Cubs-Athletics trade idea sends 2-time All-Star pitcher to Chicago

The Chicago Cubs are currently 44-28 and have a five-and-a-half game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central.

The Cubs are having their best season through 72 games since 2016; the last year they won the World Series.

Even with Justin Steele out for the season and Shota Imanaga missing over a month of action with a hamstring strain, Chicago’s starting rotation has been up and down.

Prior to Imanaga’s injury, the Cubs had the fifth-best starting pitching ERA at 3.44; without Imanaga, that number climbs to 4.32, 19^th in Major League Baseball.

The Cubs will get Imanaga back this month barring any setbacks but still need to address starting pitching at the trade deadline.

Jacob Mountz of Athlon Sports suggested former two-time All-Star starting pitcher Luis Severino from the Athletics could be a good fit for the Cubs.

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Severino, 31, is 2-6 with a 4.47 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in 15 starts this season. The numbers don’t look great, but his ERA at home is drastically higher than on the road.

“At home in his Sacramento minor-league park, Severino owns a miserable 7.10 ERA with an opponent batting average of .291, surrendering six home runs in 52 innings,” wrote Mountz. “On the road, these numbers drop to a 0.93 ERA, .194 opponent batting average and no home runs in 38.2 innings.”

Severino has never pitched at Wrigley Field, but adding Severino to the mix could be a great move for the Cubs.

His price tag should be low, given that the Athletics will be sellers and Severino has a large contract.

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