Insider makes bold Cubs trade prediction that fans are going to want to see

One takeaway from the Chicago Cubs' weekend series against the Seattle Mariners is that the team needs to add a couple of pieces before the MLB trade deadline. One of those pieces is definitely another starter for the rotation. According to Bruce Levine, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is far from resting on his laurels and could make a move for that additional starter as soon as this week.

Levine's bomb that the Cubs might make a big trade before the end of June was just part of one heck of a reveal during his appearance on 670 The Score's Mully & Haugh show. The other part of his news is that the pitcher Hoyer could be on the verge of acquiring hasn't been discussed or whispered about all that much. That would, for instance, rule out Chris Sale.

Chicago Cubs zero in on rotation help as trade buzz heats up in late June

"The Cubs are looking at adding that pitcher that we've been talking about," Levine said Monday morning. "It appears they're getting closer to identifying some of these teams that are out of it that want to trade. So I wouldn't be shocked over the next week or ten days, much before the trading deadline, maybe as early as this week, that they make a move for another starting pitcher."

When Levine was pressed about who Hoyer had zeroed in on, he said he wasn't ready to give a name yet, but he was working on nailing down the target.

"It's more likely a guy that we can't all identify that's a good young veteran pitcher, and I'm working hard to try to identify that right now."

With the Chicago Cubs adding one starter back this week, with the return of Shota Imanaga, it's possible the rotation will have a very different look by this time next Monday, if Levine is right. There's uncertainty surrounding Matthew Boyd after he left his last start with a left shoulder bruise, Colin Rea's early-season dominance has faded and Ben Brown has been inconsistent all season long.

If the Cubs are going to stay on top in the NL Central, they'll need rotation reinforcements - so don't expect these sort of rumors to quiet, even if Hoyer pulls off a late-June move.