Cubs Say Deadline Focus Starts With Pitching, Amid Rough Stretch

The Chicago Cubs are approaching the August 3 trade deadline with the kind of message that comes from a team that still has a grip on the standings, but is running out of margin for error. As of June 7, the Cubs sit tied for third in the NL Central and are 6.5 games behind the Brewers for first place, even at 5-5 since May 27. But the mood is tempered by what has happened since May 16, when a 10-game losing streak began and both sides of the roster started to slide. MLB Trade Rumors reported that Cubs starters went 2-12 over their last 20 games and posted a 7.11 ERA, while the lineup hit just.223/.311/.360 with a 93 wRC+ during the same stretch.

In an interview surrounding the team’s approach, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer suggested that the front office’s deadline work will start on the mound, even if he does not want the organization’s day-to-day focus to become overly deadline-centric. According to MLB Trade Rumors, Hoyer told ESPN and others, “We’ll be looking at pitching at that point,” and added that discussing the deadline while the team has played this way is “the wrong thing to talk about.” He also characterized the position-player group as a strength, while saying the deadline was “the furthest thing from my mind.”

The Cubs’ pitching staff has become the clearest reason for that internal tension. MLB Trade Rumors placed the Cubs rotation’s 4.81 ERA among the worst in the majors and pointed to three specific problem areas: hard contact (37.0% of batted balls), home runs allowed (1.65 per nine innings), and results from a short list of qualified starters. In addition to the performance concerns, MLB Trade Rumors also linked the season’s unevenness to a series of setbacks involving multiple pitchers, a factor that magnifies the need for a fresh arm or two if Chicago wants to keep playing in October conversations.

With the pitching problems setting the agenda, the Cubs also have to address how personnel decisions affect the lineup’s stability. One notable example is Dansby Swanson, who remains a core defensive piece but has been a struggle at the plate. MLB Trade Rumors reported that Swanson was hitting.180/.285/.322 with a 75 wRC+ through 240 plate appearances. Over the past week, the team has moved him out of the starting group to create space for him to reset. The Washington Post, reporting on manager Craig Counsell’s comments, said Counsell told reporters it was time for Swanson “to re-set,” adding, “Just…give him a couple of days away from the game,” while emphasizing that Swanson was healthy and would have a chance to return.

Against that backdrop, the Cubs made a low-cost move that fits a team trying to bridge June to August. MLB Trade Rumors reported that Chicago signed right-hander Andrew Wantz to a minor league contract, and MLB’s transactions log for Wantz shows the Cubs signing him on June 6, 2026. Wantz is being treated as depth rather than an immediate fix, and the Cubs can use a fresh bullpen option if injuries or short-term needs emerge before the trade deadline.

For Chicago, the core question is whether the organization can convert proximity in the standings into stability on the field. With Hoyer pointing to pitching as the likely centerpiece of any August additions and with Swanson getting a mental reset, the next few weeks could reveal whether the Cubs’ current problems are repairable from within or whether they truly need to be more aggressive than they have been so far.