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3 way too early Chicago Cubs targets at the trade deadline
These three potential Cubs targets are as good as gone if their team isn't winning at the trade deadline.
With Opening Day right around the corner, it's hard not to get excited about where this Chicago Cubs team could end up in the standings. That got me thinking: If this team is winning ballgames, who are some viable trade candidates that could be available at the deadline this year? More than likely, the team won't require offense, barring anything unforeseen. Pitching, on the other hand, is a different story. Let's look at three players the Cubs could target at the 2024 trade deadline.
3 trade candidates - 3. Shane Bieber
Often Cubs-connected Shane Bieber is still a Cleveland Guardian to begin the 2024 campaign. His availability at the trade deadline completely hinges on where the Guardians sit in the standings and if they want to keep him while looking to complete. With it being rare that Cleveland extends players, it’s nearly certain that Bieber will reach free agency this winter unless he is moved and extended with a new team. That’s where the Cubs, who didn’t want to pay a premium for Bieber via trade a couple of months ago will likely be back in the mix.
The Cubs’ pitching staff is deep, but they lack someone outside of Justin Steele who can be counted on at the top of the rotation. Although Bieber missed over two months with elbow inflammation last season, he has looked just fine in spring training this year with a 3.18 ERA over 5.2 innings in two starts.
Whether or not the Detroit Tigers or Kansas City Royals did enough to help hold the Guardians back remains to be seen, but in an overcrowded American League in terms of competition, the road to the playoffs for Cleveland is likely through winning the Division or bust. If they find themselves several games back at the deadline, look for trade talks regarding Bieber to ramp up again, and expect the Cubs to come calling.
3 trade candidates - 2. Luis Severino
Stay with me for a second. Luis Severino, as injury-plagued as they come, appears fully healthy so far in Spring Training this year with the New York Mets on a one-year prove-it deal. With Kodai Senga's status in jeopardy, New York's rotation may be lackluster early on and thus make them fall behind early in the NL East, which is becoming more competitive with the emergence of the Miami Marlins returning to playoff status.
Enter the idea of a healthy Severino getting back to form in 2024, and you see how it could come to fruition that he is a sought-after trade target at the deadline this year. Severino has not appeared in more than 20 games since 2018. Truth be told, the two-time All-Star’s 3.10 ERA from 2017-22 is exceptional, but it's a matter of health and staying off the IL. If he can do so, there's no doubt he can still be a vital member of any team's starting rotation at only 30 years old. Severino currently owns a 1.00 ERA over 9.0 IP in Spring Training.
3 trade candidates - 1. Kenley Jansen
In an extremely competitive AL East, an uneventful free agency for Boston made the Red Sox’ aspirations of returning to the top of the Division even more unlikely. Their biggest acquisition, Lucas Giolito, is already out for the season after receiving elbow surgery. Therefore, it’s likely that players on expiring contracts will be moved, assuming the team is not competing at the deadline. If that holds true, the Cubs may come calling to bolster their bullpen in the form of future Hall of Fame reliever Kenley Jansen.
Jansen is a five-time All-Star with a 2.52 career ERA. A long-tenured closer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Janses has put up solid numbers throughout his 14-year career, and unless he completely unravels in 2024, will be an interesting trade target for a team like Chicago that will likely be looking for veteran rotation and/or bullpen help this summer. Jansen is owed 16.0M for 2024, so the Cubs could theoretically acquire him if they bite the bullet and go over the luxury tax, which needs to be the plan if the team is competing at the deadline.
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