3 bold predictions for the rest of the Chicago Cubs offseason

#2: The Northsiders swing a deal for a young Marlins pitcher

You can never have too much pitching in this day and age. While the Cubs have built up a glut of young arms champing at the bit to pitch in the majors, it's still imperative that flesh out the staff with guys that give them the best chance to win. That rotation may look full already, but there's still one undecided spot and it wouldn't totally surprise me if they swing a deal with the Miami Marlins after all.

The Marlins have a pile-up of young major league-ready starters themselves and then they signed Johnny Cueto only furthering the traffic jam. Unlike the Cubs, though, their young arms have a bit more experience playing at the highest levels. The most obvious target would be Pablo López who is still under control for another season after 2023, but they could also look at the young righty Edward Cabrera who had a 3.01 ERA in 14 starts and 71 2/3 innings last year, or Jesús Luzardo who got things back on track last year across 100 innings with a 3.32 ERA. There's also Trevor Rogers who could be a great option with better health and refinements.

While the Cubs might like to let their young arms and Kyle Hendricks contend for that final spot, there's no doubt that adding one of these guys really solidifies an already improved rotation. Another argument in favor of such a move is that it steels the Cubs in case Marcus Stroman departs next season. López still seems like the best bet because with only two seasons of control, it's not a major risk and leaves the door open for a younger pitcher to take his place after they've had more time to develop. At the end of the day, you just have to add good players and this is one of the few ways left to do that.