This Chicago Cubs Trade Idea Would Move Owen Caissie for Ace-Caliber Arm

A proposed Chicago Cubs trade with the Minnesota Twins would land one of the best contracts in Major League Baseball.

Sep 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez (49) pitches during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs could use another arm at the top of their rotation.

After making the moves they have, the Cubs still haven't quite gone all in.

The offseason has gone better than many initially expected, but as constructed, Chicago likely won't be able to win a World Series.

Sure, the Cubs could will win the National League Central given it's the worst division in baseball, but following their trade for Kyle Tucker and other marginal moves on top of that, why not try to go all in?

Chicago has shown interest in adding another starter too boost the strength of their team.

Many of the top pitchers on the market have signed, but there are still a few remaining.

The Cubs also have an opportunity to move on from some of their prospects to acquire an ace-caliber arm, so there are options available for them.

Out of the players who are on the block, Pablo Lopez should be at the top of their list.

Lopez, a right-hander with excellent stuff, could join Chicago's rotation and be the ace of this staff despite it already consisting of Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga.

What makes this even more tantalizing for the Cubs is Lopez not only has excellent stuff, but he's on a cheap deal compared to other top starters around baseball with four years and $73.5 million remaining until the end of the 2027 campaign.

But that also means Chicago would have to move a decent haul to land him.

The trade package could get confusing if they don't want to deal any of its top prospects, however, in this type of situation, it feels safe to say the front office would consider it.

Zack Cariola of Chi City Sports put together a trade proposal that would send Owen Caissie and Cole Mathis to the Minnesota Twins for Lopez.

"As I said the Cubs won't do that deal given how much they value Pete Crow-Armstrongs abilities. So instead, I think sending them Owen Caissie who is a top 100 prospect and adding in a flier such as Cole Mathis gets the deal done in my estimation. With the Minnesota Twins ownership trying to sell the team and shed payroll doing a deal like this makes sense for them to do."

Caissie would be the headliner in this deal.

The 22-year-old can swing it at an elite level, slashing .278/.375/.472 with 19 home runs in 2024, all in Triple-A.

While moving him would be a tough loss, prospect hugging doesn't always end well.

Lopez is a proven big league talent and would be of better use for the Cubs not just right now, but also in the future.

High-level arms are more valuable than a young prospect, no matter how good Caissie could turn out to be, so this is a deal that should be made if it presents itself.