Cubs, Rays Could Be Trade Partners Again as Tampa Looks to Deal from Rotation Depth

The Cubs and Rays partnered on a big trade ahead of the deadline this year and could do a little business this winter if Tampa is indeed looking to bolster its offense by dealing from rotation depth. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times suggested the Rays could try to do just that, and it’s hardly novel for the budget-conscious organization to move players who are in line for even modest raises. The Cubs are similarly obsessed with finding value, but they can afford to shop at Whole Foods while the Rays patrol the aisles at Aldi.

Jed Hoyer’s offseason shopping list includes a catcher to pair with or supplant Miguel Amaya as the primary backstop, help for the rotation and bullpen, plus a scary middle-of-the-order bat. With the Rays likewise seeking bats and a catcher, specifically those of the less expensive variety, it makes sense that they’d be eyeing some Cubs prospects who might not have a clear path to playing time in Chicago.

Before we discuss who the Cubs might be willing to dangle, let’s check in on the pitchers Tampa is most likely to part with. Righty Zack Littell just finished his first season as a full-time starter and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn nearly $5 million in his final season of arbitration, making him an ideal candidate to be dealt. Lefty Jeffrey Springs has made just 10 starts and tallied 49 innings over the last two seasons due to elbow reconstruction, but he’s put up huge strikeout numbers in parts of seven MLB campaigns and is guaranteed $21.75 million over the next two seasons.

If your antennae just perked up because you believe Hoyer specifically checks the scratch-and-dent section for TJ recipients, you’ll love the next two options. Drew Rasmussen also missed most of the last two seasons due to an elbow procedure but has a 2.95 career ERA and bounced back with a 97+ mph fastball over 16 appearances (four starts) in 2024. Shane McClanahan didn’t pitch at all this past season but has worked exclusively as a starter in three previous seasons. He’s also the youngest of this group at 27 and carries a $3.6 million AAV for 2025 with two arb years after that and two minor league options remaining.

While MLBTR names Springs and Littell as the most likely to be moved, largely because Rasmussen worked mainly as a reliever and McClanahan hasn’t yet come back, I believe the Cubs should be more interested in either of the latter pitchers. Hoyer has shown himself to be risk-averse when it comes to free-agent deals, but he’s been more willing to gamble a bit on the upside of arms rebounding from injury. What’s more, he knows the Cubs need dudes who throw hard and throw strikes.

Springs’ fastball averaged just under 90 mph last season and doesn’t figure to get much faster in his age-32 season. Littel was a skosh over 92 mph and has previously been a couple ticks higher, though that’s not enough to move the needle. Rasmussen’s lowest velo in a season was 95.5 and the 29-year-old righty has put up a very low 6.5% walk rate (MLB average was 8.2% this season) over nearly 311 total innings. McClanahan also sits right around 97 mph a 7.1% walk rate.

I may have failed to note earlier that Rasmussen is projected to get around $2 million in arbitration and won’t be a free agent until 2027. And he’s also got a pair of options left. Even if he has to serve primarily as a reliever, that’s a bargain. Same for McClanahan. So let’s run down the list again: low cost, at least two years of club control, high velocity, lots of strikes. Sign me up. Oh wait, they don’t just get to add these guys for nothing.

Neither should command a top prospect like Kevin Alcántara or James Triantos, but maybe there’s another big bat who makes sense. What about Alexander Canario? Like Nelson Velázquez before him, Canario seems to have fallen out of favor as younger outfielders matriculated through the system. Though injuries limited him in each of the last two seasons, he still hit 18 homers and posted a 116 wRC+ at Triple-A Iowa and has done well in a small sample at the MLB level.

The strikeout numbers are a little high, but Canario would provide the kind of instant offense the Rays are looking for while also helping them trim payroll. They’d be buying a great deal of club control as well, and that alone is worth quite a bit. For the Cubs, the risk is negligible because it’s become evident that Canario isn’t in their plans. Heck, I think they’d have traded him prior to last year had that freak ankle/shoulder injury not happened over the winter.

This makes all the sense in the world to me as I view it on paper, but there are obviously a lot more moving parts and nothing can be that easy. Whether it’s the Rays or another team, I fully expect Hoyer to deal from prospect depth in order to add the pieces he needs to make good on his vow to turn the Cubs into a playoff team in 2025.