The Chicago Cubs are expected to be one of the busiest teams during next week’s trade deadline and they have the ammunition to walk out with one of the best talents expected to be moved.
CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa recently made his predictions for what will happen at the deadline for each team. For the Cubs, he predicted that they would acquire Kansas City Royals ace Seth Lugo.
It’s not that Chicago’s pitching staff has been horrendous or anything, but they lack a true third option for the postseason. Adding Lugo to the mix with Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd would give them three starting pitchers with sub-3.00 ERAs on the year.
Lugo was an All-Star, AL Cy Young runner-up and AL Gold Glove winner last year. Though he didn’t get named to the All-Star team this time around, he is pitching just as well.
The 35-year-old has a 2.94 ERA with a 1.093 WHIP, 139 ERA+ and 7.8 K/9. He hasn’t been a strikeout machine over the last few years, but the results are great nonetheless.
He has never been one to light up a Statcast page, but the results speak for themselves. He has great stuff on his breaking pitches and has had a dominant sinker as part of his repertoire. With those pitches, he simply gets batters out.
Lugo doesn’t have much postseason experience, his first two starts came last year, but his performance didn’t drop at all.
It might not be as exciting a move as the Dylan Cease or Sandy Alcantara trades that have been floated in the past, but it would be just as effective for what the Cubs need.
For Chicago to get Lugo from the Royals, Axisa predicted a trade package revolving around top prospect Owen Caissie and southpaw Jordan Wicks. That would be a fair deal for Lugo.
Caissie is one of the most promising youngsters that the Cubs have. He has been at Triple-A since the start of last year and looks about as ready as he will ever be for the next level. The path to playing time in Chicago is currently an opportunity that is impossible to pass up.
The 22-year-old has posted a .269/.374/.556 slash line with 19 home runs and 44 RBI in 76 games this year.
Wicks would be an interesting arm for Kansas City to get back as he is under team control through 2029. He has been more of a potential over results guy so far, but has seemingly reached his ceiling with the Cubs. Perhaps the Royals can unlock something with him.