Two trade options for Cubs |
There has been much more action regarding the Chicago Cubs' offseason in recent weeks, and it all started with the Cubs' trade for Kyle Tucker. It was a trade discussed for several days at the Winter Meetings and fully went into effect after the meetings were over. That was followed by the Carson Kelly to the Cubs deal becoming official and then watching the Cubs trade Cody Bellinger and Matt Thaiss to the Yankees and White Sox, respectively.
In the midst of all that, the Cubs were on the verge of acquiring Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins, but reports of him failing his medical led to that trade being dead, and instead, he was dealt to Philadelphia. With the holiday season upon us, don't expect much action for the Cubs apart from potential Minor League deals, but that shouldn't stop the rumor mill from playing a big role. Going off of that, there are some potential deals for the Cubs to make to better their rotation, and both of them make some sense, depending on how you look at it. Dylan Cease was floated around last week as a potential trade option for the Cubs, as the Padres are expected to listen to offers on the right-hander. Considering the Cubs and Padres have had plenty of success trading in the past, this could be the perfect opportunity for the Cubs to approach them again and see what it would take to get Cease back to Chicago. Every year, there are certain trades that you can look back on and label as the ones that got away. The Cease to the White Sox trade in exchange for Jose Quintana is the trade that got away for the Cubs, as they would love to have that trade back. Arguably the best Cubs pitching prospect in organizational history, the Cubs seemed to give up on Cease far too quickly after an up-and-down Minor League career mixed with injuries. Once he was traded, Cease not only stayed healthy but emerged as an ace-caliber arm, which is what the Cubs were expecting from him in Chicago. For his career, Cease has had his moments, going 57-46 with an ERA of 3.75. Not ideal for an Ace, but one bad season largely inflated his ERA, as he posted a career-worst 5.79 ERA in 2019, his first season as a starter, and then posted a 4.58 ERA in his final season with the White Sox. Take those two seasons out of the mix, and Cease has been dialed in. He went 14-11 this past season with the Padres and posted the second-best ERA of his career at 3.47. 2022 was his best season, as he finished that year with a 14-8 record and a 2.20 ERA. Armed with a 98-100 MPH heater, Cease has the ability to overpower power hitters from one pitch to the next. He pairs that with a lethal slider/curve combination while working a changeup into the mix. If Cease would consistently get the run support he has lacked, you're looking at someone with the stuff to win 17-20 games and could be an annual Cy Young nominee.
The second pitcher we will discuss today isn't nearly at the level of Cease, but as a back-of-the-rotation arm with multiple years of control, he would be a nice fit. Pablo Lopez has now found his name on the trade block, and at just 28 years old, he has plenty of time left to emerge as a great starter.
Coming off a season where he went 15-10 in the Twins rotation, some might wonder why they would be looking to move him. His 4.08 ERA isn't that impressive, as he has gone 54-49 with a 3.91 ERA across his career. His past three seasons have been the best years of his career, so he has become a reliable option after struggling to find his footing early on.
Typically, when an organization has a pitcher under control for less than 25 million dollars, they tend to hang onto them. Still, with the Twins going through some financial issues at this moment, Lopez becomes a financial burden as they would love to cut some payroll to help them out. Trading him would cut one of the bigger contracts off the books and land them the prospects they need to get younger and remain competitive in a winnable AL Central.
Like Cease, Lopez is a hard-throwing innings eater who sits around 95-96 with his heater. His best offering is his slider, which has evolved into a true-out pitch. As long as the Cubs don't give up the farm or, at the very least, don't gut their system, both of these moves should be considered to add the one starter they are still looking to add.
