This round of the City Series arrives as the July 31 trade deadline nears. The Cubs are in a position to buy while the White Sox will be looking to sell.

Shota Imanaga against the White Sox tonight: 3.0 IP | 12 H | 7 ER | 2 K pic.twitter.com/ew6ewAJssm

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The Chicago Cubs haven't been to the playoffs in a full season since 2018 and that was just one game, as they lost the Wild Card back when it was a one-and-done. They're coming off back-to-back 83-win seasons.

New York Red Bulls (9-9-6, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Chicago Fire (9-9-5, ninth in the Eastern Conference) Chicago; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. CDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Chicago -108, New York +256,

The Twins also receive the Cubs' top pitching prospect, Jaxon Wiggins, who has quickly ascended through the minors. After being drafted in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023. Now, in 2025, he’s pitching to a 2.25 ERA across 36 innings with 48 strikeouts in Double-A.

Schwarber now has four home runs in his last three games, also going deep in back-to-back contests before Friday’s contest. He’s red-hot, smacking 11 bombs in July alone. The Phils will face Marcus Stroman today, who has an ERA over five and has allowed five homers in just seven starts.