Yankees Expected to Battle Cubs for Merrill Kelly originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Chicago Cubs will have an opportunity to be aggressive at the trade deadline, especially with the best farm system in Major League Baseball.
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Outside of a few teams, if any, the Cubs are in a better position than nearly every contender outside of the Detroit Tigers to make a splash at this deadline because of their farm system.
However, that has to mean Jed Hoyer would be willing to move on from some of his top players, and it is certainly possible he will.
When examining who the Cubs could target, The Athletic recently named Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks as an option. However, they also noted that the New York Yankees could be a team in the mix for the right-hander with nasty stuff.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell (11) observes batting practice before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
“On a staff that’s lost Corbin Burnes and can’t find the proper versions of Zac Gallen and Eduardo Rodriguez, it’s Kelly that’s been the standout. He’s been better than Gallen in just about every way, so his ranking behind him owes mostly to the track record before 2025. Even then, it’s not like Kelly’s come from nowhere. His ERA is 3.47 since the start of 2022,” they wrote.
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Ultimately, if the Cubs want Kelly, they’ll have an opportunity to land him. The Yankees’ farm system is below average, so if Kelly has interest from the Yankees and Cubs, unless the front office isn’t willing to part ways with multiple prospects, there isn’t much of a reason for them to lose in a bidding war. The Yankees arguably have one of the more below-average form systems in baseball, so there’s no reason to get outbid by that.
Related: Jed Hoyer Reveals How Kyle Tucker Changed Cubs Trade Deadline Plans
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.