Trade Idea Sends Tomoyuki Sugano to the Chicago Cubs originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
This season, the Chicago Cubs have gone all in on their elusive World Series aspirations. With the Kyle Tucker trade in the rearview mirror, the team has kept their foot on the gas, racing to the top of the NL Central with a comfortable four-game lead. However, the Cubs are suffering from a key weakness: an injury-prone pitching staff.
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Injuries to Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad, and Justin Steele have weighed heavily on the team’s rotation. The Chicago pitching staff owns a 3.84 ERA as a whole, placing them 18th for that stat in MLB. While Imanaga is expected back soon, Assad will still be out for a while, and Steele is done for the year. With the Cubs on the hunt for a solid mid-rotation arm, one analyst might have found a satisfactory solution.
In a recent article, Sports Illustrated’s Kyle Morton proposed targeting the Orioles’ offseason international signing, Tomoyuki Sugano. Morton wrote this on the subject:
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (19) reacts in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium.Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“The outlook long-term [for the Cubs] is good, but if [Kyle] Tucker leaves, it’s hard to see Chicago being more of a World Series contender than they are at this very moment. That means that [Jed] Hoyer should be aggressive in filling the void Steele has left in the rotation, and possibly the best option available is Baltimore Orioles pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano.
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“Sugano, a 35-year-old rookie in the midst of his first season in the United States, has been a revelation in the midst of a nightmare campaign in Baltimore.”
One of Japan’s top aces, Sugano owns a 3.23 ERA with 35 strikeouts in his rookie year. He has been effective in limiting walks and going deep into games. Since his contract is only for one year, chances are high that the struggling Orioles will trade him.
Related: Red Sox Seven-Time All-Star Linked to Cubs After Latest Trade Rumors
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.