Chicago Cubs executive reacts to the latest blockbuster trade

The Chicago Cubs are one of the top teams in the National League, but they’ll need a good Trade Deadline to improve the roster and stay competitive. The Cubs made some improvements to their roster over the offseason, with the addition of Kyle Tucker being the move that put them over the edge and has helped them the most this season.

The Cubs have one of the better offenses in baseball, and they’ll do little if anything but add maybe another bench bat to the mix. The area of the roster that needs to be improved is the starting rotation, which has been deficient all season.

The Cubs will be getting a nice boost to the starting staff and bullpen, with Shota Imanaga, Porter Hodge, and Eli Morgan returning to the big league roster as soon as they wrap up their rehab assignments. Having all three back on the roster will help the Cubs further their lead in the National League Central. The Cubs will need to do more to improve the roster, especially after the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, which made the NL more competitive and made one executive’s job a lot harder.

The Chicago Cubs’ journey to the World Series became a lot harder after the Rafael Devers trade

The Cubs should be one of the lucky teams to make the playoffs this season, as they hold a 5.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the National League Central. With the Trade Deadline a little over six weeks away, President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer and the Cubs will have their work cut out for them, especially since the National League got more competitive with the Giants’ addition of Devers.

Devers’ addition to the Giants adds more thump to their lineup and helps them remain competitive with a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will also be aggressive at this year’s deadline, given their injuries and the Devers news. In his most recent appearance on the Spiegel and Holmes show on 670 The Score, Hoyer reacted to the Devers trade by indicating that those are the moves the Cubs have to “contend” with.

Hoyer via the Spiegel and Holmes show:

“Certainly, the National League continues to get more and more depth and more and more good players,” Hoyer says. “That’s just what we have to contend with.”

Cubs executive Jed Hoyer weighs in on the Giants acquiring star slugger Rafael Devers from the Red Sox.

“Certainly, the National League continues to get more and more depth and more and more good players,” Hoyer says. “That’s just what we have to contend with.” pic.twitter.com/rmIAgtyyYw

— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) June 17, 2025

The Cubs need an Ace at the deadline

If the Cubs are to put themselves over the edge and surpass teams like the Dodgers and the Giants, they will need to add a high-end starting pitcher. The Cubs have been reported to be in on the Miami Marlins’ Ace Sandy Alcántara, who missed last season due to Tommy John surgery, and has not been pitching like himself.

The Cubs could be in on other arms like Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins, who could be available, but there’s still time for Hoyer to get a plan together. Hoyer may need to get crafty, as the price for starting pitching may be high. Thankfully, the Chicago Cubs have the prospects to get a deal for one done.