The Chicago Cubs are in the market for multiple players ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. Pitching will clearly be the focus for the team’s president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer. The Cubs have been linked with a new starting pitcher for months now. After all, the North Siders lost multiple pieces of their rotation within the first few weeks of the season.
Landing a quality starter remains possible for Chicago. On top of this, the Cubs are also interested in bolstering their bullpen. At the moment, the team has a collective 3.94 ERA from relief pitchers. This particular figure ranks 13th among all Major League Baseball clubs. However, Chicago also has just 374 total strikeouts from their bullpen. 20 MLB teams have more K’s from relief pitchers.
As reported by The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell recently emphasized this specific need from his bullpen. The reporter then claimed that Chicago “would love to acquire” Adrian Morejon from the San Diego Padres. The reliever has recorded 64 strikeouts in just over 57 innings of work this season. He also has an impressive 3.14 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.
Sharma, however, goes on to report that Morejon would likely come with a high price tag. This is even though the star reliever is viewed as a rental. Morejon is currently on a one-year, $3.9 million contract, and he will be an unrestricted free agent this winter. It remains to be seen if Hoyer and the Cubs are willing to give up the necessary prospects to land the rental from San Diego.
Chicago Cubs Could Target Adrian Morejon and Jeff Hoffman
GettyThe Chicago Cubs are also being linked to right-handed flamethrower Jeff Hoffman.
While the Chicago Cubs are interested in acquiring Morejon, they would have to make an exception to make the move. According to Sharma’s sources, Chicago ultimately prefers to land a right-handed reliever. The Padres star, while a solid reliever, is a southpaw. Because of this, the reporter is also linking Luke Weaver and Jeff Hoffman to the Cubs.
This is not the first time Weaver has been mentioned as a potential target for Chicago. The New York Mets star was previously linked to a move to the Cubs in mid-July. Hoyer was previously interested in signing the former free agent last winter. The Chicago Cubs, however, were unwilling to meet New York’s offseason contract offer. Nevertheless, Weaver has proven to be worth his two-year, $22 million deal.
Weaver is widely viewed as a better option than Hoffman. After all, the Mets star has mostly posted better statistics than the former Toronto Blue Jays closer in 2026. Hoffman, however, has a higher strikeout rate and would almost certainly be cheaper to acquire. The Toronto righty makes somewhat similar money to Weaver through the 2027 campaign.
Another Source Links Chicago to Star Relievers
Sharma is not the only reporter to link the Chicago Cubs to the aforementioned trio of relievers. Chicago Tribune’s David Brandt also specifically named Morejon, Hoffman, and Weaver as potential trade targets by the club. The reporter picked out the trio in a recent column, as well as Padres superstar closer Mason Miller. The All-Star reliever, however, is perhaps more likely to remain in San Diego beyond the deadline.
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