The Chicago Cubs, by all accounts, still look to be on the prowl for some high-end talent to ensure postseason play this year.
With the team not making the playoffs since the abbreviated 2020 season and not winning a playoff game since 2017, figurative heads will roll if the “all in” 2025 Cubs don’t make a push deep into the playoffs.
The Cubs are still in the running to acquire free agent third baseman Alex Bregman and reportedly still on the lookout for bullpen assets. They’re also, by most accounts, looking at the possibility of adding another high-end top-of-rotation starting pitcher.
That’s where the San Diego Padres and their ace Dylan Cease come in.
Chicago Cubs-San Diego Padres-Dylan Cease
With the Padres looking to shed payroll and the cash-surplussed Cubs looking to add an arm, the pairing of the two teams seems like a no-brainer.
Rumors have been rampant regarding a deal between the Cubs and the Padres, but Cease, who was brought up in the Cubs farm system, has reportedly been targeted by several other teams, such as the New York Mets.
As of right now, rumors are just rumors and Cease remains with the Padres, but it appears to be more likely than not that the valuable arm, who will become a free agent at the end of this coming season, gets dealt soon to a team with realistic hopes of post-season play.
A Wild Proposed Trade
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report has cooked up a curious Cease trade proposal between the Cubs and the Padres that might have some Cubs fans scratching their heads.
In his proposal, Rymer has the Cubs acquiring Cease, but sending the Padres their no. 4 prospect, catcher Moises Ballesteros and their no. 6 prospect, outfielder Kevin Alcantara in return.
Per Rymer:
“Another starter feels more like a want than a need for the Cubs. Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon are a strong front three, and then there’s newcomer Matthew Boyd and Javier Assad.
And yet, Cubs ownership is hearing it from fans that the team hasn’t done enough to solidify its status as contenders. They’re not wrong, and it’s notable that this team lacked swing-and-miss from its starters in 2024.
Matt Shaw is ‘off limits,’ according to [Jon] Heyman, but the Cubs have more to offer beyond him. In this case, they’d serve up two prospects who don’t have clear paths to playing time on the North Side.”
Bold…Or Crazy?
The Cubs trading away two of their top six prospects for one year of Cease would certainly be a bold move. Others may call it a crazy move.
While it’s true that Ballesteros and Alcantara don’t currently have a clear path to starting gigs with the Cubs at the moment, that may change very soon. There’s no guarantee of success with the current catching tandem of Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly. Meanwhile, right fielder Kyle Tucker is eligible for free agency at the end of this season and there could very well be a need for an extra outfielder soon. At just 21 and 22 years of age, respectively, there’s no rush to wedge Ballesteros and Alcantara into a Wrigley Field spot right now.
Having Cease in the rotation would be a big deal and, really, what Cubs fan would be against it? But, at some point, you have to draw a line and refrain from the urge to auction off your future for short-lasting immediate gratification.
A Cubs-Padres Cease trade might still be a good idea, but not at the cost of depleting the Cubs’ farm system.
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