3 early Chicago Cubs trade targets ahead of 2025 deadline

The Chicago Cubs made one of the bigger moves of the offseason, signing Kyle Tucker. The former Houston Astro leads one of Major League Baseball’s best offenses more than a month into the season. His team leads the National League Central division, putting them on the inside track for their first playoff berth since 2020.

While the team is playing well, there are holes in the roster. They lost one of their top pitchers when Justin Steele underwent season-ending elbow surgery. That, combined with defensive shortcomings for their catchers, need to be addressed if Chicago wants to make a deeper run in the postseason.

The Cubs are one of the teams in the league that will be active on the trade market, looking for upgrades across their roster to help them go toe-to-toe with the NL’s best teams. Chicago is not a team known for making moves during the season, but as time goes on, they could feel pressure to to something big.

Here are three players that the Cubs could target ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.

St. Louis Cardinals Catcher Willson Contreras

The Cubs have two capable catchers on their roster in Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya. However, neither catcher provides enough defensively behind the plate to help the Cubs deal with aggressive base runners in the postseason. There are not many catchers available on the trade market this season, but Contreras presents an intriguing option. He was a mainstay for Chicago from 2016 to 2022, helping the Cubs break their championship curse.

A reunion for Contreras and Chicago gives the team a big emotional boost that they can use as inspiration. There are no players remaining from the 2016 championship roster still with the team. Having Contreras back brings more championship experience to a clubhouse full of young players. He might not be the offensive threat that he used to be, but the Chicago offense is good enough to pick up his slack at the plate. The veteran catcher still has a lot to give to a contender.

Contreras is a consistent player on both sides of the ball, a valuable skill for contending teams. The two catchers currently on the Cubs roster do not have any playoff experience in their career. Contreras has been on multiple deep runs in the postseason, though, making him a good mentor to have around a relatively young team. However, the arch rivals will need to temporarily bury the hatchet in order to make a new deal, especially with the Cardinals right on the Cubs’ heels in the standings.

Miami Marlins Pitcher Sandy Alcantara

With Steele out for the season, the starting rotation in Chicago doesn’t look great. Shota Imanaga is a serviceable ace, but the pitchers behind him aren’t nearly as good. Pitching is important throughout the season, but having talented starters in the playoffs can make the difference.

Sandy Alcantara is a former Cy Young winner, but is off to a tough start in 2025. However, the league still sees him as a top-tier talent on the mound. Contenders will be calling the Miami Marlins about his price tag this summer unless they can turn things around and claw their way back into the NL playoff picture.

Getting Alcantara on their team gives them a good one-two punch to throw at teams as well as someone who can eat more innings throughout the regular season. In a division full of talent, the Cubs need every edge they can get. Adding another starter gives them a better chance of maintaining their lead in the division without putting too much pressure on Imanaga and the rest of their rotation.

Los Angeles Angels Pitcher Tyler Anderson

For a lot of the same reasons as Alcantara, Tyler Anderson makes perfect sense as a target for the Cubs. Anderson isn’t unfamiliar with being in trade rumors, either. The 35-year-old is leading his team in ERA and is one of the few pitchers on the team with a winning record. Unfortunately for him, the Angels continue to struggle in the American League West.

While Los Angeles has not had a complete fire sale yet, they could decide that their rebuild needs to be reset. However, the team is under pressure to contend for the entirety of Mike Trout’s career, even after his latest injury. It will require some convincing and some of their future prospects, but the Cubs could find themselves with no other options.

The Cubs are one of the league’s better teams. However, with Tucker still deciding whether or not he will re-sign, this might be Chicago’s best chance for a while. The 2025 trade deadline figures to be a turning point in the season, with the Cubs as one of it’s biggest players.