Uncover the top trade candidates poised to shake up MLB. Could one of these ace pitchers join the Cubs' rotation for a championship push?
With the start of the Winter Meetings less than one week away, there should be more rumors and reports coming out in the coming days.
On Tuesday morning, ESPN insiders Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel ranked the top 25 trade candidates for this offseason. The trade candidates ranged from Tarik Skubal to Ketel Marte to Freddy Peralta.
For each of those trade candidates, Passan and McDaniel gave their predictions of how likely those players were to be moved. Of those 25 players, eight had at least a 50% chance in Passan/McDaniel’s eyes to be traded this offseason.
Those players were Joe Ryan, Jarren Duran, Pablo Lopez, Brendan Donovan, Mitch Keller, Luis Robert Jr., Alec Bohm, and Jeff McNeil. From this list, Ryan or Lopez feels like the player the Cubs could be targeting in trade talks this winter.
Although the article didn’t list the Cubs as a fit for either Twins pitcher, it wouldn’t be a total shock to see the front office acquire an arm like Ryan or Lopez this offseason. Both have multiple years of control, and both are top-of-the-line starting pitchers.
Ryan is coming off his best year in the Major Leagues, finishing with a 3.42 ERA and 194 strikeouts across 171 innings pitched. At 29 years old, the right-hander is entering the prime of his career.
For that reason, Minnesota’s asking price is likely to be much higher than most of the other pitchers on the trading block. However, the Twins could be looking to clean house after a disappointing 2025 season.
The Cubs also have the assets to acquire a pitcher like Ryan this offseason. With a solid farm system, Chicago could look to trade some of its top prospects for a dominant No. 1 pitcher. The front office could look to trade Jonathon Long and Kevin Alcantara -- both of whom are currently blocked at their positions.
Long just won the Buck O’Neil Cubs Minor League Player of the Year behind an incredible hitting campaign, and Alcantara is currently out of Minor League options. That means the outfielder will have to be on Chicago’s Opening Day roster, or the team will have to trade him.
So, the Cubs do have the assets to make a competitive offer for Ryan.
The same goes for Lopez.
The right-hander missed a large chunk of the 2025 season due to a shoulder injury. But when he was healthy, he was pitching at a high level. Lopez finished the year with a 2.74 ERA and 73 strikeouts across 75 ⅔ innings pitched.
Acquiring one of these two pitchers would be a massive get for the Cubs’ rotation. Both are frontline starters, and both could be with new teams come Opening Day. Passan/McDaniel believe there’s a 50% chance Ryan and Lopez will be dealt this offseason.