The Chicago Cubs front office has already declared the team to be “all in” when it comes to winning and getting into the post-season this year.
The Chicago Cubs, “All In”
So far, that “all in” attitude has been highlighted by a trade for Houston Astros’ legitimate impact player Kyle Tucker, rehabbed Cleveland Guardians left-handed starting pitcher Matthew Boyd, and some other mid-to-small additions.
But what if a deal came along that would put the Cubs over the top– a deal so transformative that the goal of a playoff bid would instantly morph into World Series expectations.
The Chicago Cubs, World Series Blockbuster
Matthew Trueblood of North Side Baseball is pushing that needle of expectations in a recent trade proposal he published involving the Cubs and the budget-questionable San Diego Padres.
In it, he has the Cubs receiving former Cubs prospect and current Padres ace RHP Dylan Cease and RHP Robert Suarez while sending the Padres OF Owen Caissie, RHP Ben Brown, and either RHP Javier Assad or LHP Jordan Wicks in return.
Per Trueblood:
“This deal would make the Cubs about $24 million more expensive in 2025, and it would push in even more of the organization’s chips on the success of this season. Cease will become a free agent after the campaign, one for which he’ll be paid roughly $14 million in his final season of arbitration eligibility. The Cubs could try to sign him to an extension, of course, but as with Tucker, the chances of that feel slim. With another season similar to the one he just put up in San Diego, he’d be in line for an extremely lucrative free agency, probably topping $200 million in guaranteed money.
Suarez, meanwhile, will make $10 million as a base salary, with incentives likely to push that figure to anywhere from $11-13 million if he serves as the primary closer—a likely outcome. After the season, he has a two-year, $16-million player option, so if he pitches well, he’s likely to become a free agent, and if he gets hurt or goes off the rails, he’s likely to be a long-term budget item with limited utility.
That’s the bad news. The good news in this deal would be that Cease and Suarez would make the Cubs clear-cut NL Central favorites and a fairly imposing playoff opponent even for the Mets, Dodgers, and Phillies.”
Yes, indeed. That’s a lot to take in.
Does It Make Sense?
On the surface, there’s a great temptation as a Cubs fan to want to snatch it up and invest everything in winning this year. This deal brings in the top-of-rotation starter the front office has reportedly been pursuing and, also, a likely favorite to take the closer role.
The following year would be a sad one, though, as Cease and Suarez, as well as Tucker, ride off into the sunset and into the arms of big market teams that spend like big market teams. But 2025 sure would be fun.
None of the three Cubs dealt to the Padres in this deal are expected to be major impact players in 2025, so there would be no immediate impact felt this coming season. However, Assad, Wicks, and Brown are talented young arms profiled to contribute to the franchise for years to come. Caissie, meanwhile, profiles to be a true power hitter– one of the few potential home run kids in the Cubs’ organization.
If Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is a gambling man, he very well could roll the dice on a deal like this and truly go “all in.” Hoyer, however, doesn’t seem to be THAT much of a gambler.
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