3 reasons the Cubs should consider trading for Shane Bieber

With the 2023 MLB trade deadline coming on Aug. 1, trade rumors have begun swirling regarding potential deals and blockbuster trades. One of the latest examples is that the Cleveland Guardians may be considering a trade involving their ace starting pitcher Shane Bieber. Whether the Guardians end up being sellers or not is tricky since they are five games below .500, but just 2.5 games out of first place in the AL Central - arguably the worst division in baseball.

The only other division that could be worse is the NL Central, where the Cubs are sitting at a disappointing fourth place which calls into question their intentions at the deadline. However, I think if Bieber is on the market this year, the Cubs should at least consider bringing him to the North Side.

3 reasons the Cubs should pull off a Shane Bieber trade: #3 - This guy has near-limitless potential on the mound

In the recent past, Shane Bieber has been one of the better pitchers in the American League. Despite struggling in his rookie year, the right hander turned things around in 2019 where he finished fourth in Cy Young voting after throwing 214 innings with a 3.28 ERA.

In the COVID-19 shortened season in 2020, Bieber wound up taking home the coveted pitching award and he carried that success into last year. 2022 marked Bieber's best full season, in which he was one of just eight pitchers in MLB to reach 200 innings, which was coupled with a 2.88 ERA and 198 strikeouts.

Insert that kind of top-tier potential into the Chicago Cubs starting rotation, and you have three ace level starters in Bieber, Justin Steele and Marcus Stroman. If the Cubs are truly trying to get better and win in the next couple years, bringing in a player like Bieber would go a long way toward helping them achieve that goal.