The Cubs might trade big Jimmy?
And The Athletic's noted theoretical gossipists throw out Steele's name, too.



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Oh no, not the great Jimmy Taillon. Reports came out on Saturday that the Cubs would “consider” trading Taillon before the July 30 deadline and that they have already had talks with the Red Sox and Yankees.
Taillon is having a good season. He’s 7-4 with a 3.10 ERA and unlike last year he’s actually beating teams who have winning records, three in total, but also three in a row as he’s reeled off wins over the Phillies, Orioles and the Cardinals in his last three starts. Taillon is signed for the next two seasons at $18 million per and, of course, he has a no-trade clause, but it’s only for ten teams. So he should have some decent value.
Why would the Cubs be willing to part with such a gem? Well, I suppose it’s because they feel they have good starting pitching depth with Shōta and Justin Steele and…uh…Kyle Hendricks sometimes, and Javier Assad (just off the IL) and Hayden Wesneski (just went on the IL) and Ben Brown (still on the IL), and Jordan Wicks (been on the IL for quite a while) and they have young studs like Cade Horton (on the IL in the minors) in the pipeline coming so…you know what, maybe that’s not it?
In The Athletic this morning, Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney report that the Cubs “could theoretically include offers for standout lefthander Justin Steele,” they add that “the asking price would surely be astronomical.” Well, I’m not going to get too worried or excited, considering that Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins don’t seem astronaut material.

“Two Americans, gentlemen all! Jedward Horatio Hoyer, Carter Imogen Hawkins!”
Could it be that they are keen to move on from Taillon while he’s pitching well, but also while he’s clearly reached the point of his life where even looking a fairly heavy object that he might need to eventually pick up gives him lower back spasms? That could probably be it.
The Red Sox interest would mean that their GM Craig Breslow, who was the head fabulist of the vaunted Cubs pitch lab the previous few seasons has fond memories of Taillon. Same with the Yankees, who actually employed him in 2021 and 2022, and he was pretty good for them in one of those seasons. They were so impressed by him that they let him go to the Cubs without much of a fight.
Does the alleged willingness to trade their (currently) third base starting pitcher signal that the Cubs are going to be selling at this year’s deadline? Who knows? Trading Taillon doesn’t have to mean you’re giving up. If you keep him he’s likely to go on the IL sometime in August anyway, just because that’s the shit that happens to the Cubs. Also, the team sent Jed quite the message that they are ready to capitalize on their hot finish to the first half by scoring two runs in the first 26 innings of the weekend’s series with the D’bags.