Proposed Cubs trade sees Chicago land $67 million two-time All-Star, former Cy Young candidate to be emergency replacement for Cade Horton
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Proposed Cubs trade sees Chicago land $67 million two-time All-Star, former Cy Young candidate to be emergency replacement for Cade Horton originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The Chicago Cubs suffered a massive blow when their young ace Cade Horton was declared out with season-ending surgery on his UCL. Now, the Cubs need a stopgap replacement that can keep them in contention.
Sports Illustrated’s Ryan Shea proposes that the Cubs find their replacement through trade, and make a deal with the Athletics for their All-Star ace, Luis Severino. Severino has voiced his displeasure of pitching for the A’s, and could want to leave as well.
The trade would look like this:
Cubs get: RHP Luis Severino
Athletics get: CHC No. 16 prospect Brandon Birdsell, CHC No. 27 prospect LHP Riley Martin
“The Chicago Cubs make this trade because they are prioritizing reliable starting pitching with upside to stabilize their rotation for a competitive push. In acquiring Luis Severino, they get an experienced arm who can immediately take the ball every fifth day, provide strikeouts, and help limit the strain on their bullpen. Even with some volatility, Severino’s ability to miss bats gives Chicago a higher ceiling than a typical back-end starter. The Cubs also view him as a short-term upgrade with upside, rather than a pure rental. If his command and consistency settle, he can function as a mid-rotation starter capable of delivering quality starts in important games, which is exactly what contending teams need during a long season,” Shea wrote.
So far this season, Severino has posted a 0-2 record, a 5.59 ERA, 24 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.708 over 19 innings pitched. While this looks bad, his FIP is only a 4.50, and last season, it was evident Severino was a much better pitcher in MLB parks, as he posted a 6-2 record and a 3.04 ERA.
Severino could be the man to save the Cubs’ playoff chances, so trading for him sooner rather than later is probably the right choice.
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