The Rundown: Cubs Pursuing Pitching Additions, PCA Adds to Historic 2026 Campaign, White Sox Nearly Acquired Chapman
“See we’re taking it easy. We’re taking it slow.” – Easy Skanking by Bob Marley & the Wailers
I don’t know what it is about getting older but it sure seems like I am always wanting to try new things. I spent the better part of the last five days completely off the grid, camping and river rafting. I’d never done either, and immediately loved both. Baseball and work were the furthest things from my mind, and I feel almost born again, though I did return home smelling like the undead. Yes, it was worth it, and the name Jed Hoyer never crossed my mind.
That’s not me dissing the Cubs’ president of baseball operations, I promise. He’s probably not wondering what I’m going to write about today, either, so no harm, no foul. I do have an order to creating the Rundown that goes something like: check scores, check standings, search for Chicago baseball news, Google Hoyer, and then visit the obligatory baseball sites and insiders. Oh, then I frame the content to match the energy of my musical selections. Easy Skanking is therefore the conduit from my trip to Hoyer’s deliberate pace of improving his roster. Finally, of course, I tell myself I’m going to write my greatest piece ever, and here we are.
The Brewers stand between the Cubs and everything. That’s the gist of the remainder of the 2026 season. Hoyer will be competing for the same pitchers at this year’s trade deadline as Milwaukee GM Matt Arnold, and the Cream City Crew stands in the way of Chicago’s North Side Baseballers in the fight for the NL Central. Additionally, only one of the two rivals can get to the World Series, so the possibility exists that they’ll meet in the NLDS or NLCS.
The Angels are involved to a lesser extent because they will probably trade one or all of Reid Detmers, José Soriano, and Zach Neto. I also mentioned in my last column that Mike Trout could/should be traded to the Phillies, and I still stand on that. The long-awaited teardown that owner Arte Moreno has avoided is now entrusted to John Mozeliak. The question remains, however, if Mozeliak is willing to hurt the Cardinals, who employed him for nearly two decades. I don’t see that as a problem.
The Angels aren’t the only team peddling multiple players. The Mets, Giants, Rockies, Royals, Blue Jays, and Tigers are probable sellers, and the Padres, Nationals, Marlins, Orioles, and Twins are about to join them. Some fantastic players on those teams could help the Cubs. It’s a buyer’s market no matter what anybody says to the contrary.
Unfortunately, Hoyer sees equal or greater value in cheap, fringe players like Aaron Civale, who was acquired over the weekend for Aiden Moffett. That’s a letdown when you are thinking in terms of Detmers, Joe Ryan, Mason Miller, or Tarik Skubal. It’s confidence-sapping when you further realize that the Brewers gave up only Jadyn Fielder to get Lance McCullers Jr. and Colton Gordon from the Astros.
Perhaps I’m just not fond of Hoyer’s penchant for reacquiring former castoffs, though he did designate Drew Pomeranz for assignment after acquiring Civale. McCullers does a better job of keeping the baseball in the ballpark than Civale, who served up a dinger to Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler last night. Home runs are postseason kill shots (see Game 5, Brewers-Cubs 2025 NLDS), especially when they come against relievers. Detmers and Miller are potential additions that limit the long ball, but expecting the Cubs to pay the premium to acquire either or both is laughable. It’s just not happening.
I’m rambling now, but then again I’ve been a couple hundred miles from advanced civilization for nearly a week. Skubal or Detmers and Miller could very well end up with the Brewers while Chicago looks for zombified corpses in baseball’s misfit landfill. That would be one humiliating kick to the crotch.
When will Hoyer hit the Brewers where they hurt the most instead of vice versa? The 11-2 shellacking that the Cubs gave the Tigers last night rarely happens once the calendar flips to October. Everybody loves a butt whipping, but limiting runs is the key to a successful postseason. Civale isn’t the needle-mover Chicago needs.
Cubs News & Notes
- We are now a mere 12 days away from this year’s August 3 trade deadline. Life comes at you pretty fast if you’re not paying attention.
- Craig Counsell wants Chicago’s front office to “just make the team better” in the next two weeks.
- Mike Axisa of CBS Sports predicts the Cubs will trade for several Mets pitchers in the coming weeks. He then mentioned Clay Holmes, Freddy Peralta, A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán, and Luke Weaver as potential additions.
- Jefferson Rojas could be on New York’s radar. The infield prospect is blocked by Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson, and is likely to be traded ($) as a result.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong makes defensive wizardry standard operating procedure.
- The speedy center fielder is enjoying an historic campaign at the plate, too, and is playing at a 10.1-WAR pace.
- Third baseman Alex Bregman is beginning to feel more comfortable at the plate, and it’s showing in his production.
- Michael Conforto hit his fourth pinch-hit home run of the 2026 season, matching the highest total by a Cubs hitter since Glenallen Hill in 1999.
- The Cubs activated Jameson Taillon when they traded for Civale. Pomeranz was DFA’d, and Phil Maton was placed on the 15-day IL to open up roster spots.
- Most of Chicago’s player moves so far reek of desperation.
- David Peterson walked off to a standing ovation after holding Detroit scoreless through 6.2 innings. It was his longest outing in over a year.
- The Cubs are tentatively planning to cancel CubsCon due to the possibility of a work stoppage.
Ball Four
Found this after writing my preamble. How serendipitous.
Did you know PCA likes to listen to Bob Marley before taking the field?👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/HNoVcwt751
— Big League Digest (@BigLeagueDigest) July 22, 2026
Apropos of Nothing
This is my 1,701st post for Cubs Insider. That’s roughly 170 per year since I started. Thank you for putting up with me for the past decade.
Central Intelligence
- Milwaukee (63-38): The Brewers will limit the number of innings staff ace Jacob Misiorowski pitches down the stretch.
- Chicago (57-44): A now-viral video shows a young Cubs fan being slapped before Sunday’s game for not standing during the National Anthem. I’d sue, and if the young man is reading, I can refer a slam dunk attorney for a $1,000 finder fee.
- Pittsburgh (52-49): You can add Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz as a surprising addition to the list of players reportedly available at the trade deadline.
- St. Louis (51-49): As this year’s Ford C. Frick recipient, Joe Buck will be joining his father Jack as a Hall of Fame inductee this weekend.
- Cincinnati (46-54): Reliever Caleb Ferguson apologized for an expletive-laden rant directed at umpire Bill Miller.
How About That!
The White Sox were allegedly close to acquiring Aroldis Chapman from the Red Sox before Boston started its current 14-game winning streak.
The Nationals reportedly prefer to keep starter Foster Griffin rather than trade him.
The Athletic predicts that the most aggressive buyers ($) in the next two weeks will be the Brewers, Phillies, Cubs, Pirates, and Yankees.
According to the latest reports from MLB insider Jon Heyman and SNY, the Yankees are legitimate contenders to acquire Miller from the Padres.
The Royals acquired Nate Pearson from the Astros, and may flip him or keep him as insurance in case they trade somebody else from their bullpen.
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler is pitching with an edge, and it has put him back in contention for the Cy Young award.
Three from the Bill-Chuck Files
- The Marlins have lost eight straight and haven’t won since their six-game winning streak ended July 9. Miami is therefore a team to pay a lot of attention to over these next two weeks. Sandy Alcántara to the Cubs, anyone?
- Ernie Banks wore number 14 during his 19-year career with the Cubs and was an All-Star 14 times.
- Reliever Brent Headrick has 42 scoreless appearances in 50 chances for the Yankees. That’s currently the best in baseball, and second-best in franchise history. Mariano Rivera and Tom Gordon hold the team record of 65, and both did it in 2004.
Son of Apropos
I’ll take some shit for this, but how bad is Chicago’s pitching infrastructure when only four of its top 16 prospects are pitchers, and one was drafted this year? That’s according to the post-draft update ($) by Baseball America. Jaxon Wiggins is No. 5, followed by Cade Townsend (7), Kaleb Wing (9), and Dominick Reid (11). Wiggins has been hurt most of this year, and Wing, who has thrown less than 30 innings, is too. Reid has less than 50 IP this season. That’s four pitchers with about 100 combined professional innings.
I don’t like bashing Hoyer as much as you don’t like hearing it, but the state of Chicago’s organizational pitching is threadbare at best. Let’s hope the hurler-heavy 2026 draft provides a titanic shift.
Extra Innings
Watch Kevin Alcántara increase his trade value.
talk about smooth. pic.twitter.com/nE51XXwis3
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 22, 2026
They Said It
- “Just make the team better. I don’t think there’s a specific to that at all right now. Most teams are in the same spot. There’s a lot of ways to make the team better.” – Counsell
- “I’ve said it a million times, you can never have enough pitching. The hope of guys coming back off the injured list, I don’t think that’s going to temper our need.” – Hoyer
- “Look, you got to prove it in this league every single [night)]. I don’t care who you are, you’ve got to go prove it every time out there. The other team’s trying to kick your ass.” – Counsell
Wednesday Walk-Up Song
My next rafting trip won’t get here fast enough.
