The Chicago Cubs recently lost starting pitcher Justin Steele for the season after Steele suffered a season-ending elbow injury.
Now the Cubs will need to turn to the trade block in order to land a star pitcher to replace their lefty.
Michael Brakebill of FanSided recently suggested the Cubs could swing a blockbuster trade for Los Angeles Dodgers starter Dustin May. May’s contract expires at the end of the season.
“Although the Dodgers are far from being sellers, their starting pitching depth is incredible,” Brakebill wrote. “Their rotation consists of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, May, and Landon Knack. Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, and Tony Gonsolin are all due back before long and have plenty of depth as far as their rotation goes. Though he’s been often injured recently, May is set to hit free agency this winter and is expendable for a team with endless resources.
“May currently owns a 0.82 ERA through two starts, and given the injury history and pending free agency, it’s unlikely the Dodgers would land anything close to a top-tier prospect for his services. It’s also unlikely May will stay in the starting rotation once Snell, Ohtani, and Gonsolin are back.”
The Dodgers would be smart to trade one or two of their starting pitchers. May, Tony Gonsolin, Bobby Miller, and a few others could be on the trade block, but May feels like the most likely to be dealt away.
The Dodgers won’t need him in their rotation when the team is fully healthy. But the Cubs could use him as a staple of their team if they can land the righty in a trade.
The deal would be a lot less expensive than a deal for pitchers like Sandy Alcántara and Dylan Cease. It’s something the Cubs should look into in the coming weeks.