There was no way for the Chicago Cubs to predict that Justin Steele would be lost for the season due to an elbow injury, but Jed Hoyer's overly cautious offseason left their rotation more vulnerable than it had to be.

The Cubs do not have a way to immediately and seamlessly replace Steele, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017.

Now, after the news of Justin Steele missing the remainder of the campaign, the need for a starter becomes more prevalent than ever. Unfortunately, that could come at the expense of the Cubs missing out on an impact bat that they also need at the deadline, but pitching wins championships, and Hoyer seems to understand that.