Chicago Cubs could stay in the NL Central when trying to acquire starting pitching depth

Despite having a three-game lead of first place in the NL Central entering their weekend series against the Mets, the Chicago Cubs will need to add pitching depth at some point this summer. Losing Justin Steele for the entire season with an elbow injury that he sustained last month was not ideal, as the left-hander was looking continue his solid stretch as a top-of-the-line guy in the Cubs’ rotation over the past couple of seasons.

Things went from bad to worse when Shota Imanaga joined Steele on he shelf following his start against Milwaukee last weekend. While Imanaga won’t miss the entire season, he will likely be out four-to-six weeks as he recovers from a hamstring strain.

The front office was already put on notice to potentially go out and acquiring starting pitching help after Steele’s season came to a close. That has since been bumped up a few notches with Imanaga set to miss a handful of starts coming up.

Sandy Alcantara was the original top target on the pitching trade market for most teams across the league, but his rough start to the season could impact his trade value. If Miami elects to hold onto him due to lack of interest or poor value, Chicago could look within the NL Central for another veteran right-hander to join the rotation.

The Chicago Cubs could target Mitch Keller

Mitch Keller has been a consistent part of the Pirates rotation since 2021 and he has kept a clean bill of health in the process. The right-hander’s numbers have been relatively similar in each of the last four seasons on a Pittsburgh squad that has yet to turn a corner in their current rebuild.

Keller made 31 starts a year ago and posted an 11-12 record in 178.0 innings tossed. He finished the season with a 4.25 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP while opponents hit .261 against him. In eight starts this year, Keller has a 4.40 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP in 45.0 innings pitched. His numbers are a bit inflated after he allowed seven runs in his 3.2 innings of work against the Yankees in hi second start of the campaign.

While he won’t win a World Series on his own, Keller has proven to be healthy and consistent over the past few years. The Cubs need depth badly and purely from a performance standpoint, the right-hander would improve their rotation immediately.

Mitch Keller’s contract could prevent the Cubs from making this trade

Keller is under contract for three more seasons after 2025 and is owed $16 million next year, $18 million in 2026 and $20 million in 2027. That is a hefty price to pay for a Chicago front office that should be looking to extend Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong this offseason.

While this price on Keller is the going rate for quality arms in today’s game, the Cubs might be better off trying to use that money on a different pitcher. However, beggars can’t be choosers and Keller should still 100% be in consideration at the deadline if Pittsburgh is willing to part ways with him.