The Chicago Cubs have had a busy offseason, but if reports are to be believed, they may not be done just yet.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Cubs are a “team to watch” in a potential trade for Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease.
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 30, 2025
If you’re a Cubs fan, this potential move is incredible news, and shows that, for the first time since 2016, the Cubs are looking to actually contend now, as opposed to treading water.
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This team has refused to properly address issues on a year-to-year basis in recent seasons, dating back to an abject refusal to fix a ghastly bullpenn on numerous occasions during their post-2016 run. But this offseason, for the first time in years, they’ve been aggressive in fixing problems, and a potential Cease deal is no exception.
The Cubs have seven of MLB.com’s top 100 prospects, including the 54th-ranked player in outfielder Owen Cassie. Cassie would be a perfect fit in San Diego’s outfield, and the Cubs have a backlog of talent out there currently.
But more importantly, Cease is a top-end arm. He may not be a true, top-tier ace, but he’s one of the best number two starters in baseball, and is coming off a stellar Padres season in which he started 33 games and struck out 224 hitters in 189.1 innings while posting the lowest WHIP (1.067) of his career so far.
He’d slot in to a Cubs rotation that has talent, but lacks a go-to pitcher outside of Shota Imagana. He gives them a devastating one-two punch at the front of the rotation, and puts less stress on arms like Jameson Taillon and Justin Steele.
But, much like the Kyle Tucker trade earlier this offseason, landing an arm like Cease would be a signal to Cubs fans that this franchise wants to compete for and win a World Series again. That they see their window as being open now and want to maximize their chances at success.
Would a deal like this be costly? Sure; it would likely cost them Cassie, and possibly another top-tier prospect in return. But if the Cubs are really ready to go for it, to make a push for a deep playoff run in a division that is as wide open as any in baseball, can you afford not to take a shot? The risk is well worth the reward.
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