Chicago Cubs: Epstein getting “creative” to acquire starting pitching

Don’t pre-order your David Price and Zach Greinke jerseys just yet, Chicago Cubs fans. Team president Theo Epstein warns that the Cubs still don’t have enough revenue to be big-time spenders. Instead, he suggests the Cubs will need to get “creative” in addressing their on-field needs this offseason. All this is per Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.

So let’s dream creatively together, shall we? We know the Cubs biggest need is for starting pitching. The Cubs may yet sign a big name free agent pitcher. But that would still leave them in need of another arm or two to fill out the rotation.

Meanwhile, the Cubs have some depth in their position players, especially in the middle infield. Could it be time to move Javier Baez, Starlin Castro or Arismendy Alcantara?

The Cubs have other movable pieces waiting in the minors. Players like Matt Szczur, Dan Vogelbach, and Christian Villanueva are good-looking prospects but seemed blocked for playing time by the likes of Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber.

Could this be the time move some of those blocked prospects?

Who would the Cubs actually trade for? The Cubs would need to find a team with pitchers to move and needs the Cubs could address from their surplus of position players. Fortunately, there are several teams who fit that description.

So let’s have some fun in making some suggestions for the Cubs front office to consider… After all, this is the excitement of hot stove season, isn’t it?

Click on to see some intriguing trade possibilities…

Could

be pried away from the Angels? Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels need help at first base, middle infield, and designated hitter, especially now that Albert Pujols could miss some playing time in 2016. The Angels also have a healthy stable of starting pitchers.

Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson would certainly look great pitching in Cubs’ pinstripes, but their contracts make them unattractive to the Cubs’ front office.

The Angels still have Hector Santiago, Matt Shoemaker, and Garrett Richards. Richards would demand quite a bit in return and may actually be near untouchable as he’s shown consistent improvement the past two years and has several more years under team control.

It’s possible the Angels could bite on a trade if the Cubs offered both Castro and Baez and some minor league-ers. Santiago or Shoemaker may come with a little less steep of a price tag, perhaps Castro and a top-tier minor league-er.

has been mentioned often in Mets trade rumors. Could a landing spot be the Cubs? Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

New York Mets

The Mets have to pitch. The Mets have scary-good pitching. I kind of wish the Mets would trade someone, anyone, just to even the balance of pitching in the league.

If the Mets were willing to share some pitching they could trade one of the superb young pitchers to address their lack of depth in the middle infield–where we know the Cubs have players to offer.

For some reason, Matt Harvey has been mentioned as being on the trade block. I couldn’t imagine the Mets parting with their young ace. Nor could I imagine the Cubs parting with the players necessary to pry Harvey from the Mets (which might be someone like Schwarber plus Javier Baez).

But the Cubs could leverage Baez and some other players into a Jon Niese or Zack Wheeler.

Both Niese and Wheeler have a bit of a downside. Niese comes with a price tag: $9MM for 2016. His salary may not be good value for his performance the past couple years. Wheeler has been great when he’s pitched. But he missed 2015 due to injury. Perhaps the Cubs leverage those downsides into a more advantageous deal.

has been mentioned several times in trade rumors. Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres

We know the Cubs like Tyson Ross, as they have been connected to the Padres’ right-hander before. Andrew Cashner could be another Padres pitcher on the move. And because the Padres would be looking to score a shortstop in a trade for one of their pitchers, the Cubs appear a likely partner.

Cashner is coming off a down year, making him a buy-low option. Ross is moving through arbitration, and his rising salary could make the Padres eager to move him. Because of the Padres’ eagerness to move and the Cubs compatibility as trade partners, one of these trades might be the most likely to happen.

Could

‘s former team offer a good return for some Cubs prospects? Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay Rays

Matt Moore had great success with Joe Maddon in their time together on the Rays. Could reuniting the two in Cubby blue help get Moore’s career back on track? The lefty underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 and struggled after his return to the mound in 2015.

We know the Rays can ill-afford to pay millions of dollars to a pitcher who posts a negative WAR (Moore’s was -0.4 in 2015).

So the club may be hot to move Moore. For the Cubs, this would be another one of their buy-low reclamation projects that the Cubs’ front office has worked so well in the past (a la Jake Arrieta).

The Rays are in the market for help at shortstop and designated hitter, positions that could be filled from the Cubs ranks. It’s possible the Cubs and Rays could reach a mega-deal if the Rays want to get serious about unloading salaries, and pitchers like Drew Smyly or Erasmo Ramirez could become part of talks, too.

Would it be too much to suggest Castro, Vogelbach and pitcher C.J. Edwards head to Tampa in exchange for Moore and Smyly?

Who knows, if the Cubs get “creative” they could score big in nabbing some pitching help this hot stove season.