The Chicago Cubs are now facing a shortage in their starting rotation with Justin Steele officially out for the rest of the season. Unless they’re willing to part with several top prospects to land a frontline starter, replacing his contributions won’t be easy.
One alternative for the Cubs is to explore affordable, high-upside pitchers from non-contending teams. The Colorado Rockies fit that description perfectly — they were widely expected to finish at the bottom of the NL West and just completed a series without scoring a single run. They would likely be open to offloading contracts.
Though Colorado doesn’t have many appealing pitchers, one intriguing option is Germán Márquez. He’s missed most of the last two seasons due to elbow issues, but in his earlier years with the Rockies, he showed promise. Back in 2022, while he struggled at hitter-friendly Coors Field (posting a 6.70 ERA), he performed much better on the road, with a 3.34 ERA and holding opposing hitters to just a .204 average — compared to .317 at home.
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Márquez is owed $10 million this season, so the Rockies wouldn’t ask for much in return. A potential trade scenario would involve sending Márquez to the Cubs in exchange for infielder Chase Strumpf. Once ranked as the Cubs’ No. 25 prospect in 2023, Strumpf has spent two seasons in Triple-A without a call-up and has had offensive struggles.
Defensively, he’s stronger at second base — a position where Colorado lacks a clear long-term option — and he could either get a shot to start or be used in a bench role. For Márquez, joining the Cubs would mean moving from one of baseball’s toughest parks for pitchers to a much more favorable environment.
I would make that trade.