SB Nation Reacts survey: Mitch Keller is the pitcher most desired in trade by Cubs fans

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

This past Tuesday, the SB Nation Reacts survey asked which pitcher (or pitchers) you would most like to see the Cubs trade for before the July 31 deadline.

Here are the survey results:

Other pitchers were listed in the survey, but those are the top six results.

Mitch Keller was a Top 50 prospect four years in a row (2017-20), and became a full-time member of the Pirates rotation in mid-2021. He has had some success, and overall 2025 is probably his best season. In particular, he’s been good lately.

Over his last seven starts he has a 2.32 ERA and 0.914 WHIP. His K rate is down a bit this year, but he does have a good walk rate, and the latter has been pretty consistent throughout his career.

Here’s his pitch selection chart:

Baseball Savant

Keller is under contract for three more years after 2025 at an AAV of about $18 million. The Cubs can afford that, especially with Jameson Taillon coming off the books after 2026.

Depending on what the Cubs would have to give up for Keller, I think this would be a good acquisition.

As you’ll note above, the second choice of respondents to the survey was “multiple players” and indeed, the Cubs could use a second starting pitcher acquisition due to the injury to Taillon. Colin Rea has done an admirable job as fifth starter, but the Cubs could use an upgrade.

We will find out soon! The deadline comes up a week from Thursday. Per this article in the Tribune, we might have to wait until closer to that deadline for the Cubs to complete any deals:

While the first-place Cubs reached 19 games over .500 for the first time this season, they’re not resting on their laurels. But team President Jed Hoyer said before the game that any deals likely would come within four days of the July 31 deadline. He also said of potential trade bait among the Cubs’ top prospects: “No one is untouchable.”

As always, we await developments.

Here are the other questions asked in the recent SB Nation Reacts survey, related to the Draft and the All-Star Game.

This seems accurate, based on the last couple of draft classes.

It’s really hard to predict this sort of thing when none of those players has yet to play a single professional game. Ethan Holliday has the bloodlines, being the son of Matt Holliday and brother of Jackson Holliday. It could be several years before this question gets definitively answered.

I answerd “Home Run Derby” to this one but... this year’s HRD was kind of a dud, and this year’s ASG was excellent, with a stirring American League comeback from down 6-0 and I loved the swing-off. (Not that I’d ever want it in a regular-season game.)

About the Futures Game, MLB did it a disservice by burying it on a Saturday afternoon when there were compelling regular-season matchups (including Cubs/Yankees). Here’s an idea: Why not play the Futures Game the day after the All-Star Game? There are two days with no baseball, why not give it its own day, and provide some baseball when there isn’t any? Plus, make it a nine-inning game again.

Not that MLB will ever listen to my suggestion, but I think that would make for a much better All-Star break.

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This edition of the SB Nation Reacts survey is sponsored by FanDuel.

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