Chicago Cubs Seek Top Pitching Upgrades Amid Playoff Push

The Chicago Cubs are positioned as strong contenders in the 2025 MLB season, propelled by a powerful offense led by stars like Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong, who is on pace for an exceptional year and potential MVP consideration. Despite their offensive prowess, the Cubs face significant challenges with their pitching staff, particularly in the starting rotation, where injuries to key pitchers such as Justin Steele have exposed depth issues. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has publicly acknowledged the team's need to bolster both the rotation and bullpen, signaling an aggressive approach at the upcoming trade deadline. Potential trade targets include veteran pitchers like Nathan Eovaldi, noted for his experience and recent dominance, as well as emerging options like Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly from the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks, who may become available if that team falters. The urgency to acquire frontline starting pitching is underscored by comparisons to other teams' rotations and the Cubs' current lack of internal solutions to reliably fill postseason roles. Overall, the Cubs’ ability to execute significant trades before the deadline will likely determine their viability as true World Series contenders this season.