The Cubs Rotation Is Banged Up. The Deadline Is Close. Chicago Has to Make a Move.

The Chicago Cubs have a rotation problem. That’s not opinion, that’s just roster math right now.

Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown and Jameson Taillon are all on the IL. Justin Steele’s chances of getting back to starting form by the end of the season don’t look great. The team already grabbed David Peterson from the Mets before the deadline. His first start was fine. His second one? Less so. And as The Athletic’s Tim Britton pointed out, the Cubs didn’t just want to make the playoffs this year. They wanted to make some noise once they got there. That doesn’t happen with a rotation running on fumes.

Britton listed the White Sox, Cardinals, Marlins and Astros as other teams hunting for starters. That’s a lot of competition for a market that doesn’t have a ton of sellers right now. The AL Wild Card picture is so messy that even mediocre teams are still hanging around, which means fewer teams are willing to sell off pieces. That makes it harder for the Cubs to find a deal.

One name that makes sense is Sonny Gray. He’s been sharp in Boston this year, especially while Garrett Crochet was out. But here’s the problem: the Red Sox just went on a hot streak and climbed back into the Wild Card chase. So they might not be dealing Gray anymore. That leaves the Cubs scrolling through the National League options. Robbie Ray from the Giants is one possibility. He’s not having a vintage season, but he’s a veteran arm who could eat innings and steady things down the stretch.

The Cubs and Brewers have a real rivalry brewing now. Milwaukee knocked Chicago out of the division race and the NL Division Series last year. And these two teams don’t like each other. The Cubs especially don’t like losing to them. If Chicago wants to take down the Crew this season, it starts with the rotation. And that means the front office needs to get aggressive before the August 3 deadline.

There’s no time to wait around. Cabrera might not be back until August. Brown doesn’t have a timeline. The Cubs’ bullpen can only cover so much. If they don’t add an arm, they’re basically handing the division to Milwaukee again.