Cubs warned to steer clear of trade for one specific All-Star pitcher

The Chicago Cubs have exactly shown some positive signs recently, as they have won four of their last five games in what has been, by far, their best stretch of baseball since early May.

That being said, it’s still blatantly obvious that the Cubs need help. Chicago has gone just 11-23 since its 27-12 start, and it has holes up and down the roster. The offense needs depth, the starting rotation is abysmal and the bullpen is a bit shaky.

So, where will the Cubs turn between now and the MLB trade deadline?

Well, prior to their sudden “surge,” some viewed Chicago as potential sellers before Aug. 3, as the team appeared to be in freefall. As a result, Seiya Suzuki was floated as a possible trade candidate, which made sense considering he is slated to hit free agency next winter.

But is it possible that the Cubs could actually trade Suzuki while still receiving a veteran starting pitcher in return? An idea was pitched late last week that would send Suzuki to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for right-hander Luis Castillo, but Brandon Glick of Cubbies Crib isn’t loving it.

Chicago Cubs warned to avoid trade for Luis Castillo

Castillo has long been one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball, having earned three All-Star appearances since entering the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds in 2017. He also finished fifth in AL Cy Young award voting as recently as 2023.

However, Castillo is not having the best year in 2026, and Glick does not think trading Suzuki for the Dominican native would be worth it.

“Perhaps trading him for some much-needed pitching, as Bleacher Report’s Zach Rymer suggests, could suffice. Rymer floats Seattle Mariners starter Luis Castillo as a potential fit in a one-for-one swap, which does have some merit; we all know how bad the North Siders need a reliable starter,” Glick wrote. “Castillo is, if nothing else, reliable, having tossed at least 175 innings in each of the past three seasons and at least 150 in each of the past five. The issue is his results have declined with age, as the 33-year-old owns a career-worst 5.00 ERA across 66.2 frames this season.”

Castillo’s strikeout numbers have also declined the last couple of years, and his 1.380 WHIP and 2.60 K/BB ratio this season are both the worst of his career.

It seems pretty clear that Castillo is not the same anymore, and Lord knows the Cubs don’t need any more combustible arms in their starting rotation. It especially wouldn’t be a very good idea to swap Suzuki for Castillo considering that Suzuki has been one of Chicago’s only true sources of offense this year.

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