With rumors circulating that the Chicago Cubs are no longer in trade discussions on pitcher Shelby Miller, the team is now looking at a rotation that still features Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel. The team can either trade or sign a pitcher to push them out of the rotation, or at the very least move them to the fifth-spot in the rotation, leaving them off of the playoff rotation. There are two pitchers that have stood out as possible candidates for the team: Carlos Carrasco and Scott Kazmir.
Carrasco is still signed with the Cleveland Indians, but has been in trade rumors for quite some time. At this past season's trade deadline, the Cubs were reportedly testing the waters on a possible trade for both him and Padres RHP Tyson Ross. Now that the team couldn't trade for Miller, he should once again be in rumors to the Cubs. Carrasco had an awful start to his career, with an 8.87 ERA during his five starts in 2009; however, he took off as a reliever in 2014, posting a 2.55 ERA, and a 3.63 ERA last season, while also averaging over 10 strikeouts per 9 innings. Carrasco is a huge power pitcher, and could be the guy that gets through the heart of the order in a tough spot come playoff time, something nearly every Cubs pitchers struggled with in 2015.
Kazmir represents a different kind of pitcher. A lefty, which would be a good addition to a right-handed dominant rotation that sees Jake Arrieta and John Lackey with the only lefty, Jon Lester. Kazmir is not a power pitcher, last year averaging 7.6 strikeouts per 9 innings. He depends on defense, and with the team trading Starlin Castro, their defense has improved immensely. The team has been linked to Kazmir before, and his good 2015 season is offset in finances by his age and inconsistency. He could be a very cheap option for the back end of the rotation
The Cubs are not done. They have been linked to Jason Heyward, Carlos Gomez and even Carlos Gonzalez in recent days. As far as pitching goes, Carrasco and Kazmir seem like the most legitimate options to bolster their rotation.
