Cubs news: Jesus Luzardo backup plan, Bellinger trade grades, Carson Kelly chatter

Heading into the Christmas break, talks with the Cubs and Marlins regarding Jesus Luzardo have slowed. It appears unlikely a deal will come to fruition, but there's still quite a bit to break down regarding the North Siders and their plans to improve their roster further heading into 2025. Let's get into some news regarding potential backup Luzardo plans, Bellinger trade grades, and the latest from new Cubs catcher Carson Kelly.

Jesus Luzardo backup plans

A Chicago Cubs deal with the Miami Marlins involving lefty hurler Jesus Luzardo appeared to all but cross the finish line until the deal fell through. Speculation is that the Cubs don't seem comfortable on the medical side of things, given Luzardo's extensive injury history. Thankfully, for the Cubs, it's not a risk they have to take on due to moving Cody Bellinger's contract off the books. Other options can now be had in both free agency and trade.

It's been reported that Pablo Lopez is drawing interest from the Minnesota Twins, and you have to think the Cubs will be part of that. Lopez had somewhat of a down year, for his standards, but still notched a 3.2 WAR (Fangraphs) and has three years left on his contract at just under $22 million annually. There hasn't been any new smoke regarding Luis Castillo, but the Cubs could now explore the free agency market. Realistic options include Walker Buehler (Shorter deal) and Jack Flaherty (less likely), but the belief is the Cubs will still make a splash for another starting pitcher.

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Cody Bellinger trade grades

Looking over the trade grades from the Cody Bellinger/Cody Poteet swap from CBS Sports, the Yankees earned themselves an A due to picking up a quality player post-Soto sweepstakes that should hit well at Yankee Stadium. At the same time, the Cubs received a B, even though you can't technically judge the Cubs on their return until we see how they reallocate those funds this winter.

As mentioned above, the Cubs are looking for starting pitching, but it will be interesting to see if they spend it on a 20+ million AAV free agent now that they've acquired Kyle Tucker via trade and will likely make a run and keep him long-term. If they succeed, this trade grade will jump to an A+, but we're likely a ways away from finding out if that happens. In the meantime, clearing payroll gives the payroll flexibility to build a playoff contender in 2025. The rest is up to Jed Hoyer and co.

Carson Kelly's perfect fit

At the very least, the Cubs needed a defensive upgrade at catcher, and they got one in Carson Kelly. A lifelong Cubs fan, Kelly can live out the dream of playing for this childhood team. His defense shores up one of the most elite up-the-middle defenses in baseball. In his introduction as a Cub, he expressed what the team has always meant to him.

Kelly and Miguel Amaya will form a tandem, with the latter looking to make improvements all around his game this year, but at the very least, the Cubs are set with Kelly for the next two seasons. Top prospect Moises Ballesteros should be on his way to the show at some point in 2025, but whether or not he sticks at catcher remains to be seen. Kelly bridges the gap for now and is more than pleased to be back home in Chicago.