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Cubs Get Bad News on Potential Pirates Trade Deadline Targets

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matthew Sullivan | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 12:05 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in the same division, so trades between the two are always noteworthy. At this year's trade deadline, the Cubs are interested in multiple Pirates players.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports the Cubs are interested in third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes and starter Mitch Keller. It's not the first time the two have been linked to the Cubs, but his further update is of note.

Nightengale wrote, "Executives wonder if the Pirates will now be reluctant to trade some of their most valuable chips now that the team is performing well under interim manager Don Kelly (26-25)."

If such a scenario played out, it'd be very bad news for the Cubs. Two of their most noteworthy trade targets, Keller and Hayes, would likely be off the block. They're the Pirates' best trade chips and could be off the block if the MLB executives' "wonder" comes true.

Keller has been strongly linked to the Cubs, and Nightengale further made the connection. He brought up how Keller's price tag is "soaring" after his last few starts have culminated in a 2.40 ERA.

Hayes hasn't been nearly as great lately, but the overall point is still troublesome for the Cubs. If the Pirates decide to hold onto their best trade chips, the Cubs would lose out on two of their top targets.

With teams having plenty of interest in third basemen and starters this trade cycle, two of the best options coming off the market would make the competition a lot tougher.

Chicago has solid trade pieces to land the players they want, but they might have to overpay to get a starter or third baseman if both Keller and Hayes are off the block. They'd both be expensive regardless, but this update is worrisome for the trade deadline as a whole.

The demand is outweighing the supply, and it could cause the Cubs to be in a tricky spot, since they have interest in two of the top Pirates' trade pieces in Mitch Keller and Ke'Bryan Hayes.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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