The 2025 trade deadline was a remarkable one, but it was more about which players weren’t traded than those who were. That was certainly the case for the Cubs, who made a series of underwhelming deals to add depth rather than improving the top end of the roster. That was particularly true for the rotation, which has been hammered by injuries and inconsistent performance.
Starting pitching was the main attraction on Thursday, even if things didn’t unfold the way everyone expected. Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen, Sandy Alcántara, Edward Cabrera, and Mitch Keller were all expected to be traded, or at least heavily dangled in negotiations.