The Chicago Cubs are looking to break a 10-game losing streak entering their Wednesday matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates. At 29-26, they're falling behind in the National League Central, 4.5 games back from the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
Chicago has been rocked with injuries throughout the 2026 season, with its pitching getting the worst of it. The Cubs currently have a handful of pitchers on the IL, four of whom are starters. That includes Cade Horton, Justin Steele, Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd.
In need of more consistency in the rotation, the New York Post's Jon Heyman identified the Cubs as the top suitor for Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal.
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“My No. 1 team to trade for Skubal is the Cubs,” Heyman said. “They’ve lost 10 in a row. We’ll get to all the Cubs' issues in a little while, but certainly, hitting is their No. 1 issue, but they lost Cade Horton. Obviously, a No. 1 pitcher, their No. 1 pitcher and to me that makes the most sense for a trade with Skubal… We do know that the GM of the Tigers, or baseball president, I should say, of the Tigers, Scott Harris, used to be with the Cubs, so he certainly knows Jed Hoyer well, knows their system.”
Skubal is also on the IL while recovering from surgery on his left elbow to remove loose bodies. However, The Athletic's Cody Stavenhagen reports that a return in June isn't impossible for the 2024 and 2025 Cy Young Award winner.
That would give him time to ramp back up before the trade deadline on Aug. 3. Returning to his normal form will only increase his trade value and make him more enticing for a team such as the Cubs.
Before hitting the IL, he'd been putting together a strong season. In seven starts, he tossed 43.1 innings, recording a 2.70 ERA, 0.946 WHIP and 45 strikeouts. He could boost a pitching staff that has struggled this year.
Through 55 games, the Cubs rank 20th in ERA (4.20), ninth in WHIP (1.24), 21st in strikeouts (442) and tied for 15th in opponent batting average (.240). Chicago's mounting pitching concerns intensify speculation surrounding Skubal.
