Cubs Rumors: Coveted trade target 'will not' be traded, no matter how good the offer

If you're a big-name pitcher who could potentially be moved this summer, odds are Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has your name written on a whiteboard somewhere in the offices outside Wrigley Field. But it seems one name can be crossed off that list - and a prominent one, at that.

According to Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, who was asked about the possibility of the team trading reigning NL Cy Young and Triple Crown winner Chris Sale, there's no chance he's even shopped, let alone traded, before the July 31 trade deadline.

“No, zero. I’ve seen the speculation. It’s completely ridiculous to me. We are not selling, especially someone that has club control beyond the current year. Will not happen. I never make definitive statements unless I’m going to stick to them. Once you make definitive statements and then you go back on them, you’re a liar and you’re done ... Will. Not. Happen. Bold, italicize it, caps. So much so that I’m trying to make a trade now — it’s very hard to make a trade in June — just to signal to everybody that we will not sell. (If) you get to the end of July and things are completely changed, I guess we would reevaluate, but you’d have to be extreme. We’re built to win. Our expectations are to win. Our expectations are to go for it the entire time.”

The season hasn't gotten off to the strongest of starts in Atlanta, but the team opened the year without two major pieces in Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr. As of Wednesday night, the Braves are six games under .500, 11 games out in the NL East and six games back of a wild card spot in the National League.

Chris Sale isn't going anywhere - despite the Cubs' glaring need

A playoff push isn't completely out of the picture for Brian Snitker's club, but they've certainly dug themselves a deep hole. As for Sale, he's been just as good as advertised again in 2025. His final start, which came in a 5-0 win over the Mets on Wednesday, he came one out shy of a complete game shutout, punching out seven and lowering his ERA to 2.52 on the year.

He ranks second in the National League in strikeouts and would be the biggest swing-and-miss presence the Cubs have had since peak Jake Arrieta. But if Atlanta is standing pat (at least as things currently stand), Hoyer will have to look elsewhere for his ace because a return to the Windy City doesn't seem to be in the cards for Sale.