Chicago Cubs: Huge gamble explored in proposed Cubs-Mariners trade

The Chicago Cubs need pitching. They DESPERATELY need pitching.

They’ve done remarkably well so far this season, dealing with a staff decimated by injuries. It’s frankly amazing that they’ve managed to remain a playoff-favored team currently missing four starting rotation pitchers (Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, Ben Brown), their closer (Daniel Palencia) and a handful of top relievers. Even rehabbing ace Justin Steele, who was due back by mid-season from last year’s elbow surgery, has suffered a setback that places the rest of this season in doubt).

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Still, the Cubs are twelve games over .500 and owners of the top spot in the NL Wild Card race.

Realistically, though, there’s little chance of the team doing much in the postseason with a pitching staff full of doubts, hobbled assets, and emergency fill-ins. That’s why Cubs president Jed Hoyer and the front office need to be aggressive buyers at the August 3 MLB trade deadline, in the hunt for top-of-rotation starting pitching and reliable bullpen arms.

The problem is that lots of teams are still in contention for playoff spots and the seller list may be pretty small come early August.

Seattle Mariners president Jerry Dipoto recently expressed his belief that the tight market may necessitate some buyer-to-buyer trades between contending teams this deadline.

Cubs-Mariners trade?

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So, taking this into consideration, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report proposed a deal between the Mariners and the Cubs that could satisfy the hitting-deficient Mariners and the pitching-deficient Cubs.

Per Miller:

“It may have just been an observation on the general state of the league and not necessarily a tell as to what the Mariners are planning to do at the deadline. But this is a buyer-to-buyer deal that figures to benefit both sides.

While the M’s have a stout six-man starting rotation, the Cubs have a surplus of bats and a dearth of starting pitching. And since getting out to a brutal start to the year, Castillo has a 2.72 ERA across his last seven appearances and a 3.83 FIP for the year. He reasonably could become Chicago’s Game 1 starter in the postseason.”

Big gamble

Needless to say, this would be a huge gamble for the Cubs, specifically as Suzuki is a big part of the team’s offense. There would also be the hurdle of Suzuki’s no-trade clause to overcome.

But could this be a gamble worth taking?

The 33-year-old Castillo is not having a great year. He’s currently posting a 3-8 record with a 4.93 ERA through 18 games (15 starts)—although his 4.16 FIP gives some hope that bad luck has played a part in the ugly stat line. His status as the Mariners’ sixth starter in a deep rotation makes him expendable.

On the banged-up Cubs, though, he’d be near the top of the rotation.

He’s also under contract through next season for a bit over $22 million, meaning Chicago could plug him into the rotation next year if/when Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, and Shota Imanaga walk via free agency at the end of this year.

Suzuki, meanwhile, is having a good season. However, he’s due to become a free agent at the end of this season and it’s fairly likely that the Cubs will lose him on the open market.

This Suzuki-for-Castillo trade would be a huge risk for the usually risk-averse Cubs, but it could conceivably be the team’s only shot at grabbing a potential impact starting pitcher by the deadline.

Time will tell what the Cubs plan to do by August 3.

The post Chicago Cubs: Huge gamble explored in proposed Cubs-Mariners trade appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-trade-seiya-suzuki-luis-castillo-seattle-mariners/