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Cubs urged to pursue Casey Mize.

The Chicago Cubs are right in the thick of the playoff mix, but whether or not they are buyers or sellers at the August 3 MLB Trade Deadline is uncertain.

If Chicago is buyers, adding pitching will be the biggest need, especially with the injuries to the rotation. Although the deadline is still a month-and-a-half away, Cubs analyst Matthew Schmidt of ChiCitySports urges the team to try to acquire Casey Mize.

“The Cubs need pitching more than anything else, so they must pursue add least one other arm for their starting rotation. One name in particular that is now emerging as a surprising potential trade target is Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize,” Schmidt wrote. …

“Mize is a solid pitcher who made the All-Star team last year courtesy of posting a 3.87 ERA. Like Skubal, he will become a free agent at year’s end, so the Tigers should be motivated to move him. The good news for the Cubs is that Mize would not be nearly as costly as Skubal, so they could probably afford to swing a trade for the Auburn product. Mize would instantly become one of Chicago’s top arms, so this is a deal the Cubs should already be pursuing.”

Mize was selected first overall in the 2018 MLB Draft, and although he’s not an ace, he’s still a solid pitcher. He would be a good middle-of-the-rotation arm for the Cubs and help solidify the rotation, which is an issue.

Mize is 2-3 with a 2.27 ERA in 9 starts this season, as he is on the IL but has begun a rehab assignment.

Mize is a ‘Sneaky’ Trade Chip

With the Tigers struggling, Detroit will likely be sellers ahead of the trade deadline.

Although Tarik Skubal will be the most sought-after name, MLB.com’s Jason Beck named Mize a sneaky trade chip for the Tigers.

“Yeah, we get it, Tarik Skubal will be the biggest name in baseball around the Deadline,” Beck wrote. “But if the Tigers indeed end up becoming sellers, Mize is a sneaky name to watch. The former No. 1 overall pick is off to the best start of his career, even better than his All-Star campaign last year.

“He entered Sunday ranked seventh in bWAR among AL pitchers at 2.2 despite missing time on the injured list with an adductor strain. His splitter is back to being a nasty out pitch, allowing him to raise his strikeout rate to a career-best 26.5%. And like Skubal, Mize is a free agent at season’s end.”

Mize is a one-time All-Star and is a pending free agent, so the former first overall could be on the move.

Cubs Expected to Pursue Pitching Help

If the Cubs continue to play well and end up being buyers, the team is expected to pursue pitching help.

Chicago’s rotation has been hindered by injuries, so the Cubs’ President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer confirmed the team would look for pitching help.

“Our position player group is deep, and it’s pretty set,” Hoyer said. “We’ll be looking at pitching at that point. [But] sitting here talking about the deadline, given how we’ve played, is the wrong thing to talk about.”

The Cubs are 37-34 and tied for the final Wild Card spot.