The Chicago Cubs were expected to add to their pitching department this offseason both in the bullpen and in the rotation, and while they have done that, there has not been the big splash fans may have been hoping for.
It was unsurprising to see the Cubs not seriously bid on any of the top-of-the-line free agent starters after seeing the way the market developed and the massive deals the elite names were getting.
Nobody legitimately believed Chicago would be serious players for pitchers whose contracts approached and even exceeded $200 million, but thus far the team has not made a move in the second tier either.
By all accounts, the Cubs were very much in on Roki Sasaki up until the moment he told them he'd be playing elsewhere, something where you can't fault them for trying.
There have also been links to Jack Flaherty, who is likely the best remaining non-Sasaki starter available, but to this point there's been no real movement there either.
Perhaps it's time for Chicago to turn their focus back to the trade market for another blockbuster. With Sasaki out of the equation, the best pitcher who can realistically be had on either the open market or the trade block is San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease.
Rachael Millanta of Just Baseball named the Cubs as one of her 'perfect fits' to acquire Cease via trade in a recent article in what would be a reunion with the team who originally drafted the right-hander in 2014.
Along with Cease's talent, the Padres are seeking to shed some payroll and getting him off their books — and even paying for some of the salary — would help, if they get the right return in trade.
Cease of course never got a chance to pitch for the Cubs before they sent him to the crosstown rival Chicago White Sox in a 2017 trade, and — for now at least — the rest is history. He became a star for the White Sox and was traded to the Padres prior to the 2024 season, where he responded with another great year.
As reliable as they come, Cease has made a full slate of starts in each of the last four campaigns and over that period has logged an ERA of 3.52 with well over 200 strikeouts in all four years.
Bringing in someone like Cease if the price is right on a trade has the potential to elevate an already solid starting rotation instantly to one of the best in all of baseball.
If Cease is truly available as numerous reports have indicated, Chicago should investigate pouncing on a brand new ace.
