1 realistic trade, 1 bold trade, and 1 trade mistake Cubs could make at the GM meetings

There are just over three weeks until the anticipated MLB lockout, putting front offices around the league on the clock as they look to knock out some major pieces of their respective offseason plans.

Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs are staring at multiple glaring holes in the starting rotation and vacancies in both corner outfield spots, not to mention a couple bench roles. Arms are the primary focus and will probably dominate the rumor mill in the weeks to come, both on the free agent side of things and the trade market.

As things heat up at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, let's roll through three trades the Cubs could make, ranging from realistic to a fool's errand.

3 trades Jed Hoyer could look to pull off at this week's GM Meetings

Realistic: Acquire Nathan Eovaldi from the Texas Rangers in exchange for mid-level prospects

If the Cubs aren't going to shop at the top of the free agent market, they could look at short-term additions to shore up a starting rotation that's riddled with holes heading into 2027. Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is due $24 million entering the final year of his deal and could be a perfect fit for the team.

He keeps the ball on the ground, gets a good amount of chase and swing-and-miss and would be a veteran anchor of the staff. Given his age and the Rangers' desire to shed money, you're probably coming off mid-level prospects to get this one done.

Bold: Pull off a CJ Abrams blockbuster with the Nationals and move him to the outfield

Let's think big. If the Cubs are going to be priced out on bringing back Seiya Suzuki, they need to find a way to offset that loss. A likely move is bringing in someone like Joc Pederson. But if we want to think bigger than cost-concious improvements around the margins, a blockbuster trade for CJ Abrams could be a game-changer.

It wouldn't be cheap. Abrams has two years of team control remaining and is coming off a monster 2026, in which he put up a 30/30 season and 5.1 bWAR, earning the second All-Star selection of his career. We're talking multiple top 100 guys and more to get this done and, given the Cubs' needs on the pitching side of things, I'd be shocked if Hoyer used his prospect capital on a deal like this.

That being said, man, it sure would be fun to see him and PCA deliver a lethal 1-2 punch.

Mistake: Trade for Spencer Strider in a total roll-of-the-dice trade with the Braves

There are high-risk, high-reward moves and then there are moves that carry so much risk, you just can't take the chance. Acquiring Spencer Strider in hopes of him recapturing what once made him one of the game's most promising young pitchers falls firmly in that category.

Injuries have completely derailed his once-promising career and his contract isn't exactly light. Strider is owed $22 million in each of the next two seasons and also has a club option for 2029. The right-hander was limited to eight starts this year, but is expected to enter 2027 healthy. Even so, since his breakout in 2023, he's been a shell of his former self: 33 starts, a 4.78 ERA and a 1.402 WHIP.

I'm all for bold, but this is one bridge too far for my blood. Even if it's low-level guys going back in the deal, the Cubs have been burned by bringing in guys with checkered injury histories too many times to think this is a good idea.

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