Cubs have a dark horse trade candidate that absolutely nobody is talking about

The Chicago Cubs and trending sharply in the direction of being buyers at the trade deadline, but the coming weeks will be critical as the pitching staff's health (hopefully) improves and Jed Hoyer has a clearer picture of his exact wish list.

Pitching seems likely to be the end-all, be-all for Chicago. The Cubs entered this week's series in Baltimore ranked 21st in the league in team ERA, with starters checking in at #24 (4.62) and relievers at #14 (4.01). Even with that bullpen ranking falling in the middle of the pack, it's clear Craig Counsell needs additional weapons - especially with closer Daniel Palencia out until some point after the All-Star break.

The rotation remains in shambles, with the likes of Jameson Taillon, Edward Cabrera, Cade Horton, Justin Steele and Ben Brown all injured. Taillon seems likely to return to the team before the break, but this is a staff that continues to run well below full strength. So, with multiple needs in both the rotation and pen, how will Hoyer go about addressing them?

Well, he might have to think outside the box.

As we talked about on a recent episode of the Cubbies Crib podcast, the Cubs don't need bodies - they need stoppers, and acquiring players of that caliber doesn't come cheap. The team's farm system isn't in the best of shape, so you might have to look beyond the prospect depth to check all the boxes - and that could mean floating someone like Miguel Amaya to prospective suitors.

Two AL contenders looking for catchers - is Miguel Amaya an answer?

I know I'll catch plenty of flak for suggesting the idea, but if a team known to be looking for catching help - such as the Rays or Yankees - offer up a legitimate arm or two in return, Hoyer at least has to consider moving the four-year MLB veteran.

Carson Kelly has handled the bulk of the catching duties this season, limiting Amaya to just 49 games and 147 plate appearances. It's at least conceivable that the club is content turning to someone like Christian Bethancourt, who's currently at Triple-A, to be Kelly's backup down the stretch if it means shoring up the ailing pitching staff for a stretch run.

Of course, that would also mean entering the offseason without a clear answer behind the plate in 2027. That could be remedied with a late-summer extension for Kelly, who has been tremendous since joining the Cubs, because it feels like a long shot the club hands the job to Moises Ballesteros next spring.

Again, this thought exercise is driven solely by the sheer volume of needs the Cubs have approaching the deadline, especially on the pitching side of the equation. You can't completely decimate the farm system (well, you could, but it's probably not advisable) - and moving someone like Amaya could offer a potential solution.

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