3 dream moves the Cubs can still make so PECOTA projections become reality

PECOTA projects the Chicago Cubs to win a staggering 90 games, win the National League Central, and finish the season with the third highest winning percentage in the entire league.

Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation recently dove a little deeper into these projections, detailing why the Cubs could be projected to finish so well.

"We will have to dig in on the particulars here to see just where PECOTA finds the Cubs to be an outlier, but it’s not like this is a bad team. We know that part already, and we also have to remember that last year’s installment underperformed relative to its underlying numbers. They were probably a lot “better” than an 83-win team. So, even if you were to start there, and then you note some internal development from young players, the swap from Cody Bellinger to Kyle Tucker, the swap from Kyle Hendricks to Matthew Boyd (et al), the swap from Yan Gomes to Carson Kelly (underrated move!), a pretty fundamental overhaul of the bullpen, and the possible arrival of a guy like Matt Shaw

Either way, third best team in the league feels a bit steep at this point. Chicago would need to execute a few more blockbuster moves if it wants to live up to these gaudy expectations.

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3. Swinging an inter-division trade for Ryan Helsley would help the Cubs a lot

It's rare for a team to look to trade one of their best players to another team within the same division, but the Cubs could chase after St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley in an attempt to solidify their bullpen even more.

The Cubs' bullpen struggled in 2024, especially at the end of games. Chicago has added Ryan Pressly, who will serve as the team's closer at the current moment, but it could look to continue adding high leverage relievers before the season begins.

Helsley would be the perfect pitcher for Chicago to start with. There are a few high leverage relievers, like Kenley Jansen, left in free agency, but acquiring Helsley would be better than any free agent left.

The flamethrowing righty led the league in saves in 2024 despite playing on a putrid Cardinals team that finished below .500. If he pitched for the 2025 Cubs, he could shatter the 49 saves he recorded in 2024.

2. Acquiring Dylan Cease would give the Cubs another ace

If the Cubs want to finish in the top three in the entire league, it's crucial to have a pitching staff loaded with talented pitchers. While Chicago has a great staff right now, they could afford to add another talented arm to complete their rotation of talent.

The best option on the market is San Diego Padres star righty Dylan Cease. Cease is entering free agency at the end of the 2025 season and he'll likely look for a deal worth north of $100 million when he gets there, but the Cubs have already shown the willingness to trade for expiring players by acquiring Kyle Tucker from the Astros. Cease would be no different.

The Padres are also reportedly shopping Michael King, but Cease would be the better option for the Cubs and he's a bit more likely to be traded than King is.

Chicago could part ways with a few of its top ten prospects to acquire Cease. If they bring the right hander in, they would solidify themselves as the clear favorites in the NL Central.

1. Signing Alex Bregman is the clear best move for Chicago

If the Cubs want to win the World Series and live up to the expectations placed on them by PECOTA, they need to be the team that wins the Alex Bregman sweepstakes. This won't be an easy race to win because it'll likely cost them nearly $200 million to sign Bregman, but there's almost no chance they surge to a top three record in the league without him.

Bregman is likely down to five teams in his free agency sweepstakes, those being the Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and Toronto Blue Jays. Each of these five teams have their own selling point, but the Cubs could emerge from the pack and bring the star in if they're serious about winning close to 100 games.

While I wouldn't call Chicago the favorite to land Bregman, the team is certainly the dark horse candidate that the rest of the league is watching out for. The Astros are probably the favorites at this point in time but if they stumble and whiff on him again, he could fall right into the Cubs' lap.