Jed Hoyer can’t dodge this Cubs insider’s bold deadline warning

Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs are in a position to make a major move at the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline. The Cubs, entering play on Thursday, sit in first place in the National League Central with a five-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. Also near the top of the National League standings, three games behind the New York Mets, the Cubs are viewing the deadline this season with a different outlook than the one they had in recent seasons.

Where the Cubs eventually reached the point, over the last two deadlines, that they made buying moves, this season, they are a clear buyer. Beyond that, the expectation is that the Cubs will be aggressive in their pursuit of upgrades to their roster.

Along those lines, Cubs' beat writer Sahadev Sharma was pretty direct in talking about what the Cubs have to do at the deadline. Sharma offered that a major move has to be made by the Cubs in order to upgrade their rotation. Sharma ends his piece questioning if Hoyer would be willing to make such a move/

No half measures for the Cubs at the MLB Trade Deadline

The Cubs' moves over the last two deadlines weren't viewed as half measures at the time of each deal. Last year, the Cubs moved on from Christopher Morel in a trade for All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes. Unfortunately, the concerns over how Paredes' offense would translate to Wrigley Field were proved to be valid. The year before that, the Cubs made a move for Jeimer Candelario, who was the top bat available on the market at the time.

The difference between those moves and the move that the Cubs have to make at this season's deadline is that the team needs an addition that moves the needle significantly. With an offense that is featured near the top of every scoring category, adding a frontline starting pitcher would all but solidify the Cubs' World Series chances.

There will be no shortage of options for the Cubs. Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, and potentially Chris Sale could all be the starting pitchers who will be available at the deadline. Any of those would signal that Hoyer is not wasting the opportunity that the 2025 season presents.