CHICAGO — With less than two weeks remaining until the trade deadline, pitching issues continue to pop up around the Chicago Cubs, forcing the organization to stay open-minded in its pursuit of reinforcements.Always looking at things pragmatically, Cubs manager Craig Counsell hasn’t announced his preference between upgrading the rotation to finish the 162-game marathon strong, or fortifying the bullpen, which could be maximized in a short playoff series with days off built into the schedule.It’s also not an either-or situation when a big-market franchise has a projected payroll north of the $244 million luxury-tax threshold, a decent farm system tilted toward hitting prospects, and playoff probabilities hovering above 75 percent. It’s on Cubs executives Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins to accomplish both goals.“Just make the team better,” Counsell said. “I don’t think there’s a specific to that at all right now. Most teams are in the same spot regarding that. There’s a lot of ways to make the team better.”A case for the Cubs to pursue Tarik SkubalEno Sarris and Derek VanRiperThere’s also a lot of time for those priorities to shift ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline. All it takes is a 108.9 mph grounder back toward the mound to suddenly buckle one of your best relievers, as it did in the 10th inning of Monday night’s 8-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley Field.Trent Thornton is cautiously optimistic he will avoid the injured list after X-rays and a CT scan did not show a fracture in his left heel. Combining Tuesday night’s 11-2 blowout victory over Framber Valdez and the Tigers with Thursday’s off day just might give Thornton enough time to recover without compromising the bullpen.But if you’ve been following the Cubs at all this year — they have 12 pitchers on the injured list — you know these preliminary outlooks are subject to change.“Injuries are part of the game,” Thornton said, “and you never know when they’re going to come.”Initially, what is being termed a bone bruise brought back bad memories for Thornton, who tore his left Achilles tendon on July 31 last year while moving to cover first base for the Seattle Mariners, a severe injury that forced him to settle for a minor-league contract this past offseason.For a $1 million base salary, Thornton has already given the Cubs three wins, three saves and a 2.70 ERA over 27 appearances. More than once, Counsell has described Thornton as having “big guts.”“My goal, the whole offseason, was just to try to get back to the big leagues as quickly as possible,” Thornton said. “Luckily, the Cubs took a shot with me and gave me an opportunity.”It’s been a long-held belief in this front office that making big commitments to the bullpen is a poor strategy for investing your resources. Once again, those Cubs officials have been proven right — in several ways but not always in a satisfactory manner.It remains to be seen how much the club is willing to bend that philosophy at the trade deadline, but one possible exception to keep in mind is Luke Weaver, a free agent the Cubs targeted last offseason before the right-handed reliever signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the New York Mets.Weaver, who has performed under pressure for the New York Yankees, made a strong impression during a video conference with the Cubs. In 39 appearances with the Mets — one of the few clear-cut sellers this summer — Weaver has a 1.98 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP.The Cubs also tried to retain Brad Keller, who got a two-year, $22 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies that matched Weaver’s deal. Keller then pitched only 31 1/3 innings before an MRI confirmed a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that will end his season and likely keep him sidelined for most of 2027 as well.In handing Phil Maton a two-year, $14.5 million contract last November, the Cubs went far outside their comfort zone for an experienced reliever who had been acquired by contending teams in midseason deals in 2024 and 2025.Maton is back on the injured list with a chronic knee condition and a 6.18 ERA. Counsell said Maton received a PRP injection in his right knee that will mean “about three weeks” without significant baseball activity. It’s difficult to imagine Maton entering the bullpen circle of trust by October.To their credit, the Cubs also signed Jacob Webb to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the idea that he could pitch middle innings and keep games close when the club was trailing. Webb has far exceeded those expectations, leading the team in saves (five) and appearances (44) while carrying a 2.91 ERA. Again, bullpens are volatile and unpredictable.With that in mind, the Cubs can try to get lucky with small samples and leverage their elite defense and a sound game-planning. Helping Ryan Rolison implement a sweeper after he was claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox in January gave the left-handed reliever (2.61 ERA in 34 appearances) another look and some positive reinforcement.“My first day of spring training, they brought me in, and we sat down for probably an hour, going over why they think I can be successful,” Rolison said. “From Day 1, to instill that confidence back in me, it was a game-changer.”That process of identifying, developing and managing talent never stops. The Cubs are still six games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central race. Acquiring David Peterson out of desperation in late June has already paid dividends.Since getting traded from the Mets, Peterson has pitched well in three of his four starts (the exception being an ugly 17-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals). Handed a 6-0 lead Tuesday after the Cubs knocked out Valdez in the first inning, Peterson threw strikes, using the windy conditions to his advantage and putting together 6 2/3 scoreless innings. He walked off the mound to a nice ovation from the crowd of 39,039.Back in the Wrigley Field interview room, Counsell didn’t feel like extrapolating after a question about how the Cubs might unlock Peterson’s change-of-scenery potential.“Look, you got to prove it in this league every single (night),” Counsell said. “I don’t care who you are, you got to go prove it every time out there. The other team’s trying to kick your ass.”