It’s no secret that the Chicago Cubs will be looking to add starting pitching at this year’s trade deadline.
The Cubs have been dealt some tough injuries early in the season. Cade Horton is out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Justin Steele has suffered a setback in his recovery ramp-up, and Matthew Boyd is set to miss the next six weeks due to a meniscus injury.
Those injuries will force the front office to make a trade for a starting pitcher at some point over the next few months. It’s almost a must for the Cubs to acquire a top starting pitcher by the August 3rd trade deadline.
And it appears the Cubs are already having those conversations with some teams.
MLB insider Hector Gomez reported that Chicago is showing “a lot of interest” in starting pitchers Freddy Peralta and Sandy Alcantara. Both pitchers make sense as potential trade deadline targets for the Cubs.
We already knew the team had spoken with the Mets regarding Peralta. Cubs insider Bruce Levine said a few days ago that “according to industry sources, the Cubs are one of the teams the Mets have talked to about RHP Freddy Peralta.”
Peralta would really be the perfect trade deadline target. He has emerged as one of the top aces in baseball and is off to another strong start in 2026. The two-time All-Star currently owns a 3.12 ERA and 43 strikeouts across 43 ⅓ innings pitched.
Alcantara could also be a nice trade deadline target if the Mets decide not to trade Peralta or if their asking price is too high.
After struggling with a 5.36 ERA across 31 starts in 2025, Alcantara is back to posting solid numbers on the mound. The former National League Cy Young winner has a 3.90 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 57 ⅔ innings pitched this season.
Now, the biggest concern with Alcantara is his strikeout numbers. His strikeout rate (16.1%) only ranks in the 15th percentile in the early going, and he has struck more than four batters just once over his last six outings.
However, he would be a solid addition to a Cubs team with World Series aspirations. The right-hander has thrown a quality start in three of his last four starts, and both his expected ERA (3.45) and FIP (3.76) are lower than his actual ERA (3.90).
There’s no doubt that the Cubs will be in the market for a starting pitcher this summer. Peralta and Alcantara are the first two pitchers who are already being linked to the North Siders at this year’s trade deadline.
