Don’t sleep on Ryan Weathers as a Cubs rotation option

Bill Streicher - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 5 hours ago

Now that the Winter Meetings are officially here, the MLB offseason can officially begin. In hindsight, the offseason has been going on for over a month, but apart from a few signings here and there, things have once again been off to a slow start. That shouldn't surprise anyone, given how the most recent offseasons have gone, as the Winter Meetings tend to be when the real action starts.

A big reason for this is having all 30 GMs and managers alike sitting in a hotel for five days. There are some conversations being had about trades and potential free-agent deals, which lead to more in-depth conversations as the week progresses. This becomes especially crucial on the trade side, as it is when two potential trade partners can meet face-to-face to discuss the type of deal each side wants to make.

When it comes to the Cubs, not only have they been mentioned with several trade targets, but they have also been active when it comes to finding free agent pitching help across the board. While the Cubs have made some minor moves with Colin Rea and Shota Imanaga being brought back, none of those options move the needle as much as trading for a swing-and-miss guy would make.

Even if Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera seem to be the top of the line when it comes to available starters on the trade front, the Miami Marlins are willing to trade perhaps even more than just those two, as Ryan Weathers is starting to get mentioned among pitchers available to be had.

Weathers may not be at the same level as Alcantara and Cabrera are, but the Cubs have seen firsthand how good he can be when he is dialed in. A 25 year old left hander who was drafted out of high school by the San Diego Padres, Weathers has shown promise when he is on the mound and enough promise that could make him an intriguing option to put in the middle of the Cubs rotation for years to come.

On paper, the underlying numbers on Weathers don't look great as he has posted a 12-23 career mark across 70 games and 55 starts to go with an ERA hovering around 4.9. Since going from the Padres to the Marlins, however, Weathers has shown significant improvement to the point where he is being discussed as a trade option for pitching-needy teams.

After posting a 5-6 record with a 3.63 ERA in his first full season with the Marlins in 2024, Weathers hoped to improve on that this past season but was limited to just eight starts due to injuries. Considering he started only 16 games in 2024, Weathers has now made 24 starts over the past two seasons, which should be a concern for anyone looking to acquire him.

In his eight starts last season, Weathers went 2-2 with a 3.99 across 38 innings of work. He walked 17 and struck out 37, which was a bit low for him. Considering he walked 24 the year prior with 80 punchouts in 86 innings, Weathers isn't an overpowering guy, but certainly has plenty of swing and miss in his repertoire, and the Cubs can attest to that as he made them look silly when he faced them several times on the mound.

Armed with a fastball that averages 95, Weathers can rush it up there at 97, making him an ideal target for a team needing high velocity arms. Along with that fastball comes an elite slider that can touch 89 MPH, and a change-up that often reaches the same velocity range as his slider. While the Change-up isn't as effective as his other offerings, just having that as an option in his back pocket could make him one of the better arms in the game if he can stay healthy.

Until he can prove that he can stay healthy, that is a massive concern for a lot of teams, but given that he has three years of control remaining, Weathers could be one of the younger arms to break out in 2026. It's no secret that the Cubs and Marlins have engaged in trade talks before, but most of those talks surrounded Alcantara and Cabrera. Depending on the asking price, those talks may pivot to Weathers, and if that is the case, he is a good option to consider and could be had at a significantly lower price.