The Chicago Cubs are leading the National League Central, but they may be looking for some help near the trade deadline to ensure a postseason berth.
The Cubs' starters have a 4.00 ERA this season, good for 19th in the league. They have lost Justin Steele for the season and may look to address the group before the July 31 deadline. There are pitchers available, but the Cubs need to make sure they do not make a panic trade. FanSided's Jordan Campbell urged the Cubs to avoid trading for Sandy Alcántara as it may "backfire badly."
"The risk in trading for Alcantara, despite his struggles this season, is that the Cubs would have given up top prospects for a starting pitcher who never returned to pitching at a top-of-the-rotation level," wrote Campbell. "It's a path the Cubs are all too familiar with. If Alcantara doesn't turn his season around, that would defeat the purpose of the primary reason why the Cubs would be trading for him."
Alcántara signed a five-year, $56 million deal before the 2022 season. He won the National League Cy Young Award that season, but struggled the following year. He missed all of last season, and this year has not been great.
He has a 7.89 ERA in 12 starts. He has given up the most earned runs in baseball and is clearly not the same player he once was. He is a two-time All-Star, but with how he is playing now, he would not be much help to the Cubs outside of being an arm to eat innings.
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Any trade for Alcántara would simply be the Cubs banking on the fact that he could turn things around or that they could fix him. However, they would be better off trying to acquire a player like Zac Gallen, according to Campbell.
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