The MLB trade deadline is now three days away, and while we have seen a couple of notable trades in the past few days, the real fireworks are yet to come. The Chicago Cubs are considered to be one of the most desperate teams searching for upgrades in the starting rotation, so naturally they’ve been linked to many popular targets. However, there are at least a couple of potential trade targets that fans can officially cross off their wishlist according to the latest intel from various MLB insiders.
Joe Ryan – Minnesota Twins
Well, you don’t need any rumor reports from your favorite MLB expert to see that the Minnesota Twins are now firmly in the buyers’ camp at the trade deadline. They’re not just standing pat, as the Twins finalized a trade with the New York Mets on Thursday night for a rental relief pitcher.
Joe Ryan has been linked to the Cubs in trade rumors since last summer, but Jed Hoyer balked at the sky-high asking price. The Twins reportedly turned down an offer from the Boston Red Sox in the offseason that included 20-year-old shortstop Franklin Arias, who is currently ranked the No. 3 prospect on Baseball America’s top-100 list.
Ryan has been fantastic once again for the Twins in 2026, posting a 3.52 ERA with a 27.1 K% in 120.1 innings. In a weak AL Central, the 55-55 Twins are three games back of the first-place Chicago White Sox, and only one game back of the third Wild Card spot.
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The Twins have won six of eight, and they’re officially in the buyers’ club.
Sandy Alcántara – Miami Marlins
Despite what Bruce Levine was trying to speculate earlier in the week, the Miami Marlins are not making veteran righty and former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcántara available at the trade deadline.
The Marlins were on fire for a while, but a recent 12-game losing streak brought them back to reality. Still, at 55-55, they’re within striking distance of the third Wild Card spot in the National League, 2.5 games back in the standings.
Although their playoff chances aren’t great, the Marlins are reportedly holding on to their core players through the trade deadline, and that includes Alcántara, who seemed to be in the same sentence as the Cubs in rumors on a daily basis last summer.
Via The Athletic.
“The Marlins are not looking to acquire players on expiring contracts for this season and plan to keep core players such as Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Max Meyer, and Joe Mack, as Miami pre- and postgame analyst Craig Mish first reported.”
Alcántara, 30, has a $21 million team option for the 2027 season.
In 2025, Alcántara took a while to get back into a groove after Tommy John surgery. His overall numbers were bad: a 5.36 ERA in 31 starts, but the right-hander did improve as the season progressed. From Aug. 15 through the end of the regular season, Alcántara had a 2.68 ERA with a 50.0% ground ball rate and 24.9 K%.
The dominance hasn’t really been there for Alcántara in 2026 despite a solid 3.82 ERA and 16 quality starts over 23 games. The strikeout rate has dropped to 18.4%. Maybe the upside of his Cy Young-caliber season is gone, but Alcántara remains a workhorse in the rotation and can provide a team with steady results. But for now, he’s no longer an option for the Cubs.
