The MLB trade deadline is just over one week away, and the rumors are heating up.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan detailed each team’s biggest needs and best fits, and the player he listed for the Cubs is very intriguing.

“The prospect of the Cubs getting a starter such as (MacKenzie) Gore from Washington or Joe Ryan from the Minnesota Twins is unlikely because of the exorbitant cost and Chicago’s propensity to play things safe amid budgetary constraints,” Passan wrote.

“At the same time, the Cubs have been one of the best clubs in baseball this season, with an offense that’s the envy of teams around the game, and their desire for a top-of-the-rotation-type arm is perhaps the most acute need of any team at this deadline.”

[MORE: Cubs rotation questions magnified after Ben Brown’s latest outing]

Gore, 26, is having the best season of his career thus far. He made his first All-Star Game and currently has a 3.59 ERA entering play Wednesday. He is also striking out 29.7% of batters he has faced (11.2 K/9) and has compiled 2.8 WAR this season.

As Passan notes, the cost to acquire a player like Gore would be extreme. Passan notes that prospect Owen Caissie is the type of player that could be included in a deal.

“In outfielder Owen Caissie, Chicago has the sort of prospect around which a package for a controllable arm can be built,” Passan wrote.

Gore is arbitration eligible through 2027 and won’t become a free agent until 2028.

He was drafted third overall in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Padres and was included as one of the main pieces in the Juan Soto trade between Washington and San Diego in 2022.

If he were to join the Cubs’ rotation, it would create a three-headed, left-handed monster at the top of the rotation.

As Passan said, the Cubs have been rumored to be in the market for starting pitcher ahead of the July 31 deadline. Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga are a clear 1-2 punch that have combined to make 33 starts with a 2.28 ERA.

[MORE: Cubs’ Matthew Boyd continues dream year with brilliant outing vs. Royals]

The rest of the rotation has struggled. Jameson Taillon, Colin Rea, Cade Horton and Ben Brown have posted a combined 4.78 ERA in 58 starts and Taillon is currently on the IL.

The Cubs are not only tied with the Brewers for the best record in the NL Central, but for the best record in all of baseball. It will certainly be a fun pennant chase to watch unfold.