The Chicago Cubs have lost seven of their last 10 games, but they're still 15-15 on the year and appear to be heading in the right direction. However, their starting rotation has struggled as a whole at certain points in time, which may ramp up the team's efforts to explore trades for other pitchers.
And Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies might be one of those targets.
Chicago's starting rotation ERA ranks 17th (4.07) and that number is a result of recent woes. Jake Arrieta has the best ERA on the staff (3.41) while ace Jon Lester is slowly returning to his normal self (2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in last three starts). Jason Hammel is also throwing well (3-1 with a 3.52 ERA), but Travis Wood (4.96 ERA) and Kyle Hendricks (4.65 ERA) have struggled for much of the season.
Arrieta has also hit a rough patch this month, going 0-2 with a 6.97 ERA, so it's clear the rotation isn't really safe as a whole at any point in time. While Arrieta gets a free pass because he's proven what he's capable of, Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com writes, "with [Travis] Wood and [Kyle] Hendricks in a rough patch, you can't be as sure they'll come out of it."
"For now, Maddon said he'll keep marching his back-end guys out there at the same time the team discusses options. When is enough enough? The bigger question might be where do replacements come from?" he added.
Rogers goes on about the recent hardships endured by the club's bullpen, which ranks 26th in ERA (4.56), but one could argue that's a result of the volatile starting rotation and their inability to consistently pitch deep into games. After all, despite recent struggles, closer Hector Rodon and setup man Pedro Strop have had good campaigns thus far.
"After going 5-2 with a 2.76 ERA in 58 2/3 innings through 19 games this season, the pen is 0-3 with a 7.50 ERA in 36 innings since then, blowing three of four save chances in that 11-game span (Cubs 3-8 in those games)," adds Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Cubs' rotation ranks 20th in innings pitched (174 2/3) while the bullpen ranks 21st (94 2/3), which really makes the problem tough to diagnose because if a starting rotation isn't going deep into games then the bullpen would be tasked with logging more innings. It gets even more complicated because both the rotation and bullpen rank 28th in defense-independent ERA (adjusted without the effects of defense and luck on the pitcher's side).
So while Rogers notes it's "not the time of year to acquire a major bullpen arm," might the Cubs be considering a top starting pitcher?
"A blockbuster for a starter such as Cole Hamels is not out of the question, though. A team such as the Philadelphia Phillies doesn't need to wait until the trade deadline," Rogers writes. "If they like a deal, they're likely to pounce on it. But at this moment, the Cubs might not be ready for that blockbuster, or the Phillies might not be ready to come off their high demands."
President of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have been meticulous up until this point since joining the Cubs, so it's unlikely they hastily pull the trigger on a deal to land a pitcher such as Hamels.
Chicago is already exceeding expectations. There's no need to rush. However, if the inconsistencies continue into June or July and the Cubs are still in the playoff picture, don't be surprised if the club seeks to make upgrades on the trade market before the deadline.
