The Chicago Cubs made a few key moves this offseason. They made two separate trades with the Houston Astros to acquire Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly.
However, there is no clear favorite in the National League Central heading into the 2025 season. A few more big splashes would have made the Cubs the heavy favorites to win the division.
But the Cubs may not be done just yet. They have been linked to starters Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson this winter, so they could dive into free agency for an arm.
They could also make a trade. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report proposed the idea of Chicago trading for Miami Marlins ace and former Cy Young Sandy Alcantara.
The proposed trade includes the Cubs sending Javier Assad and prospects Moises Ballesteros and Kevin Alcantara to Miami.
“The Cubs are like the Red Sox in that they have more young hitters than they have room for. ‘If you can’t play ’em, trade ’em’ isn’t a saying, but it ought to be,” Rymer wrote.
“The real prizes here are Ballesteros, who projects as a high-average type, and Alcántara, who has power and speed in abundance. Neither has a clear path to playing time in Chicago, but that wouldn’t be an issue in Miami.”
This move would give the Cubs a truly scary starting rotation. They already have Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele at the top, but Alcantara would give them a true ace to lead the pack.
This would also make the Cubs the clear-cut favorite to win the NL Central after the Milwaukee Brewers had a quiet offseason.
When healthy, Alcantara can eat innings, and he is capable of striking batters out at a high rate. The two-time All-Star also has two more years of control left, plus a club option for 2027.
The Cubs could enter the conversation of true World Series contenders if they make this move. We’ll see what they decide to do.
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