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The Chicago Cubs entered the season with a big hole in the starting pitching rotation. That hole got bigger with multiple injuries, including a season-ending elbow surgery for Justin Steele, and the Cubs’ need for a pitcher has reached desperate levels.
The Cubs will likely be aggressive at the trade deadline in the same way they were aggressive in the offseason. Chicago needs a pitcher, so it’s very likely the front office finds a solution on the trade block.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer recently suggested the Cubs could be the best fit in a deal for San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease in the coming days.
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“Six teams have called the Padres about Dylan Cease, according to (Jon) Heyman, but there is a twist,” Rymer wrote. “The Friars are not a traditional seller, as ESPN’s Buster Olney reported they’ll only move him to shore up other needs. Per Heyman’s report, the Cubs are one of the four teams that have called about Cease, who got Cy Young Award votes in 2022 and 2024.
“They are the best fit for him on at least one basis, which concerns the rate at which their starters strike batters out. It’s not great, as their rotation’s 20.3 strikeout percentage is the lowest of any projected playoff team. Through thick and thin, strikeouts are Cease’s bread and butter. He has fanned at least 10 batters per nine innings in each of the last five seasons, mainly by way of a slider that is among the top pitches in the game.”
Even though he’s a rental, trading Cease only makes sense for the Padres if they can land a haul in a return, especially with big league players coming back in the deal. For the Cubs, this would likely mean cutting ties with Owen Caissie, who could play left field in San Diego.
Beyond Caissie, the Padres could target Kevin Alcántara or some pitching prospects to fill out the deal. A trade would need to be loaded, but the Cubs, who entered the weekend a half-game back of the Brewers, are at the level of aggressiveness in which this deal could make sense.
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