How Cubs could get two more pitching upgrades after MLB trade deadline

1 month ago 12

The Chicago Cubs went into the MLB trade deadline with a massive need with their pitching staff. Whether it was a starting rotation or bullpen arm, the Cubs needed help.

And they certainly got it, acquiring Clay Holmes from the New York Mets, Kevin Gausman from the Toronto Blue Jays, and Ryan Zeferjahn from the Los Angeles Angels. It was a nice deadline for the Cubs, but the help might not stop there.

As ESPN's Alden Gonzalez highlighted, the Cubs have two players, one reliever and one starter, who could join the team and help immensely even after the deadline. Those two players are Edward Cabrera and Daniel Palenica, both of whom can return from the IL soon.

Cubs can upgrade pitching staff after trade deadline with returns of two injured pitchers

"With Gausman and Holmes joining Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and Javier Addas, the Cubs have a good group of starters for the stretch run," Gonzalez writes. "But Cabrera, their big get from the Miami Marlins this offseason, would clearly elevate it. And Palencia, with a 2.86 ERA and 25 saves since the start of last year, would secure the ninth inning."

Adding these two pitchers to the bullpen and rotation would provide significant help for the Chicago pitching staff, even after the deadline has passed.

The 69-50 Cubs could send out a rotation with Gausman, Boyd, Imanaga, Holmes, and Cabrera for the postseason. That's a very strong group of starters, not to mention Ben Brown, David Peterson, Assad, and Colin Rea as quality depth as well.

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Those extra starters could move to the bullpen for the postseason, which should help an at-times shaky bullpen for the Cubs. But the real upgrade could come in the form of Palencia's return.

He has a 2.70 ERA this season, but has been on the injured list for a while. However, he's closing in on a return, as he's begun a rehab assignment shortly after the deadline.

If the Cubs get both Cabrera and Palencia back, and they each pitch well, then the Cubs could have a stacked rotation and a very strong closer to end games in the clutch.

Cabrera and Palencia are two major upgrades the Cubs could make to their pitching staff, and both are getting close to returning this season from their lengthy stays on the injured list.