Cubs Predicted to Make Blockbuster Trade to Acquire Former Cy Young Winner

The Chicago Cubs have fallen short of expectations over the last few years, putting some pressure on the team to perform on the field this year.

With Cubs braintrust Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins both in the final year of their respective contracts, they know if there aren’t positive results on the field, both could be looking for new jobs once the offseason rolls around.

Knowing that a splash was needed, they made a huge move during the winter, acquiring right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.

One of the best position players in baseball, he is talented enough to elevate the performance of the players around him and anchor the lineup offensively. He isn’t an all-or-nothing performer at the plate with a .274/.353/.515 slash line in his career.

In addition to the stellar production at the plate, Tucker is an excellent defensive player in right field with one Gold Glove Award on his resume.

He was certainly a major addition, but there are some concerns about whether or not the Cubs did enough with the rest of their roster to live up to expectations.

The team added more depth across the roster but it was head-scratching that they went bargain-bin shopping on the free-agent market right from the start.

They signed Matthew Boyd early on to a two-year, $29 million deal as the biggest contract they signed a player to. Catcher Carson Kelly signed a two-year, $11.5 million deal, the only other player to sign a multi-year deal.

Inexplicably, Chicago slashed its payroll this winter compared to 2024. Cody Bellinger was traded to the New York Yankees in what was a clear money-saving move since the player they received in return for him, pitcher Cody Poteet, was designated for assignment.

The opportunity to upgrade the roster in a major way was there this past offseason, but the Cubs didn’t take full advantage.

It was certainly a concern for the fan base to see, especially because it is going to take a fortune to retain Tucker, who is set to hit free agency after the year.

Pushing more of their chips into the middle of the table would have been nice to see. But, could they have executed their offseason plan in the fashion they did because they have plans for the season?

That could be the case and is exactly what Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required) has predicted they would do.

“The Cubs will finish slightly north of 83 wins, capturing the division title after trading for Sandy Alcantara in a blockbuster deadline deal with the Miami Marlins,” he wrote in a piece highlighting one bold prediction for each team this season.

Adding a legitimate No. 1 starting pitcher could be what truly separates Chicago from their National League Central rivals. They made the most impactful move of all the teams this winter and improving their pitching would help increase the gap.

Also, it would put them a legitimate option to match up with the other aces they will have to get past to make a deep run in the postseason.

A trio of Alcantara, Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele is a lot more dangerous than what they currently have at their disposal.

With a farm system overflowing with highly rated players, the Cubs have more than enough assets to build a compelling package for the rebuilding Miami Marlins to be enticed by.

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