The Chicago Cubs have been one of the surprise teams this winter with their aggressive approach to the offseason. They replaced Cody Bellinger with Kyle Tucker and traded for closer Ryan Pressly, and they don’t appear to be done anytime soon.
The Cubs have checked in on Dylan Cease
According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Cubs checked in with the San Diego Padres regarding the availability of starting pitcher Dylan Cease. For the second straight offseason, the ace has been put on the trade block and Chicago is looking to pounce on an opportunity they cannot afford to miss.
“One team to watch is the Chicago Cubs,” Morosi said.
Morosi noted that the Cubs make a lot of sense because of their intriguing prospect pool. They have seven of the top 100 prospects by MLB.com, some of which could be used to facilitate a deal to bring in Cease by a trade.
The Cubs could take advantage of the Padres wanting to shed payroll
Furthermore, Morosi stated that Cease is more likely to be moved than fellow starting pitcher Michael King because of the amount of money Cease makes. Cease is projected to be making $13.75 million in 2025 compared to King’s $8 million salary for this upcoming season.
The Padres are looking to shed some payroll as they are approaching some big financial restrictions, so moving on from some of their larger contracts will help create some flexibility for them. Cease is one of the top pitchers in baseball and was a gem for the Padres last season.
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He pitched to a 3.47 ERA with a 14-11 record and struck out 224 batters in 189.1 innings thrown. If the Cubs are able to strike a deal for him, he would be a massive addition to their starting rotation, as that is currently their most glaring weakness. Adding him would make Chicago the bonafide favorites in the NL Central division.
With Spring Training less than a month away, the trade market for Cease will heat up, and perhaps the Cubs can pull off a blockbuster move to bring in the star ace.
