The Cubs are once again struggling, first with Miguel Montero and Jake Arrieta struggling to stop the Nationals from running rampant on the base paths Tuesday night, which lead to a stupid amount of drama that saw Montero getting Designated for Assignment Wednesday afternoon. Then, John Lackey once again had another dismal performance that saw the Cubs down 6-0 by the 3rd inning.
This team needs a little bit of everything, but the most glaring need for the Cubs is starting pitching. Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks, when he returns to the rotation, have shown they can be arms the club can rely on this season. But outside of those two, the rest of the rotation is loaded with question marks. And despite their .500 record (39-39), the Cubs are luckily still only a single games back of the Brewers, and are classifying themselves as buyers at the trade deadline.
Sonny Gray and Chris Archer are the two names everyone wants the Cubs to acquire, which would require Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer to part ways with top prospects like Eloy Jimenez and Ian Happ. Outside of those two, the White Sox are also dangling lefty-ace Jose Quintana after rebounded nicely in June, sporting a 1.78 ERA with nearly a 9% K/9. But, with almost every team in range of a playoff spot searching for another pitcher, the Cubs will be competing with the likes of the Yankees, Astros, Red Sox, and Dodgers for any of the three listed above.
However, I was tipped off yesterday about the Cubs scouting a former top prospect and current Orioles starter Kevin Gausman, with Cubs scouts reportedly at the right handers most recent start. Stop me if you’ve heard this before…
According to a source, the #Cubs were scouting #Orioles RHP Kevin Gausman yesterday. No word on the cost, but the Cubs view him as a TOR arm
— Sean Sears (@sean_sears6) June 28, 2017
Gausman is having an awful 2017 campaign, with a 6.07 ERA in 17 starts, but his breakout 2016 season where he ended with a 3.61 ERA and a K/9 at 8.72, the 26-year-old has upside. He also features a fastball that lands between 94-96 MPH with a devastating split-fingered fastball.
It was great to see Kevin Gausman get into a groove with his Split-Changeup last night pic.twitter.com/GvDUihYw6M
— Pitcher List (@ThePitcherList) June 22, 2017
No word on if the Orioles are even interested in moving Gausman, who has three more years of arbitration eligibility and is making $3.5 Mil this season. And while Baltimore sits 4.5 games back from the division, it remains to be seen whether the club is ready to become sellers at the deadline.
I have heard conflicting reports on the asking price for Gausman, with some sources saying it could take a package headlined by Jeimer Candelario and lesser pieces, and others claiming the Cubs would have to part with Jimenez or Happ to make the deal.
While it’s not guarantee that Kevin Gausman will be a serious option for the Cubs at the deadline, it’s becoming clear that the North-Siders are looking into multiple names to acquire in hopes of improving this rotation for another deep playoff run.
