3 Starting Pitchers the Cubs Should Target, and 2 They Should Avoid

In a crowded American League East where all five teams are expected to be competitive this year, it will be difficult for the Toronto Blue Jays to secure a playoff birth. If the team is struggling when the trade deadline arrives on July 31, there's a good chance they will try to sell off their short-term contracts. 

One of their main pieces in that scenario would be starter Chris Bassitt, a ten-year MLB veteran. Bassit has been a reliable contributor for multiple years, making at least 27 starts in each of his last four seasons with the Athletics, Mets, and Blue Jays. Last year, Bassitt recorded 31 starts with a 4.16 ERA over 171 innings pitched.  

Bassitt has started off strong with a 0.98 ERA in his first three games for Toronto this year. But if a trade deadline bargain is struck, Bassitt shouldn't be too costly since he'd be a two-month rental. He'd be a great candidate to eat innings down the stretch and bolster the Cubs' rotation when they look for their first playoff run since 2020. 

Avoid: RHP Max Scherzer

Toronto's other starter on a one-year contract is former uber-ace Max Scherzer, who will be 41 years old on July 27. There's little doubt that Scherzer has been one of the most dominant starting pitchers of the 21st century. His career 3.16 ERA and 3408 strikeouts make him a virtual lock for the Hall of Fame.

But Scherzer's best days are behind him, and he has only made 10 starts since the beginning of the 2024 season. Scherzer has already found himself on the injured list after just one outing in 2025, going down with a right thumb issue. 

My mind can certainly be changed on this as the season goes on. If Scherzer returns and shows signs of his former self, he could be an X-factor down the stretch. Scherzer also has 30 playoff appearances and a World Series Championship under his belt so adding him to the Cubs' clubhouse could provide an unquantifiable boost as well. 

Target: RHP Luis Castillo 

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher, Luis Castillo, would be a more permanent fix for the Cubs' rotation since he still has two additional years of team control. Castillo also has a vesting option for 2028, making his deal potentially run through his age-35 season. 

The Mariners are one of those teams that will find their path to the playoffs difficult. Being in a division with the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, who have both won the World Series in the last three years, the Mariners will likely need to battle for a wild card spot in an extremely competitive American League. 

Chances are fairly likely that they become sellers at the 2025 trade deadline, and Luis Castillo would probably be the first guy Seattle tries to move. The Mariners are operating under budget constraints which impacted their willingness to make a big splash in the offseason. Since Castillo is owed $24 million over the next three seasons, offloading his contract would give Seattle much more financial flexibility while still maintaining most of their strong starting rotation. 

On the Cubs side, Castillo would finally give the Cubs another workhorse starter capable of regularly eclipsing 170+ innings pitched, something they needed even before Steele went down. It feels like a great fit all around if the Cubs are willing to take on Castillo's salary, and they need to be willing to go over the luxury tax beyond 2025. Another wrinkle is that Castillo has a full no-trade clause through the 2025 season, and it's impossible to know if he'd be willing to waive that to go to Chicago, or anywhere else for that matter. 

Avoid: LHP Tyler Anderson

Los Angeles Angels' southpaw Tyler Anderson is in the final year of his three-year contract. Like the Mariners, it would take a miracle for the Angels to make a playoff run this year, so it is a no-brainer for them to move Anderson if he is healthy. 

Although the 35-year-old seems to be able to limit hard contact rates, Anderson's mound presence is very similar to what the Cubs already have. He has low fastball velocity (89 mph average in 2024), a low strikeout rate (18.6% in 2024), and a high walk percentage (9.5% in 2024). 

Anderson allows a lot of traffic and would simply be an inning-eater down the stretch instead of a difference-making starter that the Cubs need in their rotation right now. 

Target: RHP Sandy Alcantara 

This is probably the most obvious starting pitcher likely to be available on the market this year. Sandy Alcantara is a 6'5 power right-hander who is returning to MLB this year after missing all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery. But the 29-year-old looks like he hasn't skipped a beat so far, using his five-pitch mix to strike out 12 batters in his first three starts for the Miami Marlins this season.  

Alcantara's repertoire is fueled by a four-seam fastball and a sinker that both average around 97 mph. Since breaking into the league back in 2017, Alcantara also has two All-Star appearances, four seasons with more than 184 innings pitched, and a National League Cy Young campaign in 2022 when he posted a 2.28 ERA in 228.2 innings. 

The veteran starter doesn't will be thirty years old in September, and he is currently signed to a team-friendly contract with Miami. He will make $17.3 million in 2025 and 2026, with a club option for 2027 worth $21 million. With his upside and relatively cheap team control, Alcantara will cost multiple top prospects to acquire, but the Cubs would be wise to pursue him. His pitch mix would perfectly offset the heavy focus on pitching to contact that Chicago's current rotation features. 

The Cubs need another workhorse in the rotation, and Alcantara has multiple seasons of extensive work with Cy Young potential to boot.