched, he sits with a 4.35 ERA. To his credit, he is striking out 23 percent of the batters faced and walking 8 percent, and that is the split that teams like to see. However, assuming the Cubs add another starting pitcher before the deadline, that would only extend the block between Wicks returning to the Major League level.

One of the teams the Cubs have been connected to recently was the Minnesota Twins. In a move for Twins' utility man Willi Castro, Wicks would make sense as the return going to Minnesota. The Twins aren't exactly a clear seller, as there is a path where they can contend for a Wild-Card spot in the American League. This makes Wicks an ideal return for them in a move with the Cubs, as they would have a capable starter who can slot at the backend of their rotation with Pablo Lopez and Zebby Matthews sidelined.

In other words, for a Cubs team that will have their hands in several different cookie jars ahead of the deadline, Wicks seems like a clear piece to be added in a potential trade.

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