Jed Hoyer offers Cubs' trade deadline clue that suggests expectations have reset

Jed Hoyer has emphasized in recent weeks that the Chicago Cubs' focus isn't on the MLB trade deadline, but it's hard ignoring the situation the Cubs are facing.

With Justin Steele not ticketed for the starting rotation upon his return this season, if it happens, and Jameson Taillon sidelined until the end of July, the Cubs have a clear need in the rotation. What's also become clear is that the Cubs may have a more dire need in the bullpen.

For the rotation, there's a silver lining in the fact that Matthew Boyd should be back by the end of the week. The bullpen doesn't have that help. Daniel Palencia suddenly looks like the only go-to option that Craig Counsell has in the bullpen, but the Cubs have yet to reveal the timeline for his return.

While trades aren't going to be what saves the Cubs' 2026 season, it's clear that it's a direction the team will need to take.

As the season has unfolded for the Cubs, it seems that the approach they will have at the deadline will be different from what was speculated at the start of May. It's hard to imagine the Cubs going to the top of the market to address their need for pitching. Instead, they likely will look for a rental capable of rounding out the rotation and then adding an arm or two for the bullpen. More or less, the Cubs will be plugging the holes in their pitching staff as they look to get healthy enough to make a run to the playoffs.

Cubs' dire pitching need can't wait until the MLB trade deadline

Along those lines, the Cubs likely can't wait much longer to make a deal. The bullpen imploding against the Toronto Blue Jays last Saturday was a reminder of the the risk that still exists for the Cubs, even if the offense turns the corner from the slump they've been in over the past month.

There's reason to believe that some teams are ready to make deals. Last week, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves on the type of deal the Cubs should be looking for at this moment. The Pirates, in need of bullpen help, dealt veteran catcher Joey Bart to the Atlanta Braves for relief pitcher Hunter Stratton. Neither players moves the needle in a significant direction for either team, but is a classic case of the type of trade that can bridge the gap to the deadline.

If the Cubs don't act fast with a trade to address the ailing pitching, the conversations at the deadline will have a much different tone.

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