Two standout pitchers that Cubs could go after via trades |
It shouldn't surprise anyone that the Chicago Cubs will be one of the more intriguing teams this offseason and what they will do. Coming off a better season than what many expected, the Cubs have plenty of pieces to build around, but also plenty of decisions to make.
The biggest and most important decision for them to make falls on Cody Bellinger and what this team decides to do with him. Coming off the season he had, Bellinger will land a hefty payday, and one of the Cubs fans would love to see him land in the Windy City. While the Cubs can afford to give him a long-term extension, the reality is they will, as they have plenty of other options to address. We have discussed the need at 1B, which Bellinger can fill, and the need at 3B, where an extension to Jeimer Candelario could be an option, or pursuing a guy like Matt Chapman. When it comes to the pitching, that is where the mystery begins, as this team is in a tough spot. When you look at the bullpen, Julian Merryweather, Mark Leiter Jr, and Adbert Alzolay were lights out most of the season, but started to tire down the stretch. No one knows if either of them can duplicate their success from this season last season, but for them to have a shot at that, the Cubs need more proven relievers to take the pressure off them. Along with that comes a starting rotation filled with questions that will be addressed this offseason. With Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon as the only locks in the rotation right now, it is hard to fathom a situation where the Cubs will not add to their starting five. Drew Smyly and Hayden Wesneski remain options, as do Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks, but Wicks would be the best bet to stick in the rotation while the rest could shift to the pen. That would leave an opening for two arms, which is where Marcus Stroman and Kyle Hendricks come into play. Recent reports indicate that the Cubs are working on an extension with Hendricks, which adds another starter right there, while many feel Stroman will exercise his player option to return to the Cubs in 2024. Should that happen, it doesn't mean he sticks with the team, as Stroman could be traded at any point this offseason. Currently, the Cubs are assuming both Hendricks and Stroman will return, drastically changing their plans of adding a starter. However, don't put it past them to get more help, as plenty of options could be available for this team. At this point, the two biggest free agent arms appear to be Aaron Nola and Blake Snell, but given the year Snell had and the current postseason run Nola has had, their price tags are going up by the minute, and one the Cubs may not want to pay. However, to get good starting pitching, you need to pay for it unless you want to trade for better arms. Given the state of the Cubs farm system, trading is a real possibility, and after Jed Hoyer stated the team will part with prospects to get better pieces, it may be the best option for this team to add pitching. Should that be the direction they choose to go, the one name constantly being linked to the Cubs is Tyler Glasnow, and for good reason. From the moment Glasnow signed his two-year extension with the Rays that would pay him 25 million in 2024, you knew he would be a trade candidate and one that teams would covet heavily. The Cubs were in on him last season before the extension was given, only to back off when he was injured and slated to miss some time. Now healthy again, it makes sense for the Cubs to go after him, as he would be the power arm they lack in the rotation. Glasnow has been a polarizing figure with the Rays as he has always had Cy Young stuff, but has never been able to stay healthy long enough to show it. He is also on the wrong side of 30 and has yet to throw more than 120 innings in a single season. That alone is a concern, but he is worth the risk for the right price, considering he is on a one-year deal. When healthy, which he is now, Glasnow has always been a dominant starter on the mound as his 97 MPH heater sets things up for his lethal curveball slider combination, which was on full display in the playoffs this season. Typically, a guy who sits in the low 3s for ERA, Glasnow brings a 33.7% K rate paired with just a 7.6% BB rate, which are elite numbers in today's game. Sometimes you need to take a risk, and with Glasnow healthy, he may be worth the risk right now.
If Glasnow isn't an option or an option that hits a snag, perhaps talking to the White Sox about Dylan Cease could be the fallback plan. Another guy who throws 97 MPH plus and pairs that with a lethal slider/curve combination, Cease, is still just 27 years old and was once the top prospect in the Cubs system before trading him away for Jose Quintana. Talk about a deal the Cubs would love to have back. This could be their only chance to get him back, as the White Sox are about to enter a lengthy rebuild.
Although he is coming off a mediocre season that saw him go 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA, nothing went right for the White Sox this season, but Cease was solid his entire career up to that point. Since arriving in the MLB, the right-hander has posted a 43-35 mark with a 3.83 ERA, including his 14-8 season in 2022, where he posted a 2.20 ERA. Another high strikeout guy like Glasnow, Cease, sometimes has control problems, which he hopes he can iron out before his free agency.
Anytime you add a guy like Glasnow or Cease, it will come at a price, and the Cubs will have to pay a price to get them. As long as Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cade Horton are off the board, the Cubs have plenty of firepower to dangle in front of teams should they elect to go this route. In hindsight, this makes the most sense for them to contend next season, but they also love the arms they have, so maybe the Cubs run it back with the same rotation as they had in 2023 with hopes more of the young guys come through when needed.
