Could the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox be suitors for the same pitcher?

The Chicago Cubs are not where they imagined themselves being at this time of the season—and, actually, neither are the Chicago White Sox.

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The Cubs were expected to win the NL Central Division and push their way to a deep postseason run. The hopes for the White Sox, meanwhile, centered around building, improving, and slowly turning around a major league team that has been absolutely awful in recent years.

As things stand right now, the Sox are actually the ones in first place and the Cubs are languishing in third—even though there’s really only one game difference in the won-loss records.

As the South Siders look at the possibility of being a playoff team this year and as the Cubs are struggling to keep themselves playoff-eligible, this will make for some interesting times around the August 3 trade deadline.

Cubs vs. Sox at the trade deadline?

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With both teams looking for a strong veteran presence down the home stretch, as well as someone to bolster a postseason rotation, they could very well be eyeing the same trade targets.

One of those targets, according to a recent piece at ESPN, could be the Miami Marlins’ starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara, who was named as a best fit for both teams.

Per Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan:

“Teams are far more bullish on Alcantara this deadline than they were last time around, when the gap between the Marlins’ ask and others’ willingness to give up significant talent was too large to bridge. With just this year and a club option for less than the qualifying offer remaining, the 30-year-old Alcantara throws hard, eats innings and induces ground balls.

If he’s your No. 1 starter, you’re probably not going very far. If he’s your No. 3, you’ve got a good playoff rotation. Bonus points to teams with good infield defenses to account for Alcantara’s strikeout rate of 6.57 per nine innings, which ranks 62nd of 68 qualified starters.”

Eyeing Alcantara?

Alcantara, who has been tied to the Cubs since well before last trade deadline, would be an ideal addition to the North Siders given his high ground ball rate and heavy use of the sinker.

The White Sox, though, have a deeper farm system and could probably put together a better package in a deal.

Contractually, the 30-year-old righty is good for this season and the next, if a team wants to pick up his $21 million club option for 2027.

At this moment, the Cubs have a more urgent need for Alcantara as they are closer to a “must win now” situation than their crosstown rivals. With veterans Matthew Boyd, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Carson Kelly, Jameson Taillon, and Shota Imanaga all possibly becoming free agents at the end of this season, there is certainly an urgency you don’t find in the still-rebuilding Sox team.

While it’s not overtly likely that either team gets him—or that the Marlins even choose to trade him—it is interesting to note how the fortunes of both Chicago teams have changed over the course of less than three full months of season.

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