MLB Trade Deadline Rumors- Cubs interested in Blake Snell after acquiring Rays' Issac Paredes, per insider

The Chicago Cubs have been busy improving their roster before the MLB trade deadline. In a significant move, they recently added 2024 All-Star infielder Isaac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Cubs traded third baseman Christopher Morel and prospects Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson to the Rays for Paredes. After that move, the club is now reportedly setting its eyes on a pitching phenom to improve its bullpen.

According to Jon Heyman of the NY Post, the Chicago Clubs are among those interested in San Francisco Giants star pitcher Blake Snell.

“Cubs are one of the 6 or so teams to check in on Blake Snell, too, so they seem to be out of sell mode. Still iffy as to whether Snell goes anywhere, though his name is clearly out there,” Heyman wrote.

The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner didn’t have a great start to the season, which might be due to missing most of spring training. He spent most of the offseason as a free agent, hoping for a big contract.

In the end, he signed a two-year deal worth $62 million with the San Francisco Giants on March 19. So far this 2024 season, Snell is 0-3 with a 5.10 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP.

Despite his initial struggles, though, Blake Snell has begun to show some promise and could be a good addition for the postseason and the upcoming season. He has a 0.75 ERA over 24.0 innings in four starts since returning from the IL.

And in his last start against the Colorado Rockies, he pitched six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out a career-high 15 batters.

Cubs making additions for both the current and the upcoming 2025 season, per Jed Hoyer

According to Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, their additions are aimed at both the 2024 postseason and the next season.

“As we have stated, our goal is to add players that will help us not just this season, but into the future. In the last two days, we feel we have worked toward that by trading for those types of controllable players. Acquiring Paredes adds a proven bat to our lineup immediately and for years to come,” Hoyer said (via MLB.com).

The Cubs are far behind the Wild Card race and have five games to make up. They have a 51-56 record, which is ranked fourth in the NL Central.