MLB insiders tab Cubs as deadline suitor for Mariners pitcher suddenly available

Just last week, I touched on Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo - who the Chicago Cubs have long had interest in - as a potential sneaky trade deadline target for Jed Hoyer. But it turns out the list of potentially available M's pitchers has another unexpected name on it: Emerson Hancock.

According to a new report from The Athletic (subscription required), Seattle is open to moving Hancock in their quest to add a right-handed hitter - an ask the Cubs, among many other teams, would be capable of meeting.

Hancock is just 27 years old and would help solidify the Cubs' rotation this year - and is controllable for four more seasons, helping Hoyer chart a long-term course for the pitching staff set to suffer major turnover this offseason. As the report notes, he's not necessarily viewed as an ace, but young, quality, controllable arms are in high demand, and with good reason.

The right-hander features a five-pitch mix, but leans heavily on his plus-plus four-seamer that ranks in the 99th percentile for fastball run value, per Baseball Savant. He's worked to a 3.16 ERA in 19 starts, but several metrics suggest at least some degree of good luck in that mark. Even so, a 3.72 FIP with a WHIP just above 1.000 would be warmly welcomed in Chicago.

Mariners' asking price could be particularly painful for the Cubs' offense

With Seattle seeking an impact right-handed bat, the piece mentioned names like Kevin Alcantara and Matt Shaw - either of whom I think the Cubs would happily move in this deal. But the third name, and one that's popped up quite a bit lately in trade speculation, doesn't feel movable for this team: Seiya Suzuki.

Suzuki is in the final season of the five-year pact he signed with the Cubs ahead of the 2022 season and he's putting up another big year at the plate, evidenced by a 132 OPS+ and 17 home runs, which rank third on the team. He's come out of the All-Star break white-hot, with a 1.200 OPS entering the weekend matchup against the Pirates and has become an invaluable part of Chicago's offensive equation.

Hoyer would need to think long and hard before moving Suzuki, especially without Alex Bregman's bat living up to the hype so far this season. The Cubs need pitching - no doubt about that. But how much are you willing to sacrifice on the other side of the ball to fix that problem?

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