Chicago Cubs urged to avoid this temping trade target

The Chicago Cubs will resume their season this Friday, coming out of the All-Star break with the top spot in the NL Wild Card race and a good amount of momentum.

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They will also be coming back with some glaring holes in their roster and some well-defined needs.

Chief among those needs is starting pitching. The team has lost Cade Horton for the season following Tommy John surgery earlier this year. They can also cross off ace Justin Steele, who suffered a setback in his own recovery from elbow surgery last year. Ben Brown, who was having a breakthrough year, has also been sidelined indefinitely with a recurring neck problem. Meanwhile, new Cub starter Edward Cabrera is currently on the IL with a hamstring injury as Jameson Taillon gets ready to join the team after his own stint on the IL.

Given all the injuries and misfortune, the Cubs front office needs to target starting pitching prior to the August 3 MLB trade deadline.

With a need for a front-of-rotation starter and a desire to target young pitchers with years of team control ahead, there has been a short list of “best fit” pitchers suggested for the team.

Cubs warned to stay away from this pitcher

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One of those on the short list is the Angels’ Jose Soriana, whose 3.49 ERA and two years of team control remaining after this season make him a tantalizing trade target.

Ryan O’Rourke of Cubbies Crib, however, is warning the Cubs that they may want to stay far away from the 27-year-old righty.

Per O’Rourke:

“…The warning signs have shone bright beneath his sparkling 3.49 ERA. After giving up just one run in his first 37 2/3 innings, the wheels have come off the bus. To illustrate the drop-off, starting from his match-up against the White Sox at the end of April, his first start giving up more than one run, he’s had the fifth-worst ERA among qualified pitchers at 5.15 with an also quite bad 4.89 FIP.

A constant problem in Soriano’s career has been his walk rate and overall command, and that remains true in 2026, as he’s issuing free passes to 11.4% of batters he’s faced. Only 43.6% of his pitches are ending up in the strike zone, putting him comfortably below league average when it comes to getting the ball over the plate. Home runs have also increasingly plagued him, as he’s coughed up 11 from that game with the White Sox on.”

More work-in-progress than impact arm?

O’Rourke does go on to point out that Soriano’s 53.1% groundball rate and his high-90s velocity might make him an intriguing pickup, even with his propensity for walking batters and giving up the long ball.

Soriano put up some dominant numbers in his first six starts of the season, but has hobbled his way through the last 14. This suggests that the rotation piece is still very much a work in progress. He’s not, however, a pitcher who will help carry this Cubs team to the playoffs and deep into the postseason.

Given his age and the years of team control—plus the demand for starting pitching at the deadline—the Angels will also likely be asking a hefty price for the four-year major leaguer.

Maybe Soriano would fly as an offseason acquisition, as someone the Cubs pitching brain trust can work with and help further develop. But he’s not the guy the team needs on August 3.

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