A few years from now, we will look back and ask ourselves exactly when did the Cubs rebuild officially begin. Was it when Theo Epstein decided to walk away from the last year on his contract, leaving $10 million on the table? Was it a few weeks later when fan-favorite Kyle Schwarber was non-tendered? Or, was it yesterday, when the Cubs sent Yu Darvish, Victor Caratini, and cash to the Padres in exchange for Zach Davies, Owen Caissie, Reginald Preciado, Yeison Santana, and Ismael Mena.
Darvish, who has three years and $59 million left on the deal he signed before the 2018 season, went 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts for during the COVID-shortened season, finishing in second place in NL Cy Young Award voting. Caratini was his personal catcher and hit .241 with 16 RBIs last year. After struggling upon his arrival in Chicago, Darvish started to regain his form midway through 2019 and continued on into 2020, helping the Cubs win the Central Division title and return to the post-season after a one year absence.
Davies, 27, will become a free agent after the 2021 season. He went 7-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 12 starts for the Padres in 2020. The prospect package will not be of much help to the Cubs in the immediate future. Caissie, an 18-year-old outfielder, was the Padres second round pick in this year’s draft. Preciado, a 17 year old switch hitting shortstop, signed with the Padres in July of 2019 out of Panama. The 20 year old Santana, also a shortstop, made his pro debut in 2018 in the Dominican Summer League. Outfielder Mena, 18, is a left handed hitting Dominican also signed in 2019.
Given the state of the NL Central, the Cubs may still contend for a division title next year. Obviously, Jed Hoyer and company would prefer to retool on the fly and build up the farm system while still trying to compete. But, this move definitely makes the Cubs weaker heading into 2021. And, barring extensions, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and Willson Contreras will all become free agents by the end of 2022. It seems as though the Cubs contention window, which opened with a bang in 2015, closed with a whimper when they were swept out of the playoffs last October. This trade did little to keep it open, but may have laid the groundwork for the next window.