Cubs Rumors: ESPN just pitched the one trade Jed Hoyer can’t afford to ignore

The decision that is at the center of the Chicago Cubs' trade deadline approach is picking the right starting pitcher who can slot near the top of their rotation. Pitching is always the need of contenders at the deadline, and for this trade deadline, the dilemma is that each of the pitchers available comes with a question mark. Even Edward Cabrera, who appears to be unseating Sandy Alcantara as the Miami Marlins' ace, has command issues that have derailed some of his starts.

Alcantara is one of the more polarizing targets at the deadline. Backers of the Cubs' pursuit of Alcantara will point to his stuff and his Cy Young Award in 2022. The issue is that Alcantara has been bad this season, and just when it seemed that he was turning the corner, he had an awful start against the Arizona Diamondbacks last Saturday.

It's also important to under that for his career, Alcantara's Cy Young season is the anomaly. Alcantara has a 3.62 ERA, and the year before he was sidelined with Tommy John Surgery, Alcantara wasn't exactly great. In 2023, Alcantara posted a 4.14 ERA before being shut down at the end of the season due to the elbow surgery needed.

Now, this shouldn't be taken as a reason why the Cubs shouldn't trade for Alcantara, but it should add context that the Marlins' veteran pitcher isn't the clear answer some believe him to be. Nevertheless, he could very well be the best pitcher available, given that he is under team control beyond this season, and his stuff has all the makings of a true ace. It's also the trade that ESPN's David Schoenfield believes the Cubs have to make.

ESPN says Cubs should go all-in for Sandy Alcantara at deadline

There is reason to believe that the Cubs' pitching infrastructure can get the best out of Alcantara, especially given the stuff that he has. But again, part of the reason why the Cubs are in the market for a starting pitcher is that they need someone who can move the needle for the 2025 season. Alcantara's consistent struggles this season suggest that he may not be the needle-mover the Cubs need this season.

There's certainly a chance that Alcantara is the pitcher the Cubs circle, but if it backfires, the move could have larger consequences for the front office since Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins have expiring contracts at the end of the season.

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