Bullet point summary by AI
- The American League remains wide open, and the Orioles appear ready to sell their impending free agents.
- One good start from newly acquired David Peterson hasn’t quieted concerns about the Cubs’ rotation depth.
- The Cubs could target a starting pitcher before the August 3rd deadline, with one arm showing strong recent form and a trade package ready to offer.
The American League is wide open for any team who wants to get hot to do so. But the Baltimore Orioles, now sitting in last place in the AL East, seem unlikely to figure things out before it’s too late. As such, they’re far better off selling their impending free agents — including Trevor Rogers to the starting pitcher-needy Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs aggressively added New York Mets pitcher David Peterson back in late June to stop some of the bleeding in their rotation. One good and one very bad start later, there are still a lot of questions as Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, Ben Brown and Justin Steele all remain on the IL (with Cade Horton out for the year). Despite all that, Chicago somehow sits atop the list of National League Wild Card hunt in a league where we’re finally beginning to see the contenders separate from the pretenders.
Rogers has been a bit of an enigma over the course of his career, pitching to a 7.11 ERA in four starts with Baltimore after getting traded there in 2024 only to follow it up with a dazzling 1.81 ERA last season in an abbreviated 18-start performance. This year, at 4.70, he’s splitting the difference. A pure rental for the Cubs, which can get a sneak preview of what he might potentially offer them with an offseason reunion, they’d be well-served to make the Orioles an offer as soon as possible for a guy who is 4-1 with a 1.77 ERA in his six most recent outings through June and July.
What the Cubs should offer the Orioles for Trevor Rogers
Rogers is on a hot streak, and while the season-long numbers aren’t spectacular and he comes with injury risk, he could be one of the better arms moved in the next few weeks. With that in mind, it’s going to cost the Cubs three young players.
With Pedro Ramirez, the Orioles obtain a versatile infielder who went into the year ranked as the third-best Cubs prospect according to FanGraphs. He’s already on the MLB roster, hitting .250 in limited action. Considering the club already has Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner under contract, there isn’t much for this switch-hitting infielder to do other than learn a new position or fill out the bench.
Brooks Caple is the highest-ranked prospect in this deal, as MLB Pipeline has him as their 12th-best in the system. Currently in Double-A pitching to a 3.63 ERA, he has shown a tendency to throw with control. Combined with his time in Single-A, Caple has averaged 2.6 BB/9 and 9.5 K/9. The strike-throwing abilities should make him more intriguing to potential trade partners than any ranking.
The trade is completed with Dawson Netz. Unranked by MLB Pipeline, he’s paddling up a creek of becoming relevant in the Cubs’ system. His 2.53 ERA in Double-A this year through 46.1 innings working as a starter and reliever is notable. The 3.9 BB/9 won’t bend anyone’s mind, but it comes with a healthy 10.5 K/9. Less than a month away from turning 26, he’s someone the Orioles might want to accelerate through their system if he continues to pitch this well.
Rogers’ trade value will be determined largely by how he does in his final starts before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The Orioles should re-group rather than push for something that won’t happen: a championship run. Ramirez gives them an immediate big-league infielder to add to their mix while Caple becomes an interesting arm tossed into their system. Netz can be considered the “throw-in”, but with such good results in Double-A this year, he’s a significant enough piece to satisfy.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
