Cubs post-deadline concern gets blunt confirmation from ESPN

The Chicago Cubs needed a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher ahead of the MLB trade deadline, and their answer to the need was Michael Soroka. The answer turned out to be a major question mark as the Cubs placed Soroka on the IL following the veteran experiencing shoulder discomfort two innings into his debut with the team.

It's not an ideal outcome, considering Jed Hoyer refused to part with top prospects for an option that would have been a definitive answer to their biggest. ESPN's Bradford Doolittle offered a lingering concern for each contending team following the deadline, and for the Cubs, it was obvious.

"This seems like a big-ticket concern, and it is. Chicago's rotation and bullpen have been more passable than good this season, at least when the offense has been rolling up big numbers. The club's passive deadline approach didn't upgrade that outlook. What the staff needed was some dynamism, whether one of the top closers who moved or a top-of-the-rotation starter."

Cubs’ trade deadline strategy still leaves one glaring hole

The pushback for Hoyer's front office was that the team was unwilling to meet the asking price for controllable starting pitchers, and while no team really came close to a trade for a pitcher like Sandy Alcantara, there often are exceptions to every rule. This season, the stage was set for the Cubs to be the exception. Faced with two months left of Kyle Tucker's only season with the Cubs, the Cubs should have been willing to meet the price.

Nonetheless, the new reality for the Cubs is that they are trying to catch up to the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the National League Central, and will be doing so without one of their key deadline additions. An addition that had questions upon his arrival, but was a better option than what the Cubs had.

Another important question that needs to be answered for Hoyer's front office is, if not now, when? Entering last week with the best record in baseball, the stage was set for the Cubs to go all-in at the deadline, and they willingly chose not to. The choice backfired immediately, and it isn't a great sign for things moving forward.

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