{"id":978987,"date":"2026-08-04T00:46:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T00:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/978987\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T00:46:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T00:46:17","slug":"column-chicago-cubs-white-sox-busy-at-the-trade-deadline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/978987\/","title":{"rendered":"Column: Chicago Cubs, White Sox busy at the trade deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve often imagined North Shore pals Chris Getz and Jed Hoyer meeting at the Starbucks in Winnetka to talk trade and maybe delve into some executive-level gossip over a cinnamon dolce latte.<\/p>\n

Both of Chicago\u2019s top baseball executives were very active at the trade deadline, and made similar moves to bolster their rosters, adding veteran pitchers with postseason cred who are having off years, multiple relievers who can pitch in any situation, and even a spare outfielder who hits from the right side.<\/p>\n

Neither made a blockbuster deal like the Los Angeles Dodgers did to acquire Tarik Skubal<\/a>, but both probably did enough to convince their fan bases they do want to win in 2026 while also protecting most of their top prospects. Most importantly, they both filled their rotation holes, with the Cubs gaining two starters in Clay Holmes<\/a> and Kevin Gausman<\/a>, and the Sox getting Luis Castillo<\/a>. And they did it without subtracting from their tight-knit clubhouses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really feel like we were able to maintain this belief and magic that\u2019s going on right now,\u201d Getz said Monday on a videoconference call.<\/p>\n

See you in the World Series?<\/p>\n

The Cubs might have to get past the Dodgers first.<\/p>\n

\u201cClearly they are going to be the favorites, they\u2019ve won two times in a row and they have the most talent in baseball, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any question about that,\u201d Hoyer said Monday from the Cubs dugout at Wrigley Field. \u201cIt\u2019s a great challenge for anybody \u2026 I totally respect the fact they really pushed in to do it three times in a row. What an amazing thing to try and accomplish. It\u2019s our job, and everyone else\u2019s job, to make that not happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoyer had conversations with old buddy Scott Harris, the Detroit Tigers president, about acquiring Skubal, but nothing serious. But Hoyer needed two starters for the postseason to go along with Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera and David Peterson, and can live with his decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously what happened earlier in the year in terms of the injuries and how it puts you in a bind, this is an area we needed to address,\u201d Cubs manager Craig Counsell said of the new starters. \u201cAnd I think Jed has done that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether Castillo and Gausman can return to form and help their respective clubs get deep into October will be a primary storyline here the rest of the year. But this is the kind of trade deadline Cubs and Sox fans dream about, and they can thank Getz and Hoyer for addressing all their needs.<\/p>\n

\"ChicagoChicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz watches batting practice before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Rate Field on June 26, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

The ongoing sagas of Getz and Hoyer, two executives who got their jobs the old-school Chicago way \u2014 with no bothersome hiring searches conducted by their bosses \u2014 are ones that continue to fascinate me. No two competing baseball executives live so close to each other, or are able to meet up and share war stories about their owners, players or the local media.<\/p>\n

Hoyer lauded Getz\u2019s deadline moves, which checked all his boxes, including the addition of Mets reliever Huascar Brazob\u00e1n<\/a> to the already strong bullpen. They had trade conversations, Hoyer said, but nothing came close.<\/p>\n

Getz enjoys getting brotherly advice from Hoyer, who executed his own semi-rebuild in 2021 and worked under Theo Epstein on the 2012 Cubs rebuild that ignited the trend across baseball.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can offer encouragement at times or a shoulder at times, it\u2019s great,\u201d Hoyer said of Getz back in \u201924. \u201cWe\u2019ve both been through it, and the concept of rebuilding is one thing. The reality of driving home alone at night, having lost a game and sometimes in a cruel way, is real. I try to humanize that a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getz\u2019s rebuild turned a corner only two seasons after a record-setting 121-loss year in 2024, making the Sox one of the game\u2019s most remarkable comeback stories. Now manager Will Venable and the players have to finish the job.<\/p>\n

Hoyer\u2019s gut rehab of the Cubs finally led them to the postseason last year and has them competing for a shot at knocking off the Dodgers. In a town that seldom sees both MLB teams contending at the same time, the Sox and Cubs have made this one of the more memorable summers in years. Cubs fans and Sox fans may not get along, but Getz and Hoyer have a solid bromance going.<\/p>\n

\u201cCandidly, I\u2019m really happy for him,\u201d Hoyer said Monday. \u201cHe took over a very challenging situation. His first year was obviously really hard. He\u2019s made some really hard, unpopular decisions, and it\u2019s fun for me to see a lot of those hard, unpopular decisions have paid off for him. He\u2019s built a really good roster, and going aggressively to win is exactly what he should be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LosLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal warms up before a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/David Banks)<\/p>\n

The Cubs welcomed the Dodgers to Wrigley Field on Monday for the start of a three-game series that could be a playoff preview. Skubal, the biggest player on the trade market, will face the Cubs on Tuesday in a nationally televised game.<\/p>\n

Speaking in the Barrel Room on Monday afternoon before it opened to the one-percenters who can afford season tickets to the exclusive Cubs\u2019 club, Skubal apologized in advance for staring at his fellow pitchers in the star-filled clubhouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople will probably think I\u2019m a little weird staring at guys,\u201d Skubal said. \u201cBut it\u2019s just because I\u2019m trying to learn and get better \u2026 I\u2019m excited about all that stuff. It\u2019s extremely motivating for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Skubal doesn\u2019t have to apologize for wanting to win, especially after being part of a Tigers\u2019 rebuild that stalled out in his walk season. But the fact that this super team from LA added another not-so-secret weapon in its bid for a three-peat was not universally applauded by baseball fans. Some resent the Dodgers for hoarding superstars like they\u2019re an endangered species.<\/p>\n

When I asked Skubal on Monday if he understood why some fans were upset over the trade, he correctly pointed out that \u201cevery team could trade for me,\u201d but only the Dodgers made it happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really sympathize with people that blame the Dodgers for anything they\u2019ve done,\u201d Skubal said. \u201cThey\u2019ve developed a really good organization. They draft well. They acquire talent really well. They retain talent. It\u2019s a winning organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow the complaint seems to be (louder) because they won the last two World Series. I don\u2019t think it was like that three years ago. I don\u2019t really sympathize with people that are complaining because the Dodgers do all the right things.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Cubs-Sox World Series would be the best thing to happen to Chicago since prohibition ended, and the town might have to shut down for months afterward just to clean up.<\/p>\n

But if the Cubs can\u2019t knock off Los Angeles, a Dodgers-White Sox World Series would be the next best thing \u2014 a perfect appetizer for the upcoming lockout.<\/p>\n

Getz\u2019s team full of overachievers against the Dodgers\u2019 mega-millionaires in a battle of the Have-It-Alls vs. the Have-Nots?\u00a0Mike Vasil\u2019s magic wand vs. Skubal again?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the perfect summer for daydreaming in Chicago.<\/p>\n

And if this is a dream, don\u2019t wake us up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I\u2019ve often imagined North Shore pals Chris Getz and Jed Hoyer meeting at the Starbucks in Winnetka to…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":978988,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,1271,1274,18034,20404,1816,362801,5386,1818,21891,16755,53894,1822,52993,34551,392433],"class_list":["post-978987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-chicago","tag-chicago","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-chicago-white-sox","tag-chris-getz","tag-clay-holmes","tag-craig-counsell","tag-cubs-trade","tag-il","tag-illinois","tag-jed-hoyer","tag-kevin-gausman","tag-luis-castillo","tag-mlb-baseball","tag-mlb-trade-deadline","tag-tarik-skubal","tag-white-sox-trade"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117034484420752412","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/978987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=978987"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/978987\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/978988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=978987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=978987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=978987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}