The Chicago Cubs have the roster to win the National League Central in 2025. They seemingly pushed all their chips to the middle of the table when they acquired expiring outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. But Chicago could look to continue to add talent from the trade block. Christopher Kline of FanSided recently predicted the Cubs could be a candidate to land San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease in a blockbuster offseason trade. Cease is entering the final year of team control and Spotrac projects him to sign for $108 million in free agency next winter.

“Cease’s tenure with the White Sox was a mixed bag, but his individual success was undeniable,” Kline wrote. “The Chicago Cubs can offer a real chance to contend in the NL Central. Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga form a compelling one-two punch atop the rotation, but pitching depth is a huge weak point in Jed Hoyer’s roster. Cease would cover up a lot of holes with his durability, not to mention his all-world stuff.” If Chicago could pull off a trade to bring Cease back to the Windy City, it would likely sit atop the NL Central in all of the preseason projections.

The key to adding Cease would be extending him or re-signing him in free agency next winter. The Cubs can’t afford to spend big on two trade pieces this winter, just to lose them to free agency next offseason. If the Cubs feel like this is a risk worth taking, Cease could be headed back to Chicago before opening day.