With the Winter Meetings scheduled to kick off this weekend, we’re expecting an uptick in trade rumors, and the Chicago Cubs may be at the forefront of those talks more than any other team. Assuming Juan Soto signs by this weekend, more teams will know where they sit and, therefore, will be more willing to entertain plan B efforts to upgrade their roster for 2025.

The Chicago Cubs have a league-leading eight top-100 prospects. Although a few must remain untouchable, they have several attractive names that can be had via trade to land a key upgrade to their starting rotation for this season. If the Cubs make a huge splash, it will be through the trade market, with free agent dollars being spent as a final resort if needed.

Hoyer loves to keep everything close to the chest, so don’t be surprised if he pulls the trigger on a big move to catapult the Cubs back to contention. Here is one trade the Cubs should make and two they should avoid.

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The Cubs and Seattle Mariners have recently discussed a trade, with names mentioned for a potential blockbuster this winter. At the forefront of the talks is Nico Hoerner from the Cubs as the Mariners seek infielders, and one of the starters from Seattle is heading back to Chicago. One of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, or Luis Castillo immediately makes the Cubs a strong contender to come away with the NL Central in 2025, but other names could make an impact, too.

Bryan Woo flashed elite stuff with the Mariners in 2024, posting a 2.89 ERA over 121.1 innings in 22 starts. Another name, Bryce Miller, is also an excellent option after posting a 2.94 ERA in 180.1 frames this season. The Cubs need to go big here. The Phillies are also trying to land one of Seattle’s starters, with Alec Bohm, the key member, in talks of being sent back to Seattle.

The Cubs have better prospect depth, with James Triantos (infielder) and Owen Caissie (outfielder) being the essential names to watch from the Cubs’ deep farm system. With these two teams already exchanging names, it will be one of the more intriguing stories at the Winter Meetings. If Hoyer can pull a trade with Seattle off, they will rapidly ascend the projected win total ladder in 2025.

2. The Cubs should avoid a move involving Cody Bellinger

Even if Cody Bellinger is only hitting 18 home runs and driving in 75-80 RBIs, his elite defensive versatility makes him a well above-league-average player in terms of value. The Cubs have outfield prospects they want to give at-bats to but are also in a situation where the front office desperately wants to return to the postseason, especially with Jed Hoyer on a contract year.

Moving Bellinger from an offensive standpoint, even if he has a season like he did in 2024, significantly further hinders the Cubs’ offensive prowess. They already lack an elite bat in the lineup, and trading away one of the closest things in a presumed salary dump while avoiding the top tier of free agency drives their projected win total down.

If you’re not going to spend on Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, etc., then I’m wondering what else you need to shed the salary for. It’s the same with Pete Alonso or Christian Walker, two of the best bats on the market. If you’re not planning on inking a nine-figure deal, there’s very little you can do to dramatically upgrade this offense, barring pulling off an unforeseen blockbuster somewhere. Unless you’re getting a clear-cut upgrade in the lineup over Bellinger via trade and eating some of his salary, moving him may not be worth it.

The Cubs already signed Matthew Boyd to a two-year, $29,000,000 deal this winter, betting on what they saw in 2024 after Boyd looked elite post-Tommy John surgery. Still, healthy or not, Boyd is an upside play, and Jed Hoyer can ill afford to base his 2025 season on what hopefully can happen. Instead, he needs to make an impact move that is a definite upgrade.

Yes, the 209 strikeouts in 146 innings were elite for Garret Crochet, and the 2.69 FIP compared to the 3.58 ERA suggests he was the victim of some bad luck due to a poor White Sox defense behind him. Still, 2024 was by far the most innings he’s ever pitched. Even if he is finally healthy from Tommy John in 2022 and has other ailments, it only makes sense for the Cubs to make this move if they have to, i.e., not getting one of the Mariner’s starters.

Although there’s not much to suggest that Crochet won’t continue a dominant streak, the asking price from the White Sox makes it riskier than it needs to be for the Cubs if they can instead get someone with a more proven track record who’s been performing at this level for longer. Crochet’s career ERA is 3.29, but he’s only been a starter for one season.