The Chicago Cubs have spent most of 2026 looking like the team nobody saw coming. They’re 47-38, sitting 5.5 games back of the Brewers, and firmly in the wild card picture. But let’s be honest. Nobody in that front office or that fanbase wants to win a wild card spot and then roll the dice on one game in October. This is Chicago. This is a roster built to take a division. And the August 3 trade deadline is the moment that will tell us whether Jed Hoyer actually believes that or not.
The question isn’t whether the Cubs need help. It’s whether Hoyer is willing to pay the price. Here are two moves that could flip the entire NL Central race.
Go Get a Real Number Two Starter Before It’s Too Late
This is the same conversation we had last year. The Cubs go into trade season without a true frontline arm at the top of the rotation. And for the second straight year, the consequences are starting to show.
Cade Horton was supposed to be the guy. He looked like a homegrown ace in the making. Then came Tommy John surgery in April, and he’s done for the year. So now you’re looking at a rotation of Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, and Colin Rea. That’s a lot of solid innings. It’s also not a rotation that scares anyone in a playoff series.
The Cubs have three names on their wish list, according to multiple league sources: Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins, Freddy Peralta of the Mets, and Robbie Ray of the Giants. Of those three, Peralta makes the most sense. He’s a two-time All-Star. His ERA sits at 4.53 through 17 starts this season, but the Mets are going nowhere and will almost certainly sell. Peralta gives Chicago a power arm who can start a Game 1 or a winner-take-all game and make the other dugout nervous. That alone changes the math against Milwaukee’s rotation.
Fix the Bullpen Nightmare Before It Costs Them the Division
The rotation gets the headlines. The bullpen is the real problem. Chicago’s relievers have a 4.06 ERA this season, which ranks 16th in baseball. That’s not terrible. But in high-leverage spots, it’s been a disaster. Hoyer has talked openly about his frustration, referencing his time with the Red Sox and the Cubs as context for why he knows a shaky bullpen can kill a season.
The solution is Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox. Yes, that Aroldis Chapman. He’s 12.0 games back in the AL East with Boston, and the Red Sox are trending toward seller territory. Chapman is still throwing 100-plus with heavy armside run, and his swing-and-miss numbers are among the best in the American League. He’s the kind of proven, battle-tested closer Hoyer has been chasing. The kind who can walk into a 7-6 game in September with the division on the line and just shut the door.
Chicago has 77 games left. Five and a half games back is not a gap. It’s an invitation. Add Peralta and Chapman, and the Cubs don’t just compete with the Brewers. They become the team to beat.
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