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Dec. 22: Where will Cubs turn in search for pitching?
A trade involving Cody Bellinger seemed like a foregone conclusion once the Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker from the Astros, adding another prominent player to what was already a crowded outfield. On Tuesday, the Cubs did find a match for Bellinger, sending him to the Yankees along with $5 million in return for right-handed pitcher Cody Poteet.

Poteet, a fourth-round Draft pick by the Marlins in 2015, has experience both as a starter and a reliever in the Majors, but he’s been mostly a starting pitcher in the Minors, compiling a 3.76 ERA over parts of nine seasons. He has a 3.80 ERA in 24 MLB games (13 starts).

Besides clearing up that logjam and adding a versatile pitcher, the Cubs also gained some financial flexibility as Bellinger is owed $27.5 million for 2025. He also has a $25 million player option for ’26, with a $5 million buyout.

According to MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi, the club is considering using some of that newfound flexibility to add a free-agent reliever. Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman, Kirby Yates, Carlos Estévez and David Robertson are some of the top names still available in a reliever market that has been slow to develop this offseason.

The Cubs also have been involved in the trade market for starting pitching help, though one of their reported targets just got traded elsewhere, with the Marlins sending Jesús Luzardo to the Phillies on Sunday. They have also shown interest in Mariners starter Luis Castillo, per Ryan Divish and Adam Jude of The Seattle Times (subscription required). He is owed $68.25 million over the next three years and has a $25 million vesting option for 2028. He would give the Cubs a dependable right-handed ace in what is now a lefty-dominant rotation, with Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd.

A trade for Castillo would likely require the Cubs to surrender some valuable prospects, but Chicago has seven Top 100 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.

Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki is another potential option for the Cubs, with the two sides reportedly scheduled to meet in person this past Friday. However, there is a ton of competition for Sasaki's services.