MLB Trade Rumors: Ideal Trade Target for Chicago Cubs

Despite losing two of three to the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, the Chicago Cubs are off to a solid start to the season, with a 17-12 mark, atop the NL Central Division by one game. But their pitching staff is a bit of an issue. Their team ERA of 4.24 is 20th in major league baseball. Ace starter Justin Steele has gone down for the season with elbow surgery.

Offense has been no problem on the North Side, as the Cubbies sit second in all of baseball with a .784 OPS, third in slugging at .444 and third in average at .260.

With all of that info, we take a look at an ideal trade target for the Cubs to pursue, as noted by Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report.

Tyler Anderson, LA Angels

A left-hander to replace the southpaw Steele, Anderson certainly isn't of ace quality like the man he'd be replacing, but he's having another excellent season in the third and final year of his contract with the Angels. Anderson is coming off his second All-Star appearance last year, and has started the 2025 campaign with a 2-0 mark and a 2.60 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP. He's holding opposing batters to a .173 average.

Anderson exploded onto the scene in 2022 with the LA Dodgers after six years of obscurity with the Colorado Rockies and a few other teams. That season with LA, he posted a 2.57 ERA and a 15-5 record, all of which was good enough to earn him his current 3-year, $39M deal on the free agent market.

He'll be pitching for a new contract again this season, and so far, he's doing everything he can to earn himself another nice deal. Some team will be able to take advantage of that once the Angels get around to selling.

The Cubs rotation has a struggling rookie in Ben Brown as its fifth starter, and with his 6.06 ERA, Chicago will want to do something to shore up that spot as they attempt to hold onto first place in the NL Central. Anderson would give them a third lefty to go with Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd.