Cubs blockbuster trade pitch lands $5 million World Series champ in 1-for-1 swap

The Chicago Cubs are looking to abstracted themselves from nan pack, and nan waste and acquisition deadline represents a awesome opportunity this year.

At 41-26, nan Cubs person built themselves a five-game lead atop nan National League Central. But if thing is going to derail their momentum, it's their iffy starting rotation.

Considering nan Cubs person been without their apical 2 starters for astir of nan season, they've done reasonably good to this point. Shota Imanaga will beryllium backmost soon, it appears, but Justin Steele is done for nan season, leaving a void that could easy beryllium filled astatine nan deadline.

Meanwhile, 1 of nan Cubs' section rivals will almost surely move connected from a lefty pinch caller World Series credentials. 

On Wednesday, Athlon's Sam Bernardi projected a hypothetical trade that would onshore Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Andrew Heaney. In return, nan Cubs would nonstop area infield imaginable Cole Mathis backmost to Pittsburgh.

"Heaney, astatine 34 years aged and successful nan last twelvemonth of his contract, should travel astatine a reasonable price, moreover pinch an assumed section tax. He is putting together different coagulated twelvemonth connected nan mound pinch a 3.24 ERA, a 4.37 FIP, and 52 strikeouts to 24 walks complete 72 and 1/3 innings," Bernardi wrote.

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"He would fresh successful nicely alongside Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, and Colin Rea, while young guys for illustration Ben Brown and Cade Horton could service arsenic agelong relievers."

Heaney won nan 2023 World Series pinch nan Texas Rangers, though he sounded retired of nan bullpen that postseason. The truth that he has that elasticity should beryllium a prize for Chicago, though, particularly if nan Cubs tin someway waste and acquisition for aggregate starters.

Plus, nan lefty is connected an highly inexpensive one-year, $5.25 cardinal contract. If Pittsburgh is consenting to woody pinch a section rival, nan Cubs should beryllium each complete Heaney.

More MLB: Yankees-Pirates blockbuster waste and acquisition transportation brings 2-time All-Star pitcher to New York