These 2 crazy Cubs-Astros trades would flip the offseason on its head

Cubs receive: LHP Framber Valdez

Astros receive: LHP Jordan Wicks, OF Owen Caissie (no. 3) , 1B Matt Mervis

In this trade scenario, the Cubs acquire an ace-level starting pitcher in Framber Valdez. The 30-year-old southpaw has a collective ERA of 3.06 over his last three seasons. In that time, Valdez also made two All-Star games and helped the Astros win a World Series in 2022. During the 2022 postseason, Valdez nailed down the win in three of his four postseason starts while pitching to a 1.44 ERA.

Valdez would slot in at the front of the Cubs' rotation, giving them another ace-level pitcher alongside Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga. With Matthew Boyd in the fold, the Cubs would have four left-handed starters in their rotation, which would be interesting to opposing teams to deal with. to say the least.

In return, Jordan Wicks would provide starting pitching depth who could break with the Astros rotation. For a team that had starting pitching problems last season, the Astros can actually afford to move Valdez. Their issues came because three of their starters went down with arm issues, including Lance McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia and Christian Javier. All are expected to return in 2025 alongside Hunter Brown and Ronel Blanco. So, Wicks would be an insurance policy that will be under team control for several years to come.

The main thing the Astros will be looking to add in a trade is power bats, and Caissie obviously fits the bill. The 22-year-old still has time to develop, but his power and arm strength make him a logical fit for a corner outfield spot. Meanwhile, Matt Mervis would fill the Astros' need at first base. Mervis will be 27 next year and his short stints in MLB proved to be unsuccessful, but keep in mind they were very brief (116 at-bats total). A change of scenery could take the pressure off and see Mervis get closer to the potential he touched on in the Minors, where he has slugged 82 career home runs.