Few contenders need pitching more desperately than the Cubs. As ESPN’s Jesse Rogers put it this morning, “If there’s an [available] pitcher out there, they are very likely talking to that team.” Indeed, the Cubs are reportedly hoping to add three pitchers – either two starters and a reliever or the opposite configuration. They have already been linked to most of the biggest names on the trade block. That includes rentals like Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Casey Mize, Robbie Ray, Clay Holmes (player option for 2027), and Adrian Morejon, as well as controllable arms like Reid Detmers and Emerson Hancock.
According to a report from The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma, the Angels’ José Soriano, the Mets’ Luke Weaver, and the Blue Jays’ Jeff Hoffman are the newest controllable arms on their radar.
Skubal, the newest Dodger, is obviously off the board. Rogers notes that the Cubs were out of the running on the two-time Cy Young winner “pretty early in the process.” Evidently, they weren’t willing to outbid the Dodgers, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be aggressive in their pursuit of other arms. No other rental will cost anywhere near as much as Skubal, and they might be more willing to part with top prospects for a pitcher who still has multiple years of team control remaining.
Soriano is one of MLBTR’s top five deadline trade candidates. The right-hander is making just $2.9MM this season, and he is arbitration-eligible through 2028. While he has come back to earth since a scorching-hot start, he has a 3.29 ERA and 4.06 SIERA in 123 innings. There’s no doubt he would improve Chicago’s starting five. Since his first season as a starter in 2024, he leads pitchers (min. 200 IP) with a 59.9% groundball rate. That has helped him pitch to a 3.73 ERA and 4.03 SIERA in that time. Those aren’t ace numbers, but they reflect a consistently above-average pitcher who would make almost any contender’s rotation better. There is also reason to believe that the right coaching staff could help Soriano reach new heights. He has adjusted his pitch mix this year, throwing fewer sinkers and more four-seam fastballs and splitters. The result is a slightly lower (though still excellent) groundball rate, but more whiffs, more strikeouts, and less hard contact.
The Angels aren’t under any pressure to trade Soriano, but it seems like they’re seriously considering taking advantage of what should be a seller’s market. Soriano was scratched from his scheduled start yesterday. L.A.’s interim GM John Mozeliak addressed the decision, saying, “With the trade deadline on Monday and the uncertainty of the next 48 hours, we decided to take a prudent approach and see where these next few days lead us.”
Weaver and Hoffman are both under contract through 2027, but the Mets and Blue Jays are listening to offers. Hoffman is making slightly more, but their salaries are similar; Hoffman is owed just under $4MM for the remainder of this season and $12.67MM for next season, while Weaver is owed just under $3MM for the remainder of 2o26 and $12.5MM for 2027. The two right-handers have more experience as setup men than closers, but each has closed games for contending teams, and that’s likely the role either would take on with the Cubs. Weaver has a sparkling 1.88 ERA this season, while Hoffman has struggled with blowup outings and inflated ERAs over his two years in Toronto. However, their underlying numbers are equally impressive. Based on their stuff and career accomplishments, either one would slot in as the top reliever in Chicago’s bullpen.
