Cubs-Dodgers Trade Idea Sends Promising 28-Year-Old Starter to Chicago

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 30: Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyerlooks on prior to the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field on March 30, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs are thought to be in need of starting pitching this offseason.

While all the headlines are going to link the Cubs to all the top starters available in free agency and via the trade market, there are still external options out there that the Cubs can acquire for much less than all the front-line options.

In a recent trade ideas story for BR.com, MLB writer Kerry Miller is urging the Chicago Cubs to trade for Los Angeles Dodgers starter Gavin Stone, who has not pitched in MLB since 2024.

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Should the Cubs Trade for Gavin Stone?

Gavin Stone has endured some shoulder injuries over the past two seasons, which has kept him sidelined from MLB.

However, he carries a lot of promise as a young (28)-ish starter.

Here is what Miller notes about why a potential deal could work:

“The Cubs have a ton of work to do on their starting rotation, but the silver lining is they should have plenty of room in the budget to make it happen. Their farm system isn’t great, though, so getting one year of an ace like Logan Gilbert or Drew Rasmussen would be tough to pull off. Maybe they spend big in free agency and trade for a buy-low option like Gavin Stone? He missed all of 2025 to shoulder surgery and was unable to make it back to the big leagues in 2026, but he’s a solid ‘maybe’ for a rotation spot in 2027 if traded.”

Across 171.1 total IP in MLB (2023, 2024), Stone carries an ERA of 4.52 over 29 starts (138 strikeouts).

Something to think about when potentially trading for Gavin Stone is the fact that he’s very unproven, which would drive the asking price all the way down, and he could be a nice addition to the back end of the Cubs rotation if he’s able to make 20+ starts in a season going forward.

Given the Dodgers’ luxury of starting pitchers, Stone could also be looked at as expendable.

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