While the Chicago Cubs had a bit of an offense problem over the weekend, it appears the team’s biggest need is actually in its rotation. The team came into the season hoping Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey and a revolving door of fifth starters would be enough to get Chicago back to the playoffs.
So far, it appears a regression to mediocrity for almost everyone in the rotation has the Cubs looking for some help via the trade market. One of the names that has popped up among the usual baseball media as far as a target for the team is one of their former farm hands.
Chris Archer just might be a member of the Chicago Cubs before the season is out if Jon Heyman is to be believed.
Chicago could be bringing a farmhand back
Heyman put together a rather long list of the players that are likely going to be targets before and during the trade deadline. It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise there are so many names, considering it’s still early and there are more than a few teams who haven’t decided whether they’re buyers or sellers.
The most interesting part about the list of 70 players might be there is really only one who has been tied to the Cubs in any real way. Once traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Matt Garza, Chris Archer has long been rumored to be going back to Chicago at some point in his career.
Would the Cubs be willing to pay the price?
Heyman believes this might be the year Archer does finally make it back to his former team, as Theo Epstein could be more desperate to make a trade for a top of the rotation starter than he has been at any point in his tenure in Chicago.
That desperation might be why Heyman believes a trade between the two teams is finally going to come about.
In order to do any kind of trade, Tampa would have to put away some pretty bad feelings they’ve been harboring every since their manager Joe Maddon, opted out of his contract with the Rays and joined Epstein’s squad.
There was once even talk the Rays might be looking to lodge an official tampering complaint with Major League Baseball, but that appears to have gone away.
Heyman specifically points to Tampa’s bad feelings about that whole deal as a big roadblock. Those negative relations might also make Archer more expensive. He’s on a team friendly deal and still under that deal for a few more years. If the Chicago Cubs want to go out and get him to build up their rotation, they’re going to be parting with some talented players.
