A popular topic that has surfaced online during the past few weeks in Cubs circles has been what teams should fans be rooting against as we approach the trade deadline. Several clubs that are hovering around the .500 mark or below could potentially become sellers and the Cubs could benefit greatly.
Now, as the calendar has flipped to June there’s another NL team that continues to slide in the standings and if they don’t turn it around soon, then an ace could unexpectedly fall into the Cubs lap at the trade deadline.
The Braves blew a 10-4 lead to the Diamondbacks in the ninth inning on Thursday, which marked Atlanta’s fourth consecutive loss and capped off an ugly three-game sweep at home.
At 27-34, the Braves are currently 11.5 games back of the Mets for first place in the NL East and trail six teams for the third Wild Card spot at seven games back. The 2025 season has certainly gone sideways for the Braves and if they look to sell, then Chris Sale could be a perfect trade candidate for the Cubs.
Sale, 36, signed a two-year contract extension with the Braves that includes a 2026 team option that’s worth $18 million. The left-handed starter is set to earn $22 million in 2025, and Sale isn’t showing any signs of decline coming off his Cy Young Award season in 2024.
So far in 2025, Sale has posted a 2.93 ERA in 73.2 innings. He’s struck out 96 batters in 13 starts. It was a sluggish beginning to the year for Sale, who had a 6.17 ERA after his first five starts, but he’s been as good as anyone in MLB since. In Sale’s last eight starts he’s recorded a sub-2 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 50.1 innings.
The tough part here is that because Sale is technically under team control for one more year after this season so the Braves aren’t really facing the decision of what to do with him on a non-playoff team. If Atlanta’s front office has confidence that the roster is good enough to rebound in 2026, then Sale won’t be on the trade block this summer even if the Braves are nowhere near playoff contention.
However, if there’s one team who can blow the Braves away with a big trade package of MLB-ready prospects it’s the Cubs.
Right now at Triple-A the Cubs have outfielders Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcántara, infield prospect James Triantos and catching/DH prospect Moises Ballesteros all on the door-step of the big leagues. Alcántara and Ballesteros have already been called up by the Cubs at some point since September 2024.
Maybe the Braves would prefer pitching talent in return and while rookie Cade Horton is most likely off the table the Cubs do have some promising arms coming up through the system. Right-handed starter Jaxon Wiggins has recently made the jump to Double-A and the 23-year-old could be promoted to Triple-A within the next few months if he continues to dominate.
The Cubs have the players to make a trade work with pretty much any team in 2025. It might take an extra nudge, but the Braves might end up matching perfectly with the Cubs in a blockbuster trade that would give the Cubs the proven ace they need to compete for a World Series title.
