There is no secret that the Chicago Cubs want to add a pitcher or two ahead of the trade deadline. This is, of course, assuming that the North Siders remain in the playoff hunt. At the moment, Chicago is eight games back in the National League Central race. However, they are just a half-game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for a wild card spot.
While there are several avenues for Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to explore a deal, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller has a very interesting trade idea for the club. In a new proposal, Miller suggests that Chicago could target Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha of the Kansas City Royals. Acquiring two veteran pitchers from one team is fairly rare. Nevertheless, the deal would provide the Cubs with pitching depth, something they desperately need.
The Cubs are currently without key starters Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, and Justin Steele. Edward Cabrera also missed time recently as well, but has since returned to the rotation. Because of these injuries, Chicago’s starting pitchers have a collective 4.83 ERA in 2026. Only two other teams in baseball have a worse figure.
Both Lugo and Wacha are having solid seasons on a disappointing Royals team. Lugo, 36, has a 3.91 ERA and has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of his 13 starts. Wacha, 34, has posted an even better 3.44 ERA and 1.6 WAR during the current campaign. Both starters have been named to an All-Star team in their careers.
Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha Would Give the Chicago Cubs Stability in Their Rotation
GettyMichael Wacha has been linked to a potential move to the Chicago Cubs before.
Fans of the Chicago Cubs may not exactly view Lugo and Wacha as marquee names in the trade market. This is especially considering star pitchers such as Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta are also expected to be available this summer. Despite this, Hoyer has hinted that he will likely not target a high-priced rental in the coming weeks. Both Skubal and Peralta are set to be free agents after the 2026 season.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale recently posted quotes from Hoyer on the team’s potential trade targets. The Cubs exec hinted that he will not mortgage Chicago’s future just to land a star pitcher for a few months. Lugo and Wacha, however, are signed beyond the current campaign. Both pitchers have deals in place for the 2027 season and team options for 2028.
This is a key piece of information considering the contract situations of Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon. As Miller points out, both pitchers are set to become free agents after 2026. While the duo is not pitching particularly well, there will soon be a substantial hole to fill.
Chicago May Have to Give Up Former #6 Prospect
This is not the first time that the Chicago Cubs have been linked with Wacha. The club was previously linked with a potential move up to Chicago in the summer of 2025. Although both Lugo and Wacha are edging closer to retirement, they would provide the Cubs with some veteran leadership for the next couple of years.
Assuming the two teams do strike a deal, Miller suggests the trade could center around prospect Kevin Alcantara. Interestingly enough, the highly rated slugger was just demoted back to AAA Iowa to make room for Matt Shaw. The move comes after Alcantara committed a key base-running mistake on June 7.
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