Chicago Cubs miss out on 2x All-Star pitcher long linked to team in trade rumors

The MLB trade deadline is a day away, and the Chicago Cubs are seeing pitchers long coveted by fans sent to other teams. On Saturday night, two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This, of course, was bad news to the Cubs. While they never were seriously in the conversation to land Skubal, the Dodgers are a team they will likely need to defeat in the postseason if they are to advance to the World Series.

Unfortunately, Sunday brought news of a different pitcher, one viewed as a legitimate trade target, being sent elsewhere too.

The Chicago Cubs see Freddy Peralta traded to the Tampa Bay Rays

Ever since the early days of the season, when it became apparent that the New York Mets were going to be the biggest disappointment in baseball, the Cubs were named as a favorite to land two-time All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta. After all, Peralta has a history with Craig Counsell from their days with the Milwaukee Brewers. He also has plenty of postseason experience.

Unfortunately, all the hype surrounding Peralta and Chicago was for naught. He has been traded to the Tampa Bay Rays:

The Rays are acquiring starting pitcher Freddy Peralta in a trade with the New York Mets, league sources tell The Athletic.

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) August 2, 2026

Of course, acquiring Peralta would have been a risk for the Cubs anyway. While he had been one of the better pitchers in the National League in years past, he is having the worst season of his career in 2026. In 22 starts for the New York Mets, he was 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA.

Last year, he was 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA for the Brewers.

More Chicago Cubs news from ChiCity Sports

• Cubs trade proposal lands them two pitchers from the Blue Jays
• Could the Cubs also be in the market for another bat at the MLB trade deadline?
• MLB insider reveals how many pitchers the Cubs want at the deadline

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