Texas Rangers pitcher Tyler Mahle
Desperate times may call for desperate measures, but Jake Woodford?
In case there were still any questions about the state of the Chicago Cubs starting rotation, a clue was offered on Thursday with the signing of Woodford to a minor league deal. The 28-year-old right-hander had just opted out of a minor league deal with the Yankees a few days prior, having pitched 39.2 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre over seven starts and three long relief appearances.
Despite the Yankees’ starting pitcher dilemma, with injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Marcus Stroman, Woodford – who has made 89 MLB appearances over five seasons, mostly with St. Louis – never received a call from New York. He now provides an option for a Cubs team with similar issues, given the injuries suffered by Justin Steele, Javier Assad and Shota Imanaga.
Woodford is scheduled to start tonight for Triple-A Iowa. That the Cubs would consider him as a potential lifeline speaks to how badly the team needs to make a trade for a reliable arm.
Jed Hoyer, president of baseball operations for the Cubs, should make a call to Texas and ask about the availability of Rangers pitcher Tyler Mahle.
Tyler Mahle Would Fill Chicago’s Need for Top-End Starter
The 30-year-old right-hander is in the second year of a two-year, back-loaded deal signed prior to the 2024 season. Mahle had Tommy John surgery in May 2023, and the Rangers were rolling the dice that they would get some semblance of the pitcher who had gone 13-6 with a 3.75 ERA in 2021.
After making three starts at the end of 2024, Mahle has been one of the bigger surprises this season, posting a 5-3 record in 13 starts with a 2.02 ERA.
However, Texas is heading in the wrong direction, falling to 29-34 after losing three straight games. As their playoff hopes begin to fade, the Rangers must decide how they want to approach the trade deadline, and Chad Jennings from the Athletic recently included Texas and Mahle among a dozen team/player combos “whose next month could help define the July 31 deadline.”
“The Rangers are built to win, and they won it all two years ago, but they’ve been as on-the-fence as it gets these first two months,” Jennings wrote. “If the Rangers sell, Mahle’s hot start could make him a hot commodity.”
Bleacher Nation also recently put Mahle at No. 10 on its “Updated 2025 MLB Trade Deadline Big Board,” surmising that the pending free agent could be a valuable addition for a playoff contender.
“He should be seen as a reliable innings-eater in the middle of the rotation, with the best-case scenario being that he somehow continues to pitch like a No. 1,” Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Nation wrote.
Sounds exactly like what the Cubs need. As for what Chicago could offer in return, perhaps catcher Moises Ballesteros would fit the bill.
Cubs’ Recent Decision Suggests Moises Ballesteros as Possible Trade Chip for Tyler Mahle
The Cubs’ No. 3 prospect, Ballesteros has done nothing but hit during his steady climb through the organization’s farm system. He has posted a slash line of .332/.389/.487 with Triple-A Iowa this season, earning a brief callup in mid-May while Ian Happ was on the 10-day injured list.
However, when the Cubs placed catcher Miguel Amaya on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain shortly after Ballesteros had returned to Iowa, they opted instead to bring up Reese McGuire.
Perhaps it was just a case of Chicago preferring a defensive-minded backup. Perhaps the team wanted Ballesteros to continue getting everyday reps with Iowa instead of spot starts in a platoon with Carson Kelly.
Or perhaps the Cubs still aren’t fully sold on Ballesteros as a big-league catcher, at least not yet. And perhaps, given the solid returns so far this season from the Amaya/Kelly duo, the team is content to stick with the current situation.
Which could make Ballesteros the ideal trade piece.
No, this isn’t a no-brainer for Chicago. Trading a 21-year-old bat with legitimate upside always carries risk.
But Mahle offers more than just a quick fix. He offers a chance at stability through 2025, and he might come cheaper than other midseason rentals precisely because of his recent injury history.
The Cubs have been able to build the best record in the National League in spite of the issues in their starting rotation. To continue that success, and further it in the postseason, will certainly take some outside additions.
If the Cubs believe Ballesteros’s future is murky behind the plate – and their actions suggest they might – then this is the kind of bold, calculated swing that could keep their season, and their playoff hopes, alive.
