3 potential Cubs trade targets if the Houston Astros wind up sellers

2 of 3

Houston Astros GM Dana Brown says he 'can't envision' a scenario where his team is sellers at the trade deadline this summer. But even with a win on Thursday, the Astros are 11 games under .500 and in last place in the American League West, positioning themselves with a steep uphill climb over the next two months.

Should this franchise's recent run of dominance finally reach its end this summer, Brown will find no shortage of interest in his roster from teams looking to add for a postseason push down the stretch. The Chicago Cubs hope to be among those teams in a position to buy come July and, if the Astros can't figure things out, a few guys stand out as potential trade targets.

Justin Verlander would bring a postseason pedigree to the rotation

The Cubs have a lot to like when it comes to their young arms. Justin Steele just returned from a month-plus stint on the IL and looked sharp, Javier Assad has quietly been the best starting pitcher in baseball over the last calendar year and Hayden Wesneski and Jordan Wicks have both shown what they have to offer, as well.

That doesn't even factor in Jameson Taillon, who returned from the IL and has run off four consecutive shutdown starts to open his 2024 campaign or top pitching prospect Cade Horton who, after earning a promotion to Triple-A recently, is knocking on the door to Wrigley.

But the only man with any substantive postseason experience among the team's potential rotation pieces is Kyle Hendricks, who is set to make another rehab start at Iowa this weekend and has looked like a shell of his former self in 2024. Going out and adding Verlander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner with more than 225 career postseason innings under his belt could be a solution there.

Those who caution against such a move, though, would point to his age (he turned 41 in February), diminishing stuff and a $35 million vesting option for 2025 should he throw 140 innings this year. That being said, the idea of Verlander in October one last time may prove too tempting for the Cubs to pass on.

Ryan Pressly could add late-inning experience to the Chicago bullpen

One particularly rough outing against the Rangers in early April have torpedoed the numbers of Ryan Pressly one month into the 2024 campaign, but there's still a lot to like about the 35-year-old veteran.

Since that April 6 blow-up, the right-hander has made 11 appearances, striking out 17 in 11 innings and working to a 1.64 ERA and 1.16 FIP. With Josh Hader's well-documented early struggles proving costly for Houston, Pressly has continued to be reliable, something he's done consistently over his seven years with the Astros.

Dating back to 2018, the right-hander has notched a pair of All-Star appearances, a sub-1.000 WHIP and a 2.52 FIP. Given the Cubs' issues in the late innings, Pressly could be a perfect fit and prove to be just the man to bring order to a tumultuous Chicago bullpen.

Should he make 50 appearances this season, he'll trigger a guaranteed $14 million option for 2025. Given the plethora of young, cost-controlled arms likely to make up the bulk of the Cubs pen next season and Jed Hoyer will have Hendricks' contract coming off the books, that's a palatable sum - especially given the team's need in the late innings.

Alex Bregman could be a difference-maker for this Cubs lineup

Don't be fooled. Alex Bregman's slow start this year is not a reason to write him off entirely. In the final year of his current deal with the Astros, the slugger is doing himself no favors heading into free agency this winter, but there's plenty of time to change that.

Christopher Morel has settled in defensively at third, but there's no doubt Bregman would be an upgrade there. Morel could shift into a DH role, allowing Craig Counsell to make sure his bat is in the lineup, while adding another potent weapon to the mix.

Bregman would be a pure rental, which could help the Cubs avoid coming off their top prospects in a trade come July. A two-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger recipient, the former LSU standout averaged a 128 OPS+ with 59 extra-base hits annually over the last two seasons. There's still plenty left in the tank and seeing him rake at Wrigley down the stretch would be a treat.

feed

Home / Chicago Cubs News