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With the Philadelphia Phillies struggling the way they are, Bryce Harper's name has come up in trade speculation. Could an NL Central team be in the mix?
The Chicago Cubs are playing well to start the 2026 season. As the month of May begins, they are 19-12 and sit just one game back of first place in the crowded National League Central. They won 92 games last season and were a wild card team before being knocked out in the Division Series by the Milwaukee Brewers, and so far, they have picked up right where they left off.
They should be in the mix to make some big upgrades this year at the trade deadline. They have Michael Busch at first base, but an upgrade wouldn’t hurt, as long as it’s for the right fit.
With the Philadelphia Phillies struggling as badly as they are, Bryce Harper’s name has been mentioned in trade speculation. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report lists the Cubs as a team that could be a good fit for him.
“The Cubs are in a perfect spot to not leave good enough alone,” Rymer wrote. “The point of adding Harper would be to make a key strength even more ironclad. And while Busch had a good year in 2025, he’s neither an up-and-comer nor someone the Cubs have a lot invested in. His leash should be short.
“The goal wouldn’t merely be to win the NL Central for the first time since 2020. It would be to fire a broadside at the Dodgers and Braves ahead of potential matchups in October.”
Bryce Harper’s Possible Fit with Cubs
The Cubs don’t necessarily need to add Harper to their lineup, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. They spent big on Alex Bregman, so they shouldn’t be afraid to add another high-priced player to their roster.
The only real issue would be what the Cubs would have to offer the Phillies. The farm system is a little bit thin at the moment, and because Harper still has five years left on his contract, the Phillies are going to demand a massive haul in return, and that is if they even entertain the idea of trading Harper, which is far from a guarantee.
Still, the Cubs would show that they hungry for more after making a respectable run in the postseason last October. The Dodgers and Braves are the top two teams in the National League by record, and Los Angeles has won back-to-back World Series titles, so the Cubs potentially adding another piece to the mix that would have as much of an impact as Harper could completely change the outlook of the National League.
Likelihood of Harper to Cubs
Granted, it would be hard to imagine the Phillies actually parting ways with Harper, unless they want to go into a full rebuild. That’s certainly possible, but they still have a lot of good pieces in place, so giving up Harper may not be the best call.
That would make a fit in Chicago unlikely, so until there is legitimate traction and actual trade talks take place, Cubs fans should not get their hopes up for something such as this, though the fit would be interesting at least.
Curt Bishop Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who has written for various outlets including Heavy Sports, Sports Illustrated, FanSided, The Sporting News, Newsweek and Yardbarker. His work entails mostly breaking and trending news with a concentration on Major League Baseball (MLB). Curt graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a bachelor's degree in communications with a focus on emerging and new media, as well as a music minor. More about Curt Bishop