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Cubs Trade Idea Grabs Recent Cy Young Winner From Braves Amid Pitching Injuries

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 5:30 PM ET

Not every team in Major League Baseball has played as well as the Chicago Cubs, as one of the other National League contenders, the Atlanta Braves, has been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball.

When the Braves entered the year, the expectation was for them to compete for a World Series.

Instead, they're already 13.5 games back in the National League East, sitting in fourth place, even below the brutal Washington Nationals.

With the Braves struggling as much as they have, many expect them to potentially sell at the deadline. One name who could be moved is Chris Sale, a left-hander who is arguably still one of the top arms in MLB after dominating hitters a year ago, winning the National League Cy Young Award. While Sale is much older, 36 years old, he's still been a very elite arm, something the Cubs would love to add to the middle of their rotation.

In a recent trade idea from Newsweek, they’d accomplished just that. Newsweek discussed how the Braves could be sellers at the deadline due to their recent performance, and Sale makes perfect sense for what the Cubs currently need.

“Sale is not a name that would've been thought of at the beginning of the season, but he has now become an intriguing option due to the struggles from the Atlanta Braves.

“After a shaky start to the season, Sale has bounced back and has a 2.79 ERA with 107 strikeouts across 80 2/3 innings pitched,” they wrote.

Sale hasn't been as good as he was in 2024, but he still has a 2.79 ERA and has struck out 107 hitters in 80.2 innings. With that type of production, he'd be the best arm on Chicago’s staff, something the front office should be looking for.

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

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