Cubs strike trade with Athletics to address ailing pitching staff

Chicago Cubs fans might be beating the door down clamoring for Jed Hoyer to pull off a trade deadline-level move in early May, but the odds of that happening are very slim. The team's surprise acquisition of right-hander Tyler Ferguson from the Athletics Thursday afternoon gives a much better idea of the type of moves we can expect to see.

Ferguson, 32, has spent parts of the last three seasons with the A's, compiling a 4.69 ERA and 4.57 FIP across 110 2/3 innings of relief work. A former sixth-round pick, he's never put it all together as far as the numbers go, but has an intriguing pitch mix that makes him worth a flyer given the Cubs' rather dire situation.

Tyler Ferguson represents a low-risk trade pick-up that fits Cubs' mold

He leans heavily on a four-seamer + sinker combination, both of which sit in the mid-90s. He compliments that with a sweeper, rounding out his arsenal with a change-up and cutter. I wouldn't be surprised if he cuts a couple of those offerings and plays to his strengths, but we'll see how the Cubs decide to shape his plan of attack.

Ferguson had a good amount of success in the minors over the last two years, evidenced by a 2.82 ERA and a strikeout rate pushing 32 percent in the Pacific Coast League. His 2026 got off to a brutal start, prompting the Athletics to designate him for assignment on Wednesday.

With Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey, Riley Martin, Ethan Roberts and Porter Hodge all sidelined - not to mention the fact that Colin Rea and Javier Assad are now sure-fire rotation fill-ins given Matthew Boyd hitting the IL for the next 4-to-6 weeks - make this the type of move Hoyer has found success with in the past.

Now, let's hope he can uncover a few more diamonds in the rough to keep Chicago atop the National League pecking order, despite a ravaged pitching staff.

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