Cubs projected to follow Cody Bellinger trade with blockbuster deal for $108M ace

By | December 18, 2024

What will the Chicago Cubs do for an encore to their trade shakeup from the past week?

On Friday, the Cubs traded for superstar right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. That move left Cody Bellinger without a path to playing time, and on Tuesday, Chicago dealt Bellinger to the New York Yankees to get his $27.5 million salary off the books.

With their savings from the Bellinger trade, a whole world of new possibilities have opened up for Chicago. Tucker is only on the books for one year, so pursuing an extension for their new right fielder seems obvious, but there are lots of other paths the Cubs could take.

Since trades have been a theme for Chicago this winter, why not pursue one more?

In the wake of the Bellinger deal, Michael Brakebill of FanSided proposed Seattle Mariners three-time All-Star Luis Castillo as a possible trade candidate for the Cubs, filling out the rotation alongside Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon.

“In theory, the funds are there to trade for Castillo, should he waive his no-trade clause. It makes more sense for the Cubs’ future to hold on to some of those funds and dip into their surplus of prospects for a trade,” Brakebill said.

“Castillo still has three years left on his contract, along with a vesting option for a fourth year, and his production vs. AAV is solid for who he is as a player. This is the move the Cubs should make if they aren’t planning to keep Kyle Tucker long-term.”

Castillo, who signed a five-year, $108 million extension with Seattle prior to the 2023 season, had a bit of a down year in 2024 with a 3.64 ERA in 30 starts. He struck out just 175 batters, compared to the 219 he punched out the year before.

With a $24 million annual salary for the next three years, the Cubs would essentially be swapping Castillo’s money for Bellinger’s–unless they could get Seattle to pay some of that down. But the more money the Cubs eat in the deal, the more of their prospects they would get to keep.

More MLB: Full trade details: Cubs send Cody Bellinger to Yankees in long-awaited blockbuster

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