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The Cubs’ rotation took a huge hit recently with Justin Steele requiring season-ending elbow surgery. However, they don’t plan to scramble for external options. Per a report from Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, the club is focused on internal solutions for now.
That’s a fairly understandable position to take at this part of the calendar. There are some unsigned free agents, with Spencer Turnbull arguably the most notable one, but that wouldn’t provide any help in the short term. Such a player would effectively require a delayed spring training ramp up, meaning they wouldn’t be an option for a few weeks even if they were signed today.
The trade market could provide some more hot-and-ready options but there are problems there as well. This early in the season, most clubs are still hoping to contend. The clubs that have no hope of contending this year don’t have a ton of exciting pitchers available.
It could be argued that Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins is the perfect storm of an exciting player on a rebuilding club that should be willing to deal him at any time. The Marlins did trade Luis Arráez in early May of last year, so it’s a possibility with some precedent. However, Will Sammon of The Athletic reported this week that the Fish haven’t yet decided if they will trade Alcantara. There is no real rush for them to decide, as the trade deadline is still months away and they are out to a respectable 8-8 start. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports similarly, noting that the Marlins feel they will get better offers in July.
Some less-established pitchers might be available. For instance, the Brewers just acquired Quinn Priester from the Red Sox to bolster their own injury-battered rotation. Priester is a former first-round pick and notable prospect but had a 6.23 earned run average in 99 2/3 career innings when Milwaukee grabbed him. The Brewers gave up the 33rd overall pick in this summer’s draft, a mid-tier prospect (Yophery Rodriguez) and a player to be named later to get him.
The Cubs already have some guys who are more or less in that Priester bucket. Jordan Wicks is a former first-round pick with a 5.02 ERA in 80 2/3 innings. Cade Horton, another first-rounder, hasn’t made his big league debut yet but is in the Triple-A rotation.
They also have a couple of other options. Javier Assad started the season on the injured list due to an oblique strain but has begun a rehab assignment and should be able to rejoin the club soon. As noted by Mooney, the club has a number of off-days coming up on the schedule. That could allow them to ride with a four-man rotation of Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon and Ben Brown for a while, with swingman Colin Rea contributing from time to time via spot starts or bulk outings until Assad is back in the mix.
That’s a decent amount of depth for the time being and the club is out to a strong 12-8 start, so they probably don’t feel the need to make a panic move. Once the deadline draws nearer, it seems fair to expect their willingness to trade for external options will increase. It’s possible that guys like Wicks or Horton could take over roles in the coming months but other injuries are also a distinct possibility.
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Cardinals All-Star Could Be On Hot Seat For St. Louis
The St. Louis Cardinals have plenty of decisions to make over the next few months and arguably the biggest is the starting rotation. Right now, the rotation features Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Michael McGreevy, Matthew Liberatore, and Andre Pallante. Liberatore and McGreevy look like potential long-term fixtures but there are questions beyond that. Mikolas is heading to free agency. Pallante is struggling, but the team isn’t giving up on him. Also, The Athletic’s Katie Woo said that Gray could be a trade candidate this winter. Will the Cardinals move on from Sonny Gray? "Next year’s rotation is far from set. Miles Mikolas will be a free agent, and though Sonny Gray has one year remaining on his deal, there is a chance he’s a trade candidate over the winter," Woo said. "Top pitching prospect Quinn Mathews has a 3.74 ERA in 18 games in Memphis this year, and 2025 first-round draft pick Liam Doyle projects to be a quick-riser through the organization’s minor-league system. But the Cardinals, especially under a new front office in Chaim Bloom and Rob Cerfolio, will not rush their top arms for the sake of need, not when developing internally remains a priority. The problem? Pitching depth, specifically in the upper levels of the farm system, is scarce." This, obviously, isn't the first time that Gray has been mentioned as a trade candidate and certainly won't be the last time. He has one year left on his three-year, $75 million deal that will pay him $35 million in 2026. Even in a down year for the Cardinals, Gray is 12-7 on the year with a 4.19 ERA. The ERA is a little up by his standards, but he has given the Cardinals a chance to win pretty much every time that he has stepped on the mound. Of the moves over the last few years, there's a real argument that Gray has been the best outside addition. There's a real chance that his time in St. Louis coming to an end, but he does have a no-trade clause which is important to note heading into a potentially transformational offseason.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders slammed by NFL coach for being late on reads
The Cleveland Browns have good reasons for keeping Shedeur Sanders as their third-string quarterback before Week 1 of the regular season. He needs to catch up to speed in the NFL. Jason Lloyd of The Athletic talked to an unnamed NFL head coach who argued that Sanders was late on reads during his two games in the preseason. One NFL coach I spoke to, who watched Sanders this preseason, thought he was consistently late reading what he saw and didn’t always deliver the ball where it was supposed to go, even though his numbers impressed against the Carolina Panthers. “The guy plays on tape delay,” the coach said. Sanders was noticeably tardy throwing the football during the Browns' preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams. He took five sacks for -41 yards. The sacks overshadowed his three completions for 14 yards in Cleveland's 19-17 win over the Rams. Sanders looked much better in his preseason debut when he went 12-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Still, the former Colorado Buffaloes signal caller took two sacks. Part of Sanders' regression against the Rams was that he played with a much weaker fourth-string unit. He received starting reps against the Panthers. But second-string quarterback Dillon Gabriel fared much better against opposing defenses with the same protection Sanders had. Sanders showed enough arm talent for the Browns to believe he has a chance to become a starter in the league. But he's just a rookie, and most quarterbacks struggle with holding the ball too long and throwing to the wrong area in the early stages of their career. With practice, Sanders should progress in those areas. There's no shame in starting the season as the QB3 until he's ready to lead the offense.
Jelena Ostapenko responds to racism allegations after post-match confrontation with Taylor Townsend
Micah Parsons trade overshadows positive Jordan Love news for Packers
It's the trade everyone wants to talk about, and for good reason. The Green Bay Packers pulled off a rare blockbuster trade, perhaps one of the biggest moves in the franchise's storied history. Superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons is now a Packer. Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst traded two first round picks and long-time defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys for Parsons, and then immediately gave him a four-year, $188M contract extension. That's seismic NFL news and it overshadowed another positive moment for Green Bay on Thursday, albeit a much smaller one. Before the trade, and while speaking to reporters, quarterback Jordan Love revealed that his surgically repaired left thumb is feeling good. He said he has "no concerns" heading into Week 1's massive matchup with the Detroit Lions, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. He'll have to wear a brace, but keep in mind, the brace will be on his non-throwing arm. "It'll be some weeks having to brace it up and just keep it protected," Love said. "It's one of those things, we'll play it by ear, as I start getting into games and seeing how it feels, as you get back to live contact. But there'll be some time having that brace still." While the Parsons trade will absolutely impact Green Bay's 2025 season, this update from Love is arguably just as important. Love showed at the end of the 2023 season that he has the capability to be an elite quarterback. He was injured for much of 2024, though, and his numbers and overall efficiency dipped as a result. No team wants to hear about its quarterback going under the knife just weeks before a season begins, but it sounds as if the decision was made in order to give Love the best chance to be as close to 100% as possible when things kick-off against the Lions on Sept. 7. It also sounds like he was dealing with a legitimate problem with his left thumb. "If you have no stability there, you have no strength as well," Love explained. "So it was pretty much just a limp thumb. I couldn't really do much with it, and it's just something that I wasn't, before the season, I'm not trying to be dealing with that throughout the course of the season. Who knows if that would have kept getting reinjured, kept getting messed up, and who knows how that would have been going through a whole season? So I think, and the doctors' opinion was, just go ahead and get the surgery knocked out and try to get back to as 100% as possible for the season." The Packers now have what appears to be an elite defense with the addition of Parsons. Despite trading away Clark in the deal, they've added him to a unit that features stars like safety Xavier McKinney, defensive end Rashan Gary and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. If Love can remain healthy, there's a real chance the Packers' offense will be elite as well. That's got to be a scary proposition for the rest of the NFC.
NFL analyst just exposed what could instantly change Commanders' destiny
Terry McLaurin finally agreeing to a lucrative contract extension with the Washington Commanders came with jubilant scenes across the organization and beyond. However, that doesn't change the importance of another dynamic playmaker in 2025. This was highlighted by an up-and-coming NFL analyst, who named Deebo Samuel Sr. as an X-factor who could make or break the Commanders' chances in 2025. The Commanders believe Samuel still has a lot more football left in the tank. Adam Peters knows him well as a player and a person. He was also more than happy to part ways with a fifth-round pick to acquire him from the San Francisco 49ers. Deebo Samuel tipped to make or break Commanders' offense by ESPN analyst All signs have pointed up for Samuel this summer. He's in great shape and is ready to make a significant impression. Ben Solak from ESPN agrees, but the analyst warned that if he cannot meet expectations, Washington's wide receiver depth might not be good enough to cope. [Deebo] Samuel was already an intriguing player when the Commanders traded for him. As things have developed further -- the recently resolved training camp holdout from Terry McLaurin and the lack of wide receiver depth -- Samuel has become even more important. They need him to be dynamic, and while he wasn't the same player last season as he was prior to that, he still is above average. If Samuel doesn't bring the juice, the Commanders' options to replace his unique role are understandably thin.Ben Solak, ESPN This is a fair assessment, especially considering the struggles of others during the preseason. Most of those are no longer around. Combine this with McLaurin and Noah Brown being back on the practice field, and this unit should be humming by the time Week 1 against the New York Giants arrives. Samuel will be a big part of Kliff Kingsbury's game plan. He fits the schematic concepts perfectly — someone who can take quick slants or screen passes and make things happen with the football in his hands. The second-round pick out of South Carolina looks healthy and focused, ready to silence those who unfairly criticized him once the trade was confirmed. There are elements in play that ensure Samuel won't be lacking in motivation this season. He's heard everyone write him off. He's got Peters' faith to repay. And there's also the possibility of another contract in Washington or elsewhere next spring if everything goes well. The ball is in Samuel's court. If he delivers, the Commanders' offense will be incredibly difficult to stop. More Commanders news and analysis
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