If this were 2021 or 2022 and the Cubs were in the place they are now, of course Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcántara would be one of their top pitching targets. But it’s not. It’s 2025, Alcántara missed an entire season after Tommy John surgery and his results since his return this year have been... well, let’s be charitable and say “uneven.”

With the injury to Justin Steele, keeping the left-hander out for the rest of the campaign, the Cubs have to be careful here. They'll have the opportunity to get creative, which i