Early Cubs rumors reveal prospects who could headline blockbuster trade

The Chicago Cubs are likely going to be buyers at the MLB trade deadline later this summer. Yes, entering the season, that was the expectation, and nothing through the first month of the regular season has changed that. If anything, the Cubs have made the case that Jed Hoyer and Co. should have their chips pushed to the middle of the table at the deadline.

It would mark a different approach than the one Jed Hoyer took at the deadline last summer. The Cubs had a need for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, help in the bullpen, and another bat for the bench. Their bullpen swings had mixed results, with Andrew Kittredge turning into a high-leverage option in the bullpen, but Taylor Rogers struggling. Utility man Willi Castro quickly fell out of favor, and starting pitcher Michael Soroka's two-month Cubs' tenure is defined by a shoulder injury.

Hoyer needs to have a better hit rate this time around. Part of the reason why last year's deadline was a pivotal turning point for the Cubs is that it marked the front office's preference to hold onto their prospects as opposed to meeting the lofty asking prices of sellers.

Some of that ideology likely will be in place this summer, but the situation surrounding the Cubs' top prospects has shifted. Two of the Cubs' prospects on the ascent, Pedro Ramirez and Jefferson Rojas, seemingly have become blocked. The Cubs' starting infield is under control through at least the 2029 season, leaving Ramirez and Rojas with no clear path to being regular contributors for the big-league club.

Cubs will need to go outside comfort zone one more time this season.

For those reasons, it seems likely that the Cubs are leaning toward making some of their top prospects available in trade talks this season. The Athletic's Patrick Mooney (subscription required) named Rojas, Ramirez, Kevin Alcantara, and Josiah Hartshorn as potential trade chips for the Cubs this summer.

Hartshorn was a part of the Cubs' 2025 draft class and has a wRC+ of 147 through his first 120 plate appearances. It's a practice we've seen the Cubs use before in moving an ascending low-level prospect for a piece that can immediately impact the major league roster moving forward.

Alcantara is in a curious spot with the Cubs. There's not exactly a path for him to help the Cubs this season, but he's having a power breakout with the Iowa Cubs, and he could be part of the plan for how the team replaces Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki after the season. Still, if the Cubs truly are intent on making the most out of the 2026 season, it's hard to imagine they wouldn't be willing to include Alcantara in a deal.

Trade winds will soon be arriving at Wrigley Field, as they did last year. Time will tell if Hoyer learned from his previous mistakes.

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