Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Cade Horton looked distraught Friday afternoon in Cleveland when he walked off the field in the second inning of his start against the Guardians, suffering from what was described as “forearm discomfort.” Moments earlier, he had indicated to the dugout that things didn’t feel right, physically.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Is it already time to sound the starting pitching alarm?

“I just wanted to be smart about it,” Horton said. “I’ve been in this spot before and I’ve taken the other route where I keep going, and it ends up being worse. So, I just tried to make a mature decision and end it there.”

The 24-year-old was expected to do big things this year after a breakthrough rookie season in 2025 that saw him perform as, arguably, the best pitcher in all of baseball after the All-Star break.

Manager Craig Counsell told media after the game that Horton to will get imaging to see the extent of the injury and will also be placed on the 15-day IL as he’s being assessed.

Who could take Horton’s spot?

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Now, however, the talk must turn to the future. Specifically, how to fill the young arm’s spot in a Cubs rotation that needs the kind of impact starter Horton was expected to be.

Veteran Colin Rea was brought in to replace Horton on Friday and it’s thought that he’ll likely be the full-time replacement until the team knows what’s in their injured pitcher’s immediate future. Last season, Rea was solid as the team’s full-time rotation fill-in, posting a 10-7 record with a 4.33 ERA in 27 starts.

Chicago also has Ben Brown and Javier Assad as possible rotation fill-ins.

Then, of course, ace Justin Steele is slated to return some time before mid-season.

But if Horton is lost for any extended period of time, the Cubs may have no choice but to reach out and try to pick up somebody outside of the organization.

Some people already have an idea of who that outside pickup should be—Lucas Giolito.

Lucas Giolito to the rescue?

In the Friday night edition of MLB Tonight, the host brought up that exact possibility:

“I keep reminding myself that Lucas Giolito is still sitting out there without a team,” he said, following the segment talking about Horton’s injury.

“He might be a Cub,” replied analyst Harold Reynolds.

Jacob Zanolla of Bleacher Nation also brought up the Giolito possibility:

“The Cubs could look to someone outside of the organization, and there does happen to be one (relatively) legitimate arm still available: Lucas Giolito.

Giolito, 31, made 25 starts for the Red Sox last season, pitching to a 3.41 ERA over 145.0 IP. But while that seems encouraging, a quick peek under the hood reveals the more troubling peripherals that are probably conspiring to keep him a free agent this long: 5.01 xERA, 4.17 FIP. But in terms of emergency fill-in options, you could do a whole lot worse than Giolito.”

Last season with the Red Sox, the 31-year-old Giolito had a good year, stats-wise. But, as Zanolla mentions, maybe the raw numbers don’t tell the full story of what’s under the 9-year veteran’s hood. There has to be a reason, after all, why he’s still unsigned when starting pitching is such an MLB-wide priority.

It remains to be seen whether he’d even be much of an upgrade over the pitchers the Cubs already have lined up as fill-ins.

But he’s somebody definitely worth looking into for a Cubs rotation already showcasing some weakness just days into the season.

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The Chicago Cubs entered the 2026 season with significant depth in the area of starting pitching. While analysts weren’t blown away with the high-end potential of the rotation as a whole, most everyone agreed that the team’s strength was in its depth.

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Chicago started the regular season with five established starters (Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, and Jameson Taillon) on the Opening Day roster, along with two rotation-capable swingmen (Colin Rea and Ben Brown). Reliable swingman Javier Assad was assigned to start the season in Triple-A Iowa, but would only be a phone call away from Wrigley. Jordan Wicks was also a name tossed about as a possible rotation fill-in. Meanwhile, ace Justin Steele is slated to make his return in May-June.

All told, that makes ten potential starters in the mix for a season where big things are expected.

Now, there’s talk that, maybe, the Cubs won’t have the rotation horses after all.

Horton’s injury spotlights Cubs rotation weak points

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Cade Horton’s forearm injury on Friday and subsequent placement on the 15-day IL is the biggest cause for alarm right now, of course. The 24-year-old right-hander was expected to be an ace-level presence on the mound after a second-half of 2025 that saw him emerge as an elite starter.

But Horton has been injury prone throughout his young career. Last year, he was shut down with a fractured rib late in the regular season and would miss the playoffs entirely. In 2024, he was shut down around mid-season with a shoulder injury. He already has a Tommy John surgery in his past.

At best, Horton had to be seen as a question mark when it came to full season duty.

New Cub Edward Cabrera also has a history of injury, with two stints on the IL just last year.

Matthew Boyd, regarded as injury-prone as well, pitched a full season last year, but it was his first 100+ inning campaign since 2019.

Shota Imanaga got smacked around a bit over the second half of last season and also got smacked around in his first start of this season.

Jameson Taillon got crushed during Cactus League play and looked touchable in his first official start of 2026.

Big problems ahead?

If one of the Cubs’ top starters falters and/or is forced to the IL for a long stretch of time, things will get rough. If a couple starters fall out, there’ll be huge problems. Because, yes, the Cubs have depth, but they’ll need more than seat-fillers. Rea, Brown, and Assad are solid, but there’s a reason they weren’t regarded as rotation fixtures.

For now, as Horton is assessed, the 35-year-old Rea will likely fill the young arm’s spot. The veteran was solid last season as the designated rotation-filler, with a 10-7 record in 27 starts and a 4.33 ERA (11-7, 3.95 ERA overall).

Chicago could do a lot worse when it comes to temporary replacements. But Rea doesn’t bring what Horton brings and “good enough for now” is not what an aspiring championship team needs near the top of their rotation.

For now, it’s reasonable to be alarmed about the team’s starting pitching, especially considering that the season is just beginning and a lot more could happen.

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The Chicago Cubs are, maybe, not as secure in the starting pitching department as many thought they would be this winter.

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The names are there and there’s still an overflow of arms for the rotation, but just about every proposed starter has looked vulnerable this spring and depth has suddenly become a concern. Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Edward Cabrera, and Shota Imanaga have been beaten up in Cactus League play and that makes one wonder about backups.

Colin Rea, Ben Brown, and Javier Assad will be around, but none project as high-end starters over the long haul.

But could the Cubs have another Cade Horton surprise this season?

The next Cade Horton surprise?

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Last year, top pitching prospect Horton came up from Triple-A in May, after Imanaga’s injury, and ended up blowing people away with a dominant post-All-Star break run.

This year, current top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins is being predicted by some to be the surprise pitching star of the season.

The 24-year-old Wiggins came to spring training this year as a non-roster invitee and turned some heads, despite getting touched up a bit in his limited play.

“There’s a lot of good signs with Jaxon, there are a lot of good things happening,” manager Craig Counsell told media. “The finishing touches can happen really fast is how I would describe it. But they can also take a while. That’s Jaxon’s job right now, just make himself a little bit more complete pitcher. It’s certainly very close.”

Big league expectations for Wiggins

Michael Brauner of Sports Illustrated fully anticipates the 6-foot-6 Wiggins getting the major league call-up at some point this season:

“He was never going to break camp with the team, but he certainly could be on a similar trajectory as Cade Horton last year, starting the season in Iowa.

Making an impact on the coaching staff, Wiggins established himself as a name to watch and once Ballesteros officially graduates he will become the top prospect in the organization. Jed Hoyer has spoken often about how much pitching depth is needed, and the 24-year-old is the next one up.

It would be a significant surprise to not see Wiggins’ big league debut in 2026.”

Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic echoes the enthusiasm, although he holds back in predicting a likely big league debut in 2026 for the pitcher he describes as having “one of the best fastballs in the minors.”

Per Sharma:

“The fastball is in the upper 90s and has the type of vertical rise that is impossible to ignore. He also has a strong curveball, a quickly developing changeup and a slider. So what are the next steps?

…He has a walk rate well above 10 percent in each of his pro seasons. That has to change. That he walked just 5.9 percent of batters this spring was something that was taken note of. Now bring that into the season.”

Wiggins is, arguably, the last homegrown high-end starting pitching prospect in the Cubs farm system, at least for now. Fast-tracking his development and bringing him up to the majors this coming season will probably be a last resort for the Cubs– and a sign that the rotation is in deep distress.

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The Chicago Cubs’ roster is all set for Opening Day this Thursday. After an interesting offseason, which saw the team restock a depleted bullpen and add big names in third baseman Alex Bregman and starting pitcher Edward Cabrera, there are big expectations.

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Anything less than the NL Central Division title and a deep playoff run will be considered a failure after the team’s winter moves.

The biggest x-factor, though, may be the bullpen.

The bullpen as the Cubs’ x-factor

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Chicago’s 2026 pen features four new faces in free agents Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and Hunter Harvey, who will make up the breadbasket of the relief corps, along with the re-signed Caleb Thielbar. All are coming into the season with a solid history of success behind them.

The only unknown in the mid-section of the Cubs’ bullpen is Harvey, who has a significant history of injury. So far this spring, however, Harvey has been healthy and strong, throwing 96-97 mph with a 1.80 ERA and 5 strikeouts in 5 innings.

The 26-year-old Ben Brown fought his way on to the Opening Day roster this spring and will take a long relief/swingman role alongside veteran Colin Rea, who was an unsung pitching hero in 2025.

Then, there’s Daniel Palencia, the closer.

Will Palencia’s WBC dominance carry over?

Palencia had a surprisingly dominant run after being called up from Triple-A last April, but then suffered through a prodigious fall from grace over the last part of the season.

This spring, though, Palencia has been monstrous. His dominance in the WBC as the closer for Team Venezuela will go down as borderline legendary. Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic believes that this is the harbinger of good tidings for the coming season

Per Sharma:

“It’s time to go all-in on the Daniel Palencia hype train. Yes, it’s dangerous to assume that a reliever can do it again after just one season of success (see: Porter Hodge from 2024 to 2025). Yet, Palencia came into camp even more determined after a breakout 2025 and looked the part physically. Then he dominated as the closer for the World Baseball Classic champions, Team Venezuela.

Palencia allowed no runs or hits and struck out nine in five innings while walking just one batter and hitting another. He was perfect in his three save opportunities, and his two-pitch mix was dialed in. The Cubs will certainly trade for a reliever. Maybe even a dominant one. Still, Palencia will leave no doubt as to who is finishing games.”

The big question when it comes to every bullpen is whether it’ll hold over the course of a 162-game season and into the playoffs. Last year, the Cubs used 26 different relief pitchers during the regular season, with their season-ending bullpen looking almost nothing like their Opening Day bullpen.

That’s likely to happen again this season, despite there being more of an established veteran vibe in the bullpen right now. Injuries happen, arms go flat, changes need to be made. That’s just the nature of baseball.

Do the Cubs have the bullpen horses to win this 2026 race? That’s the question. If/when someone falters from the bullpen right now, Chicago will have names such as Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, Porter Hodge, and Gavin Hollowell to move in. It’s also pretty much a guarantee that some arms from the outside will be brought in over the course of the season.

Right now, at least on paper, the bullpen looks more secure this Opening Day than last. But this IS baseball…

The post The Chicago Cubs bullpen is all set, but will it be enough? appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs added a new All-Star third basemen this offseason in Alex Bregman, a new starter in Edward Cabrera, and four new free agent bullpen arms. That’s a significant offseason haul.

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But the key figures on the 26-man roster just might be off to the side of the players making all the headlines and selling the fans on a successful 2026.

When it comes to starting pitching, one would be right to laud the depth of the Cubs’ rotation. Adding Cabrera and retaining Shota Imanaga gives the team six viable starters when ace Justin Steele comes back from his elbow surgery around mid-season.

Just below the rotation, though, is where the Cubs’ real depth may lie.

The Cubs’ embarrassment of riches

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Chicago has some serious depth when it comes to the in-between region where the rotation merges with the bullpen, aka the land of the swingmen.

Those doubting the importance of a good swingman on a pitching staff need look no further than the crucial role Colin Rea played last year in helping stabilize a rotation hobbled by injury throughout the season.

The veteran stepping up into the rotation was a boon when Steele went down to injury, when Imanaga went down, and when Jameson Taillon went down. Although Rea’s final 2026 stats don’t look overwhelmingly awesome (10-7, 4.33 ERA as a starter in 27 games, 11-7, 3.95 ERA overall), the importance of him stepping into the rotation and delivering consistently solid performances when the team was down one or two starters can’t be overlooked.

“Colin was exactly what we had hoped for and probably more,” manager Craig Counsell commented last season, during the playoffs. “Man, he’s just been the glue. He’s been a lot of glue for us, is the best way to describe it.”

The Cubs saw fit to bring Rea back on a restructured deal that keeps him in Chicago for the 2026 season with an option for 2027.

Javier Assad, healthy and ready

And, along with Rea, the Cubs have three more swingmen who could step into the rotation when/if plans go sideways and a helping hand is needed.

Javier Assad was hobbled by an oblique injury for much of 2025, not making his season debut until August 12. But, when back, he was as quietly effective as in prior seasons (3-1, 3.89 ERA in 7 starts, 4-1, 3.65 ERA overall).

Ahead of this coming season, the 28-year-old has focused on health and on staying in shape.

“I worked on the physical aspects of my body, especially with the oblique injury last year,” Assad told media via interpreter. “So I worked on a lot of the midsection of my body, made sure I strengthened that to make sure that this year I am healthy.”

On many staffs, Assad would be a very solid back-of-rotation piece. In 2024, his first season as a full-time starter, he posted a 3.73 ERA in 29 starts. His ability to seamlessly move between the rotation and the bullpen makes him a solid candidate to be another Colin Rea of the 2026 pitching staff.

Even more swingmen

Ben Brown, meanwhile, is more of a work in progress than a finished product right now. But the Cubs still see him, ultimately, as a rotation piece. His 6.30 ERA in 15 starts last season (5.92 ERA overall) was ugly, but his 3.23 ERA in 8 2024 starts offsets some of that bad look.

The 26-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance and will be coming into 2026 with two new pitches in his repertoire.

“I developed a sinker and changeup this offseason,” Brown told media. “It’s the same changeup grip, it’s a kick. For the first time, I feel really in control of it, especially since it’s a pitch I learned halfway through last year. So having a whole offseason to work on it (helps). The sinker is completely new. It’s never been used in a big-league game.”

One step below Brown in the Cubs pitching pecking order is lefty Jordan Wicks, who had some success as both a starter and a reliever before falling apart the last couple seasons.

The 26-year-old spent some time at Tread Athletic in the offseason fine-tuning mechanics and working on delivery to improve efficiency and overall conditioning. At his best, like during most of his recent run at Triple-A Iowa, Wicks can be an effective southpaw swingman and inning-eater.

Having such a group of swingmen on the roster will actually give the Cubs ten potential starters (actually twelve, if you count minor league contract pickups Kyle Wright and Trent Thornton) — a tremendous luxury during a long season where injuries WILL happen and pitching depth is a must throughout the regular season and postseason.

The post A look at the Chicago Cubs’ greatest under-the-radar 2026 strength appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs, in a lot of ways, are facing somewhat of a “win now” situation in 2026. Looking up and down the roster, one realizes just how much of the team’s core talent could be leaving after the coming season.

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Literally, half the 26-man roster could be departing Chicago after the 2026 campaign:

Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
Nico Hoerner
Matthew Boyd
Jameson Taillon
Shota Imanaga
Carson Kelly
Colin Rea
Caleb Thielbar
Hoby Milner
Jacon Webb
Hunter Harvey
Tyler Austin

Now, to paint a clearer picture, it should be noted that the Cubs hold club options on Rea and Webb for 2027 and that a mutual option is on the books for Boyd, Kelly, Thielbar, and Harvey (although, seriously, could Boyd be expected to take his one-year $15 million option for 2027 if he has another great season in 2026?).

Still, there’s no arguing that there will be major turnover in 2027 and that big decisions will have to be made, especially regarding the most senior veterans on the above list– Happ, Suzuki, Hoerner, Taillon, and Imanaga.

Will the Cubs opt to extend any of the above? Who will they let drift away into free agency, with everyone knowing full well that, realistically, the team won’t get into a bidding war for any of them once they’re on the open market?

Here’s a look at who the Cubs could likely extend and who will be saying goodbye to Chicago after next year.

Extending Nico Hoerner should be a no-brainer

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Nico Hoerner is the best Cubs second baseman since Ryne Sandberg. Period.

Aside from becoming one of baseball’s most consistent contact hitters over the last few seasons and establishing himself as a two-time Gold Glove winner, he’s also become a valuable team leader with the Cubs. Last season, as the offense slumped en masse, he practically carried the team through the latter part of the season and through the playoffs.

CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa estimates that a Hoerner extension might be had for about $120 million over 6 years. That’s a reasonable price for what the soon-to-be 29-year-old brings to the table, given his ability and his importance to the team. He’s already shown himself willing to sign a contract extension, going for a 3-year, $35 million deal prior to the 2024 season, so he could be open to another offer, with a fair and reasonable raise attached.

The Cubs front office should be tarred and feathered if they don’t try to make this happen.

Ian Happ might “steady” his way into a new deal

Left fielder Ian Happ is not the flashiest of talents or the most obvious of stars, but the Cubs’ decision on extending him may come down to the fact that they don’t want to head into 2027 needing replacements for both corner outfielders. If the choice comes down to extending the steady and consistent 4-time Gold Glove Happ or the more mercurial but higher offensive upside Seiya Suzuki, the Cubs’ preferred option may be Happ.

MLB writer Eric Cross recently pointed out just how steadily capable Happ has been, noting that the switch-hitter is the only major leaguer over the last three years to deliver “30+ Doubles, 20+ Home Runs, 75+ RBI, 85+ Runs Scored, and 80+ Walks.”

In 2024, Happ signed a 3-year, $61 million extension and, at 31 years of age, a similar deal would be reasonable for both parties, although Happ may push for more years.

So long to Chicago, welcome back for one last year?

Regardless of how well he performs in 2026, catcher Carson Kelly might be a necessary keep for 2027 (if he doesn’t choose to take his services elsewhere via his option). With the frequently-injured Miguel Amaya behind him and nobody close to major league-ready in the minors, the Cubs may need to keep Kelly around.

Relievers Rea, Thielbar, Webb, and Harvey could be back if they perform well in 2026, just because dependable bullpen arms are always a valuable commodity.

Boyd, as mentioned earlier, will likely opt to enter free agency and move on from his guaranteed $15 million in search of more money and more years if his 2026 season is anywhere as good as his 2025 run. If he fizzles in 2026, the Cubs may decline their part of the mutual option. Either way, Boyd may be pitching elsewhere in 2027.

Jameson Taillon and Shota Imanaga, meanwhile, are almost guaranteed goners as their price doesn’t match their expected performance. Given the Cubs’ starting pitching depth, the team could stand to lose both and use that combined $40 million saved to pursue a front-of-rotation replacement.

Suzuki will also likely be gone as he’ll definitely be looking for more than his current $19 million salary and the Cubs may be wary of keeping him onboard for another 5 years at well over $100 million.

So, yes, there will be some big chances coming for 2027. The hope, however, is that at least a couple recognizable names can be brought back.

The post Who the Chicago Cubs might extend and who they definitely will not appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs had been eyeing hard-throwing right-hander Edward Cabrera for quite awhile, with buzz linking them to the Miami Marlins pitcher dating back to early last season. This offseason, they pulled the trigger on the trade to bring him aboard.

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The 27-year-old Cabrera will join a Cubs starting rotation that includes Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga, and returning ace Justin Steele, who may be back from elbow surgery sometime around the All-Star break.

If/when everyone stays healthy and Steele stays on schedule, this will give Chicago six viable starters, plus two capable swing men in Colin Rea and Javier Assad along with long shots Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins waiting in the wings.

Uncertainty in Cubs’ pitching depth

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On paper, this seems to be an embarrassment of riches. In reality, though, there’s a lot of uncertainty up and down the rotation, especially when it comes to durability. Boyd, Horton, and Cabrera all have significant history of injury. Steele is coming off major elbow surgery. Meanwhile, Taillon and Imanaga both spent significant time on the IL last season.

So, what can the Cubs do to preserve their arms and ensure that their best starters make it to the postseason?

Some have suggested a move to a 6-man rotation, which would give each pitcher an additional day of rest between starts.

It’s more likely, though, that manager Craig Counsell and company may look to an NL powerhouse, the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, for the answer.

Adopting the Dodgers model

The Dodgers’ rotation was strained throughout the majority of the regular season due to injury, with only Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivering more than 112.2 innings as a starter.

But Los Angeles was judicious with the return of injured/recovering starters Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and even Shohei Ohtani. Careful and conservative with their respective comebacks, they were able to reintroduce all three to the rotation just in time for the pennant push and, more importantly, the postseason.

The strategy paid off as Yamamoto and the reasonably fresh threesome of Glasnow, Blake, and Ohtani accounted for more than 68% of the innings pitched in the postseason in another winning World Series run for the Dodgers.

Justin Steele

It’s not hard to imagine the Cubs following that blueprint with their own rotation, especially with Steele, who could be key to the team’s postseason success. Over the last four years, Steele has been Chicago’s most reliable and effective starter, posting a 3.18 ERA over 82 starts in that period of time.

“It’s just one of those math equations you’re going to have to do,” Steele said of the timeline for his 2026 return, “because Dr. Meister [Steele’s surgeon and supervising physician] is going to probably have some innings limit [in mind].”

“That definitely eases your mind,” Steele added, referring to the Cubs’ rotation depth and the lack of rush to get him back in the mix, “knowing that it’s not a race to get back for Opening Day or something…So there’s definitely some comfortability knowing that I don’t have to rush.”

Given the Cubs’ starting pitching depth, it’s quite possible that the team could have multiple starters on an informal innings limit over the course of the season, maybe capped at four innings or so, with Rea, Assad, Brown, or Wicks serving as second-half-of-game starters to finish things off.

With this plan in place, the Cubs could walk into the playoffs with a solid core of fresh and effective starting pitchers and, subsequently, a fresh, rested bullpen as well. Last postseason, Chicago wilted in the NLDS, dragging along a taxed rotation that had been whittled down to two viable pitchers.

While the Cubs don’t have the mega-bank studs that LA has, this conserve and preserve strategy definitely would give them stronger footing if/when they make their 2026 postseason run.

The post Chicago Cubs to adopt Dodgers strategy for Justin Steele and rotation? appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs are definitely okay with Shota Imanaga being back in the starting rotation for 2026. They wouldn’t have extended him the $22 million qualifying offer if they weren’t.

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The problem all along seemed to be investing in a third year when it comes to a 32-year-old whose home run issues started becoming a genuine problem, with 12 home runs given up in his last six regular season starts and two horrendous playoff outings. That’s why they declined their 3-year, $57 million option on the Japanese star. The feeling is that Imanaga is more than capable of turning things around in 2026, but that it would be too much of a gamble to bank on him staying on track for 2027 and 2028 as well.

In turn, Imanaga did his part and turned away his 2-year, $30 million player option. The Cubs then followed up with the qualifying offer, which was a win-win of sorts as they still had a chance of retaining the lefty’s services for one season, but also stood to gain draft pick compensation should he be lost in free agency.

As things would turn out, Imanaga accepted the Cubs’ offer on Tuesday, postponing a free agent run until after next season. He rejoins a starting rotation also featuring Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, and a returning (at some point) Justin Steele, along with backups Javier Assad and Colin Rea.

Hello again, Shota Imanaga; Goodbye free agent studs?

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The big question for fans, though, is whether Imanaga’s return will impact the Cubs’ publicly declared pursuit of pitching this winter.

According to a payroll projection from FanGraphs, the Cubs’ payroll now sits at just over $191 million after counting in Imanaga return (also counting arbitration-related salary increases). That places the team about $53 million under the first luxury tax threshold of $244 million.

Assuming the Cubs will want a buffer for in-season acquisitions, a safe assumption would be that the team will have about $35-40 million to play with this offseason– if Cubs ownership allows the front offices to spend up to the threshold.

Would it also be a safe assumption that this might take the Cubs out of the running for a high-end free agent starting pitcher?

Money, money, money

ESPN is projecting top-of-the-mark free agents Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez to pull in multi-year contracts making $29 million and $28 million, respectively. If those projections prove to be accurate, that would leave the Cubs with just about $11-$12 million with which to rebuild their bullpen and acquire at least two reliable bench assets. This also means, by the way, that Kyle Tucker is a goner– if this hasn’t been made obvious already.

It most definitely doesn’t seem in character for the Cubs to overshoot budget markers, even though they could justify it this offseason with so many contracts potentially going off the books at the end of 2026 (Imanaga, Boyd, Taillon, Rea, Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, Seiya Suzuki, Carson Kelly).

Chicago Cubs, once again bargain hunters?

So, this means Chicago will, again, most likely do their free agent shopping in the bargain bin. Using the justification that they will have five strong starting pitchers and two capable backups, they will likely aim low when it comes to starters, maybe opting for reclamation projects on a one-year deal.
Their bullpen approach will be similar, as they search for under-the-radar assets at a bargain price.

The biggest chance at adding an impact arm will be via trade, as the Cubs are rumored to be interested in the Marlins’ Edward Cabrera and loosely tied to pitchers such as the Twins’ Joe Ryan and the Royals’ Kris Bubic. Cabrera would be especially appealing to Chicago as he’s under contract through 2028, making club-friendly money.

Barring a big trade, though, this winter may turn out to be a dud of an offseason as ownership braces itself for a bad blood labor dispute in 2027 and a likely lockout.

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The Chicago Cubs have been making a lot of moves following this year’s World Series, tying up some loose ends as the team heads into the offseason.

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Some of those moves have been of the controversial variety as the decision to not pick up the option of lefty starter Shota Imanaga has raised some eyebrows. Trading deadline bullpen acquisition Andrew Kittredge back to the Baltimore Orioles was also widely questioned.

The contract decisions made on Thursday, however, were not the least bit surprising.

Chicago Cubs will bring back Colin Rea on restructured deal

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The Cubs decided to hold on to veteran swing man Colin Rea, who was waiting on the team to decide on their $6 million club option. In the end, Chicago would go above and beyond exercising the option.

Rea’s restructured contract is worth $6.5 million in 2026 with a team option in 2027, reportedly worth $7.5 million.

The decision on the 35-year-old righty was pretty much a no-brainer, even as the Cubs have worked to cut payroll so far this offseason.

The former Brewer and Padre was brought to Chicago as a free agent last offseason on a modest one-year, $5 million deal. At the time, he was acquired as purely a swing man who could eat innings in the bullpen and occasionally spot start when needed. However, he would eventually become an essential part of the Cubs’ starting rotation amid a stretch of injuries that saw Justin Steele go down for the season in April and Imanaga and Jameson Taillon spend significant time on the IL.

Rea as the “glue” of a taxed Cubs rotation

Overall, Rea was 11-7 with a 3.95 ERA over 32 appearances (27 starts) and 159.1 innings. It could be said that, at times, he helped carry a strained starting rotation through some rough patches. His solid performance solidified down the closing stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs, where he worked a 1.17 ERA over 7.2 innings from the bullpen.

“Colin was exactly what we had hoped for and probably more,” Manager Craig Counsell, who had previously managed Rea in Milwaukee, told reporters during the playoffs. “Man, he’s just been the glue. He’s been a lot of glue for us, is the best way to describe it.”

Bringing Rea back for 2026 was an easy decision, especially considering his comparatively cheap salary and the versatility he brings to a Cubs team which now has considerable question marks in both the bullpen and starting rotation.

Cubs parting ways with Justin Turner

Another easy decision for the Cubs on Thursday centered around letting Justin Turner go.

Chicago opted to decline their part of a mutual option on the soon-to-be 41-year-old veteran, who was picked up in the offseason on a one-year, $6 million deal as a bat-first backup to first baseman Michael Busch and possible fill-in at third base.

As things would turn out, Turner’s greatest contribution to the 2025 squad was as a clubhouse leader. Although he had a respectable .276 batting average in limited at bats against left-handed pitching, his overall .219 average, combined with low power output (3 home runs) and subpar fielding, made him expendable– especially with the Cubs facing a $10 million team option on him.

Some have speculated that Turner could be brought back as a member of the Cubs’ coaching staff, as current bench coach Ryan Flaherty is reportedly in the running for a couple of major league manager positions.

As of right now, though, the affable veteran will head off to free agency in possible pursuit of at least one more major league run.

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The Chicago Cubs offseason is officially underway, and already a controversial decision has been made. This is in reference to the organization electing to decline the ability to extend Shota Imanaga’s contract to five years, thus trigger an ability for him to opt out, which he did exercise, and now is officially a free agent.

Looking ahead, next steps include deciding on how to proceed with players who have contract options for the 2026 season. This list is two players long: Colin Rea and Justin Turner.

Breaking down the Chicago Cubs 2026 contract options for Colin Rea and Justin Turner

2025 was 35 year old Colin Rea’s first year with the Cubs, as he reunited with manager Craig Counsell. The right-handed pitcher appeared in 32 games, including 27 starts, and pitched to a 3.95 ERA. Much like his time in Milwaukee, he was a steady presence on the mound, often keeping his team in games.

Rea’s contract includes a $6.0 million club option for the 2026 season. His base salary in 2025 was $4.5 million. There is a $750,000 buyout disclosure to be aware of. Given his value on the mound and durability, keeping him around for that price tag is a reasonable idea. However, there is a strong possibility that the option could be declined and he could be signed for less as well, but then Chicago runs the risk of him exploring opportunities elsewhere.

As for Turner, throughout the 2026 season he will be 41 years old. The veteran infielder/designated hitter signed a one year deal last winter with a $10.0 million option for 2026, that includes a $2.0 million buyout. This is a mutual option, that is a no-brainer for Chicago to decline as despite his exceptional leadership, Turner struggled at the plate last year with a 75 OPS+ throughout 80 games.

In the end, both situations could point toward the same conclusion of the front office declining 2026 options for Rea and Turner. It would fit the organization’s approach of prioritizing financial flexibility, as they prepare to shape next year’s roster, which almost certainly will include lots of new players.

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The Chicago Cubs, per very early reports, are targeting front-of-rotation pitching this offseason. Specifically, they have their eyes on the San Diego Padres’ hard-throwing right-hander Dylan Cease, according to various media reports.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Will Japan loom large in Cubs’ 2026 plans?

Cease, who turns 30 on December 28, will officially become a free agent shortly after the World Series and is expected to move on from the Padres in search of greener pastures and a more lucrative contract.

The question is whether the Cubs would be that team to provide the payday he’s expected to command (estimated at $158 million over six years by Spotrac), especially with plenty of other teams also looking to add a high-end starter heading into 2026.

Chicago Cubs have legit interest in Dylan Cease

More News: Will the Chicago Cubs move on from Matt Shaw in 2026?

MLB insider Bruce Levin feels that, at the very least, the Cubs are in the running and considered a top contender for the services of their former top prospect, who they traded to the White Sox back in 2017.

“According to MLB insiders I know, people in the know in other organizations, they feel the Cubs will be there among the top suitors (for Dylan Cease),” Levine said during an interview with 670 the Score. “I would say it’s highly likely – like for sure – that he’s going to be looked at by the Cubs and be continued to be pursued.”

On the surface, this reported interest in Cease flies in the face of what would normally be expected of Cubs ownership and the front office. Chicago has shied away from big-ticket free agent starting pitching since signing Yu Darvish to a multi-year contract in 2018.

The Cubs’ current rotation seems already set from one to five, with Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Cade Horton, and a returning Justin Steele. Colin Rea and Javier Assad will also be around as backup.

But, realistically, there’s a great deal of uncertainty when it comes their starting five.

Starting pitching concerns

The Cubs still have to decide whether to pick up their option on Imanaga, who faded considerably as last season progressed and collapsed completely in the postseason. Boyd had a remarkable bounce back season after a long stretch of injury, but he also began to fade late in the season. There’s considerable concern that he’ll experience some degree of regression this coming season. Horton was a surprise breakthrough asset and, arguably, the best pitcher in all of baseball through the second half of 2025. However, the rookie has a history of injury and missed the final days of the regular season, along with the entire postseason, due to another physical setback. And when it comes to Steele, there’s no guarantee when, exactly, he’ll come back from his elbow surgery and whether he’ll be as dependable as he’s been in previous years.

Chicago also needs to take into consideration that Taillon and Boyd will become free agents at the end of the 2026 season, along with Rea.

So, it does make sense for the team to lock in an elite-tier starting pitcher who will be a guaranteed presence for this coming season and beyond.

But will Cease be that guy?

Bringing Cease aboard?

That depends on a lot of things. Money will be an issue, even though Chicago is in a good position to be buyers this offseason. But a power-throwing righty would sure look good sandwiched between softer-throwing, more nuanced pitchers like Boyd and Imanaga. It would also be nice to carry an elite arm into postseason play when/if the Cubs make the playoffs again.

Cease is due for a better season this year after posting a 4.55 ERA in 2025. His velocity hasn’t dipped and his stuff remains solid. He also has the odd quirk of delivering better results in even-numbered years, which shouldn’t mean much of anything to the analytics-driven Cubs, anyway (Cease posted an average ERA of 4.53 ERA in 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 while notching an average ERA of 3.00 in 2020, 2022, and 2024).

But, most of all, adding Cease would mean adding another top arm to the front of the Cubs rotation. And, as we’ve all learned, a playoff-serious team can never have too much pitching.

The post Chicago Cubs: Dylan Cease free agent interest confirmed, per reports appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs were done by the end of the second inning in Saturday’s opening game of the NLDS versus the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.

By the top of the third, a deflated Cubs team was already down 9-1 and focus shifted to a comeback in Game Two on Monday.

Actually, the Brewers’ brutal 6-run first inning probably sealed Chicago’s Game One fate– and that deathblow can be traced to one major error in judgment by Cubs manager Craig Counsell.

Working off three days rest for only the third time in his career as a starter, Matthew Boyd, who started the opening game of the Wild Card Series versus the Padres on Tuesday, was tabbed to be the starter for Game One of the NLDS versus the division rival Brewers. The lefty, by the way, was also warmed up in the ninth inning in the Wild Card Game Three on Thursday.

Flat, strained Matthew Boyd gets rocked

The 34-year-old came out and looked flat from pitch one, giving up three straight doubles and a walk before a crucial Nico Hoerner error at second. After giving up a single following the error, Counsell removed Boyd after 30 pitches, four hits, and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. By then, the game was already out of reach.

Boyd looking flat was understandable, given his workload this season after several years of injury-related inactivity. He hadn’t pitched over 100 innings in a season since 2019 and, coming into 2025, the Cubs were viewing 120 innings as a reasonable goal for their oft-injured free agent acquisition. As of Saturday’s game, Boyd has thrown 184.2 innings between the regular season and the playoffs.

Counsell’s reasoning for pitching Boyd, however, centered on the fact that he only had a 58-pitching outing in Wild Card Game One.

Counsell owns up

“We picked Matt Boyd to pitch,” Counsell told reporters after the loss. “I don’t know what to say. He pitched, it didn’t go well. We’ve got to make decisions. We went with Matt.

“We’re very comfortable — I was very comfortable — putting Matt Boyd on the mound today. The whole organization was comfortable putting Matt Boyd on the mound today.”

“Probably since Matthew got to the dugout in Game 1 [of the Wild Card Series], he was thinking about pitching this game,” Counsell added. “If this was a normal start and he threw 90 pitches, we wouldn’t consider this. But because he threw so few pitches, he knew he was going to be able to recover, and we thought he’d be able to recover quickly.”

It should’ve also been noted that Boyd had turned in some pretty bad numbers versus the Brewers this season, albeit in a small sample size. In his two 2025 regular season starts against Milwaukee, he had a 7.84 ERA in just 10.1 innings– easily two of the worst starts in an otherwise outstanding season.

Chicago Cubs had viable alternatives

Meanwhile, starter Colin Rea was left on the bench, allowed just 1.2 innings pitched this postseason so far after a very good end-of-season run to cap off a very solid 2025. Starter Javier Assad was left off the postseason roster entirely.

Either Rea or Assad would’ve been preferable over a stretched-out Boyd, even though Rea has put up some weak numbers versus his former team.

Jumping the gun on Boyd not only cost the Cubs Saturday’s game, but it also may have removed him from the rest of the NLDS– another brutal blow for a team already hurting from the loss of their hottest starting pitcher, Cade Horton.

Even a failed gamble in starting Rea in Game One would’ve allowed Boyd two extra days of rest for a go at Game Two.

Now, the Cubs’ backs are against the wall just as the series starts.

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The Chicago Cubs finally clinched home field advantage for the upcoming three-game Wild Card Series on Saturday with a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

It wasn’t the divisional title they would’ve liked earlier on in the season, but all things considered, it was the best case scenario for what they could reasonably hope for right now.

But the celebrations after Saturday’s win were nowhere near as joyous as those on September 17, when they clinched a guaranteed playoff berth. Part of the reason for that was the simple fact that there will be a quick turnaround to Tuesday’s Wild Card Series opener against the San Diego Padres. The other reason may be related to the horrible news they got earlier in the day.

Before the game, the team announced that pitcher Cade Horton had been placed on the 15-day IL with a right rib fracture.

A good news/bad news day for the Chicago Cubs

The 24-year-old, who had become the Cubs’ most effective starting pitcher over the last half of the season, was pulled from his last start on Tuesday after just three innings and 29 pitches due to back stiffness. At the time, the quick exit was talked up as a purely cautionary measure and that the Rookie of the Year candidate would be “a go” to pitch in the Wild Card series, according to Cubs manager Craig Counsell.

Counsell would reveal on Saturday, however, that the Cubs knew of the rib fracture and had wanted to see if Horton could pitch through the injury, as the young star had hoped to do.

By late Saturday morning, though, it became apparent that the righty could not pitch through the pain and discomfort. So, the call was made to put him on the IL, retroactive to Thursday.

Cade Horton goes on the IL after all

“It’s a blow. There’s no question about it,” Counsell told media after the Cubs’ win over the Cardinals. “Losing players to injury at this time of year — it’s not fun. Everybody knows that. And it hurts.”

“It means that other guys are going to get an opportunity,” Counsell continued. “To have a chance to impact the game, have success and control what happens.”

The impact of losing Horton, who had notched an 8-1 record with a 1.03 ERA since the All-Star break, will be felt. Technically, he’ll be eligible to return on October 10, a day before game 5 of The NL Division Series, if necessary. Realistically, though, a return this year is highly doubtful.

In Horton’s place

In his place, the Cubs will have to go with Jameson Taillon or Colin Rea in Horton’s place, alongside lefties Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga. The veterans Taillon and Rea have been outstanding in recent performances, with Taillon notching a 1.59 ERA in 5 starts since a return from the IL while Rea has posted a 2.63 ERA in his five September starts. Taillon got the win on Saturday, moved up a day on the pitching schedule, to accommodate a possible start in game two or three of the Wild Card Series.

On the bright side, the Cubs HAVE looked spectacular these last couple games, very similar to the powerhouse offensive days of earlier on the season. And, of course, at least the team is in the playoffs.

But that’s, apparently, where the good news may end. The anticipated struggle to achieve an extended postseason run just got infinitely more difficult with the loss of Cade Horton.

The post Chicago Cubs clinch and lose ace in sweet and sour day appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs have clinched their first playoff berth since the abbreviated 2020 season. They’re also close to clinching top Wild Card seed status, which will grant them home field advantage throughout the three-game Wild Card series.

Now, with just a handful of games left in the regular season, the attention has to shift to fielding the best possible team in the postseason.

There are concerns, though.

Right fielder Kyle Tucker’s lingering calf injury is a very big deal and puts into question the strength of the Cubs’ outfield. Similarly, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong’s extended slump brings another huge question mark to the postseason.

There are a few other concerns, too. Like, for instance, the playoff viability of the bullpen and the overall strength of the bench.

The Chicago Cubs’ playoff starting rotation

The starting pitching, meanwhile, has its own questions marks, with the order of the three-man Wild Card rotation being the biggest topic for debate right now.

Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, and Shota Imanaga seem to be the designated front three for the series (although Jameson Taillon and Colin Rea are making strong cases for themselves with recent performances).

A few weeks ago, Boyd as the no. 1 would’ve been a foregone conclusion. That’s definitely not the case anymore as he’s struggled of late, posting a 5.34 ERA over his last 10 starts. Even Imanaga has faltered a bit lately, delivering a 4.76 ERA in his last 3 starts.

That leaves the Rookie of the Year-favorite Horton as the statistically best option for game one of the Wild Card series, although conventional baseball wisdom might steer one away from using a 24-year-old rookie in such a high-pressure postseason game.

Cade Horton favored for game one?

However, judging by the announced probable Cubs starters over the weekend and the overall layout of the likely pitching schedule, manager Craig Counsell may actually be leaning towards Horton for the big playoff assignment.

This Friday, Shota Imanaga is scheduled to start. On Saturday and Sunday, Javier Assad and Jameson Taillon, respectively, will get the starts.

That will leave Horton to likely take the mound on Tuesday against the Mets in Wrigley Field for the next-to-last series of the regular season. That will also give him a full week to rest before game one of the Wild Card series.

Boyd and Imanaga will also likely have one more start apiece over the final week of the season, but they will be afforded less rest time leading into the postseason than Horton.

At this point, though, the playoff rotation order is pure conjecture, maybe even to Counsell, himself.

No seniority, no favoritism

“We’re at a point where we’ve created a game plan to be able to be flexible,” Counsell told media before Thursday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Counsell also doesn’t seem at all concerned over seniority or player pride when it comes to staffing a postseason run.

“Look, I think when you get to the playoffs, when you get to this time of year, guys understand,” Counsell said. “And you work really hard to get to these spots, and the game changes. Not tonight, necessarily. But when you get to October, the game changes.

“And the game changes, because [in Game 1 of a Wild Card Series], we’re two games from elimination. It changes your decisions. It just does.”

Time will tell who takes the mound first in which game. One thing is for certain, though, everyone will have a short leash.

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The Chicago Cubs are inching their way to the playoffs, every day getting a bit closer to making postseason play for the first time since the abbreviated 2020 season. Current projections give them right around a 99.8% chance of getting there.

Their placement as the no. 1 Wild Card seed also seems secure at the moment.

But what about once IN postseason play? How do the Cubs match up with their playoff rivals?

That’s the big question and one which gives plenty of cause for concern considering the team’s second-half inconsistencies.

The offense, which is greatly responsible for getting them to their current standing, needs to get fully back on track. That’s a given. But what about everything else?

Chicago Cubs get low ranking in starting pitching

MLB analyst Eno Sarris, in a recent piece for The Athletic, spotlighted one area of concern for the Cubs that may eventually be their downfall. In assessing the projected top 3 starters of all presumed playoff teams, Sarris ranks the Cubs a lowly no. 10 among the 12 teams.

Per Sarris:

“The projections say the Cubs should be last on this list. The Cubs’ top trio of Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton and Matthew Boyd have the second-best ERA to date of any playoff trio. A bit of a conundrum.

ERA is not predictive, so this ranking hews closer to those projected numbers than the ones the Cubs’ starters have put up so far this year. We care more about what they will do than what they have done, after all. So why aren’t they last? Only a handful of playoff teams have seen Horton, who throws a unique fastball that could defy projections. The rookie seems to be coming into his own. Their X-factor.”

The rotation question marks

That’s a pretty harsh assessment, but it’s hard to argue with it, especially considering the insecurity the team is facing when it comes to their playoff rotation.

Matthew Boyd, who performed his way to ace status after Chicago’s offseason gamble on signing him to a 2-year contract, has been stellar up until recently. As of this writing, Boyd has posted a dismal 5.09 ERA over his last 7 outings. His 2.94 ERA this season is deceiving given his recent form and it would be crazy to discard fatigue as a possible cause for his decline. Suffering through Tommy John surgery and assorted other injuries over the last several seasons, Boyd hadn’t pitched over 100 innings in a season since 2019. Could further fatigue or even injury be in his immediate future?

Shota Imanaga should have the freshest arm of the rotation, given that he missed about seven weeks earlier in the season with a hamstring issue. He also has ace-level acumen. But he’s never pitched in an MLB postseason game before.

Cade Horton has been an absolute revelation this season after the injury to Imanaga forced a call-up from the minors much earlier than expected. Except for a couple of hiccups along the way, the 23-year-old has shined, posting a 2.78 ERA for the season so far. His 1.23 ERA since July 3 may end up winning him a Rookie of the Year honor.

But with 132.2 innings logged, between the minors and the majors, so far this season, he’s far surpassed any previous innings tally. Combining the workload with his recent history of injury, Horton presents a lot of question marks from here until the postseason. Manager Craig Counsell is already monitoring his workload and has him working under a loose pitch count.

Close your eyes and cross your fingers

The Cubs will also have Jameson Taillon, Colin Rea, and Javier Assad to throw into the playoff rotation mix if necessary. Trade deadline acquisition Michael Soroka will also be a wild card in this equation if/when he gets healthy enough to take the mound.

But, overall, Sarris’ ranking rings true-ish. There’s just a lot of “close your eyes and cross your fingers” when it comes to the Cubs starting pitching the rest of the way.

The post Chicago Cubs get bottom-barrel ranking among playoff teams in one key category appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs have just been a .500 team since the All-Star break. Actually, they’ve been around that 50-50 mark for the last couple months.

Blame that on the Cubs’ offense, which went from an elite-scoring powerhouse to a bottom tier player.

But considering just how awful the offense has been in recent weeks/months, it’s actually a bit surprising that the team is doing as well as .500.

Credit that to the Cubs’ starting pitching.

An under-the-radar story over this latter part of the season is the Cubs’ rotation and just how tremendous it has been.

On Thursday, Shota Imanaga delivered another solid performance, despite the team coming up short in a 4-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. In a start where things didn’t quite click at first, he righted his ship, allowing 2 earned runs on three hits over 7 innings while striking out 5.

“I thought Shota got better as the game went on,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters after the game. “Little bit of command issues early in the game, and as he settled in, he pitched really, really well. In a week like this, where you’re trying to get relievers rest, seven innings will help us moving forward.”

The excelling Chicago Cubs starting rotation

Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic spotlighted the Cubs starting pitching awesomeness in a Thursday evening piece.

Per Sharma:

“Since June 25, Cubs starters have a 3.02 ERA, best in baseball. The next closest staff, the Boston Red Sox, is at 3.31. These pitchers aren’t elite at getting groundballs or strikeouts. But they limit walks and hard contact and have an entire defense that helps them limit damage.”

Since the All-Star break: Matthew Boyd has a 3.47 ERA, Shota Imanaga has a 3.64 ERA, Cade Horton has a 0.58 ERA, and Colin Rea has a 4.08 ERA. Jameson Taillon, meanwhile, just came back from the IL, allowing 1 earned run in 6 innings in his first start since June 29.

That’s a tremendous overall post All-Star run for a staff pushing itself through the second half of the season and, frankly, burdened by a flat-lining offense that’s allowing them almost zero margin for error.

Cade Horton in the spotlight

The rookie Horton, who just turned 24 this week, is obviously the biggest revelation of the bunch. His recent dominant run has brought up a lot of Rookie of the Year chatter, even considering the loaded rookie class this season.

The Cubs’ 2022 first-round draft pick was brought up from Triple-A much earlier than anticipated, following the Imanaga hamstring injury in early May. There were thoughts that maybe he wouldn’t be ready for a full-time stint in the majors, but despite the occasional hiccup, Horton held strong. And then he went from holding strong to excelling. A blister issue in his last start put some question marks in his future, but the latest news on that setback is positive. As things look, he may not even miss a start.

Things could’ve gone horribly

Overall, the Cubs’ starting rotation has been a surprise success story the whole season. Things, though, could’ve definitely gone off the rails very early in the season.

In spring training, they lost projected fifth starter Javier Assad to an oblique injury. They just recently got him back. Early in April, they lost ace Justin Steele with an elbow injury that required surgery. About a month after losing Steele, Imanaga went down for several weeks with his hamstring issue. Then, in very early July, Jameson Taillon was lost for over a month with a right calf strain.

Through the stress and the strain, however, the starting corps has held together better than expected, showing grit and execution beyond what most expected.

If/when the Cubs push their way into the postseason, the rotation is showing that what may have been considered a weakness at one point is now a strength.

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The Chicago Cubs were reported to be aggressive buyers prior to the July 31 trade deadline this year, focused on the fact that the team desperately needed high-end starting pitching if they were to be serious candidates for a deep playoff run. Names such as Mitch Keller, Edward Cabrera, Sandy Alcantara, Mackenzie Gore, Merrill Kelly, and Zac Gallen were said to be targets.

Instead, they ended up with Michael Soroka…only.

Of the team’s four trade deadline acquisitions, two were relievers, one was an infielder/outfielder, and the other was the Washington Nationals starter.

It was a disappointing haul for a team with clearly defined needs and, seemingly, the prospect capital and budget to pick up who they needed for their playoff run.

Soroka adds concerns to an already-strained Chicago Cubs rotation

Soroka’s 4.87 ERA in 16 appearances this season doesn’t inspire confidence. Neither does a history of injury that had kept him under 80 innings pitched since 2019 until this year’s 81.1 innings so far.

The righty will be wedged into the strained Cubs rotation, beginning this Monday, on his 28th birthday. It’ll give the team one more starter with concerns, constraints, limitations, and/or question marks heading into the heat of the postseason push.

Rookie Cade Horton is another starter with doubt attached. The 23-year-old has been brilliant of late, delivering 5 shutout innings in the Cubs’ 1-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Over his last five starts, he’s sporting a stellar 1.25 ERA, with all four earned runs during that stretch coming in one outing.

But Horton is at 102.2 innings pitched on the season, between the minors and the majors. In last year’s injury-shortened season, he only registered 34.1 innings. In his previous three minor league seasons, he’s never pitched more than 88.1 innings. There is legitimate concern over his durability over this long 2025 haul, something which was evident with the quick hook he got on Friday after five innings and just 71 pitches.

“It’s just something that we’re going to keep an eye on with Cade for sure,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters after this last game. “And when there’s opportunities and moments to [pull him early], we’re going to do it.

“He got to start on normal rest here and we got five innings from him. So yeah, we’re gonna pick some spots here [to] just lessen the innings.”

Matthew Boyd is also a concern

The same durability concerns applying to Soroka and Horton also apply to Matthew Boyd, who’s been brilliant this year.

Boyd, coming off Tommy John surgery last year and other injuries prior to that, hadn’t logged more than 100 innings since 2019. He has 123.2 so far this year.

The difference between Boyd and Soroka and Horton, however, is that the Cubs can’t really afford to meter and restrict Boyd’s usage since he’s become the rotation ace and an absolutely crucial component to the team’s success.

For now, the Cubs’ only strategy with the 34-year-old is to cross their fingers and hope for continued good health.

The rest of the rotation

Chicago’s other top pitcher, Shota Imanaga, has already been out of commission for several weeks with a hamstring strain, although he has emerged as, perhaps, the sturdiest of the rotation pieces.

Also in the starting rotation mix is Jameson Taillon, who is currently on the IL, coming back from a right calf strain. Javier Assad, who has missed the entire season with oblique issues, is beginning a rehab assignment in Triple-A and could be back, along with Taillon, in mid-August. Another starter, veteran swing man Colin Rea, has been up and down all season. Then, there’s sophomore Ben Brown, who, despite solid potential, has been mostly down.

So, in summary, the Cubs are rolling into the month of August and into the deep end of the pennant race with eight potential starters in a 5-man rotation– five of them with injury or durability issues and two with performance issues.

Not getting at least one more sure-thing starter at the trade deadline has put the Cubs in a tough spot. They’re going to need a whole lot of savvy managerial maneuvering and a great amount of good luck when it comes to a starting rotation already ranked in the bottom half of baseball.

However, at this point, one can only hope for the best.

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The Chicago Cubs lost to the Kansas City Royals 8-4 on Wednesday, once again relinquishing full first place standing to the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central Division.

The most frustrating part of this slip to second place, however, may be the spotlight it focused on the Cubs’ weaknesses and liabilities everyone knew were already there.

In the series finale against the Royals, Colin Rea was touched up for 5 earned runs in 5 innings pitched. The performance tells the tale of a struggling back end of the starting rotation taking on more and more water as the Cubs ship heads further out to sea.

At this point, only games started by Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd are safe to be considered W-likely. Rea has been up and down, Cade Horton is a learning-on-the-job rookie, and Ben Brown has already fallen off the Cubs’ deck. Creatively-constructed bullpen games have not been productive.

So, Cubs fandom turns to the trade deadline for help in keeping the team’s deep-postseason hopes afloat.

“Desperate” Chicago Cubs pursue trade deadline starting pitching

Jesse Rogers of ESPN recently labeled the Cubs as “desperate” in their pursuit of rotation help, although the always-careful (sometimes frustratingly careful) front office is also keeping their eyes on the future, eschewing top prospects-for-a-rental deals.

Per Rogers:

“The Cubs are looking for a starting pitcher first and foremost, but won’t part with any top prospects for rentals. They would be willing to trade a young hitter for a cost-controlled pitcher or one already under contract past this season. They are desperate to add an arm who can help while Jameson Taillon recovers from a calf injury. Bullpen games in Taillon’s place haven’t gone well.”

Targets locked in?

Matthew Trueblood of Northside Baseball has identified Edward Cabrera of the Miami Marlins as one of the Cubs’ team-controlled targets. Per his sources, the Kansas City Royals’ Kris Bubic is on their radar as well, although concerns over his most recent start have made Cubs president Jed Hoyer pump the breaks a bit on pursuing him.

Per Trueblood:

“As recently as this weekend, sources close to the situation indicated that there was momentum between the Cubs and the Royals regarding lefty Kris Bubic. Right now, though, the team is doing more background work and waiting to see what Bubic’s next start looks like, after his velocity was down substantially in his first appearance of the second half. The Royals are another team who has been on the higher end with regard to Caissie, so if the Cubs want to make their dollar stretch on the trade market this summer, talking to both Kansas City and Miami about him makes sense.”

And out of nowhere…Dylan Cease?

And while the logical pursuit of young, team-controlled arms has filled up Chicago’s trade deadline rumor mill, this weird one was hurled in the online discourse– Dylan Cease, back to the Cubs?

Buster Olney of ESPN recently tweeted about the San Diego Padres, who have real postseason possibilities, making Cease available via trade for the right majors-ready assets to help fill their other roster holes.

Per Olney:

“A surprise name has emerged in the starting pitcher market: Dylan Cease, who will be eligible for free agency at year’s end. Perception of other teams is that the Padres are intent on making a push for the playoffs, and would use Cease to help fill other roster needs. Mets, AL East teams, Cubs among teams that have talked about him.”

The Cubs most definitely don’t have an impact position player to spare in such a deal with the Padres, but it IS well within the realm of crazy baseball possibility that Hoyer and company could offer up a package of prospects for a 3-way deal with the Padres and a third team. If the deal is sweet enough, maybe they’ll be okay with a rental in this particular case.

At this point, anything is worth considering because, at the risk of sounding like an alarmist, the Cubs need pitching help, fast.

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The Chicago Cubs have a very thin margin for error when it comes to starting pitching right now.

Already short-staffed due to the season-ending injury of ace Justin Steele, the season snuffing loss of Javier Assad, and Jameson Taillon’s current IL status, the team can’t afford to sustain any further losses or any full-on collapses from their starters.

So, Colin Rea’s recent return to early season form is most definitely much-needed and deeply appreciated.

Colin Rea bounces back at the perfect time

On Thursday, the veteran swing man pitched 7 innings and allowed only 1 earned run in the Cubs’ 8-1 win over the Minnesota Twins in Minnesota, staving off what would’ve been an embarrassing series sweep.

Rea’s commanding, deep-into-game appearance sets the Cubs up nicely for their upcoming weekend series with the New York Yankees, the last series before the All-Star break.

“I think we were in good shape regardless, but seven innings from your starter helps no matter what,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters after the game. “You kind of think about this as a three-game season, almost, with your pitching usage [in the series before the All-Star break], and it puts us in good shape for the weekend.”

Then, Counsell would address Rea’s 2025, in general, which has turned out to be a somewhat under-the-radar godsend and a glue that has helped hold together a battered and strained starting rotation.

“I don’t want to call this a surprise, but you need guys to step up,” Counsell said. “And Colin, with some of the injuries that we’ve had, has stepped up in a big way. He’s had 92 innings now through [93] games. And he’s done exactly what we hoped he would do, and that’s been solid and consistent, and the last two starts have been excellent.”

An afterthought of a Chicago Cubs acquisition

The 35-year-old Rea has a 1.32 ERA in his last two starts with 13.2 innings pitched. Overall, he’s posted a 3.91 ERA in 19 games (15 starts) and has become, in the midst of injury, a middle-of-rotation asset. It would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that he’s become a shoulder to lean on as the rotation limps its way into the All-Star break and towards the July 31 trade deadline where reinforcements can be found.

That’s not too shabby for a guy, picked up on a 1-year, $5 million deal in the offseason, whose signing was seen by many as a bit of an afterthought. At best, he was considered insurance for the back-end of a rotation that already seemed set or as a veteran long relief option for the bullpen. He was also considered a comfort acquisition for Counsell, who had worked with him for parts of three seasons as the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Instead, injuries and general bad fortune have led to Rea taking on a position of exaggerated importance and, for the most part, he’s come through. Although there’ve been some clunkers here and there, the 7-year veteran and former Japan league export has been a consistent presence in a starting rotation that has desperately needed consistency.

Not flashy, just good

“It doesn’t feel flashy, and it doesn’t feel overpowering, but it’s good,” Counsell told The Athletic back in May, regarding Rea’s game. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s good at his craft. He’s a pitcher. He knows how to navigate an inning, navigate different types of hitters, and how his stuff plays against everybody. He’s very self-aware.”

And, after the All-Star break and after the trade deadline, it looks as though Rea will continue to play a much larger than initially thought role in the team’s immediate future as they hope for a deep postseason run.

The Cubs may have been pursuing a depth piece when they first acquired Rea, but what they got was a solid soldier.

The post Chicago Cubs reaping benefits of ‘afterthought’ free agent acquisition appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs are at a pivotal point in not only this 2025 season, but in their chances of success in the following years.

For that reason, their movements before the July 31 trade deadline will be especially important.

Some are saying that Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is a victim of his own success. Compelled by the need to make the playoffs for the first time in his reign as top exec and by his own expiring contract (two intertwined pressures), he built a team that has the grit, gumption, defense, and offensive prowess to be a World Series-viable team when the goal for this year was, maybe, just to make a postseason-viable team.

Chicago Cubs: Ahead of the curve, against the wall

What this means is that this 2025 product wasn’t meant to be the fully-actualized Cubs/Hoyer product just yet. It was meant to be the 2015 learning-curve campaign that seasoned the crew before the 2016 World Series victory.

But this year’s squad has been so good and has bubbled over with so much magical winner’s chemistry that there’s now a palpable pressure to skip the learning curve and jump right to the World Series.

Realistically, though, the Cubs are lacking some key pieces to make that jump.

And that’s why there’s so much pressure focused on Chicago’s moves prior to the trade deadline.

Starting pitching woes

The starting rotation, specifically, is a major concern. As it stands now, Shota Imanaga is at the top, one start into his return from hamstring injury. Below him is Matthew Boyd, who has pitched extremely well, but who also has an extensive history of injury and hasn’t logged over 100 innings pitched since 2019. Then there’s Jameson Taillon, who has pitched solidly at times, but has recently been swatted around.

Beyond that, the starting corps is all crossed fingers and wishful thinking with rookie Cade Horton and veteran swing man Colin Rea currently manning back-of-rotation duties– and taking on water while trying. Wildly inconsistent sophomore Ben Brown has been sent to Triple-A alongside once-upon-a-time rotation hopeful Jordan Wicks, who is returning from injury. Then, there’s projected fifth starter Javier Assad, who’s been battling an oblique issue all season and has yet to throw one competitive big league pitch this year.

This spells big trouble if the 2025 Cubs want to have a serious shot at going deep into the postseason. It could even be argued that they’re one starting pitching injury away from possibly being out of the playoff picture entirely

More than just one rental pitcher away

Lindsey Willhite of Deadspin recently opined that the team will need to target two quality starters prior to the deadline to have a serious shot at doing something big this postseason.

Per Willhite:

“To solve this shortcoming, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer and his cabinet need to be even bolder than they were when they acquired [Kyle] Tucker in the offseason.

They have maneuvered themselves into a place where they’re closer to the Dodgers and Mets than they could have realistically projected. But if they’re going to wait to be equals before they strike, then they might as well sell the team.

The Dodgers, with their billions of dollars and their brilliant front office, are never going away. Mets owner Steve Cohen’s wallet will be wide open every offseason and every trade deadline.

That means now’s the time to peel a prospect or five off their thick stack of youngsters and acquire two legitimate starters — guys who can get the Cubs through five innings in an October setting.

And don’t just focus on the rentals.”

Willhite mentions checking in on Tanner Bibee of the Cleveland Guardians, Nathan Eovaldi of the Texas Rangers, and Mitch Keller of the Pittsburgh Pirates, among others. All of them under contract beyond 2025.

The strategy is clear, though. And it’s not incorrect.

Picking up two high-end starters would turn this Cubs team into a real big-prize contender and not just a feel-good fairy tale hopeful. But to add two high-end starters who are team controlled beyond this season would provide a huge boost to the franchise over the next several years. That’s why the idea of a trade with the Miami Marlins for Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera has gotten so much attention.

But would it be worth emptying out their farm system to pull the trigger on two major pitching acquisitions? That’s the question Jed Hoyer must ponder.

The post Chicago Cubs: What’s needed to make a World Series run in 2025 (and beyond) appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs appear to be hitting some turbulence, going 7-8 in their last 15 outings, and dropping two out of three games in a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners this weekend. The Cubs’ pitching staff surrendered 18 hits in a 14-6 loss to the Mariners in front of 36,185 fans at Wrigley Field on Sunday.

Chicago starting pitcher Colin Rea gave up three runs in the first three innings before surrendering two more by the bottom of the fifth. A three-run effort by the Cubs’ offense in the fifth made it a 5-4 ballgame. Despite Rea having a shaky outing, manager Craig Counsell made a controversial choice to send Rea back to the mound in the sixth inning despite the change in momentum in Chicago’s favor.

Colin Rea had a disastrous day for the Chicago Cubs

Rea promptly gave up two more runs in the top of the sixth inning, leaving after allowing seven earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched. Reliever Chris Flexen gave up two earned runs, and Nate Pearson surrendered five earned runs.

The Cubs lost another series to an above .500 team, something Chicago did earlier this month against the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers. The Cubs have two important series upcoming, a four-game matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals (42-36) beginning on Monday and with the Houston Astros (44-33) starting on Friday.

Cubs fans are irate with Craig Counsell

Cubs manager Craig Counsell’s name was trending on social media Sunday afternoon after choosing to keep Rea in the game when the offense gave the team a chance.

“Pulling back within 1 run and then Counsell letting Rea walk back out there is quite the decision. Craig should have to drive to St. Louis,” wrote a fan.

“Craig Counsell is by far one of the worst managers I’ve ever seen in MLB. No fire, no heart, no qualities of a real leader,” posted another.

“Counsell, you need to do something better with your arms – there is no way that the pitchers for the Cubs are as bad as they have been the last two weeks or so. I get that Hoyer (Ricketts) is as tight as a Scots purse but C’MON MAN!!!,” argued a fan.

“I don’t understand Counsell. It’s 93 and he has the pitcher come out for the sixth inning?,” wrote another.

“In no way shape or form should Rea have started the 5th after how awful he was the whole game. Unacceptable from Counsell,” scolded a fan.

“Rea had no business going out there in the 6th inning. Terrible decision by Counsell,” posted another.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Cubs sit atop the NL Central Division, 5.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers as of this writing.

A first-place team at this point of the season has to be good. But this Cubs team is something beyond good. Some may say that there’s something special about this squad.

Sunday’s extra-innings 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates highlights one key attribute of this 2025 team– on any given day, anyone on the 26-man roster can step up to be the hero.

In this last game of the 4-game series with a surprisingly tenacious Pirates crew, there were multiple heroes sprinkled around.

Chicago Cubs heroes, everywhere

Colin Rea pitched 6 solid innings and allowed only 2 earned runs, one start after one of his poorest outings of the year, and with an ugly 7.08 ERA in his last four starts.

The bullpen once again proved to be stingy, with Caleb Thielbar, Genesis Cabrera, Ryan Pressly, and Chris Flexen tossing one shutout inning apiece.

Nico Hoerner made a potential game-saving diving catch on a low line drive at second base in the tenth inning.

Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson had an RBI apiece.

There were base-running heroics as well, with Ian Happ stealing a base in the opening inning that would eventually lead to the Cubs’ first run. In the bottom of the tenth, a Vidal Brujan/Kyle Tucker double steal would move the winning run to third and remove the possibility of an inning-killing double play.

Then, of course, Happ would deliver the walkoff hit in the bottom of the tenth to drive in the winning run.

Masters of their own destiny

The team-effort victory showcased the resilience of this team and served as a reinforcement of manager Craig Counsell’s philosophy that every little thing matters on the field.

“I think it hopefully highlights some of the things you try to emphasize everything matters,” Counsell told reporters after the game. “Grabbing an advantage wherever you can be the difference…It happens at every point in the game. I think that’s a really important thing.”

And the players are feeling this confidence boost in the fact that they are, ultimately, the masters of their own destiny and can drag victory from doldrums by simply executing to the best of their ability.

“It just gives you the confidence that you’re never out of the game,” Happ told media after Sunday’s win. “I think we felt that throughout the year. Whether we’re down early and we’re in a spot where we score some runs and come back or whether it’s a tight game all the way through and we feel like we have a chance to win at some point.

“And I think it just keeps reinstalling that confidence.”

The no-quit Cubs

The lesson reinforced in this Cubs team, over and over, is that even when they struggle, they can pull things together enough to pull off a win. That kind of confidence, coupled with the inherent versatility and tenacity of the roster, makes them virtually slump-proof, at least in theory.

“That’s why Jed [Hoyer] put this group together, knowing and understanding that we can overcome the different things that can be thrown our way,” Dansby Swanson told The Athletic back in late May. “For the first five weeks of the season, we were just banging it around, (but) we don’t have to score 10 runs to win every game. It’s finding ways to win games, regardless.”

So far, the Cubs have been able to talent their way through much of the season and scrap their way to wins when that talent hasn’t been enough.

The post “No Quit” Chicago Cubs showcase resilience, tenacity in another big victory appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs suffered a devastating blow in early May, when lefty co-ace Shota Imanaga was placed on the injured list due to a left hamstring strain.

The horrible news came just over a month after the team lost their other lefty co-ace Justin Steele for the season due to an elbow injury that required surgery.

The loss of Imanaga was especially frustrating since there seemed to be no firm time frame for his return. Recovery from hamstring injuries, in general, tends to be unpredictable. But the fact that the 31-year-old has never suffered from a lower-body injury has contributed to the uncertainty when it comes to a timeline for return.

So, the Cubs and the Japanese starter have been taking things day by day. A 25-pitch bullpen session on May 28 led to subsequent work. On June 3, it was reported that Imanaga had flown to Arizona to face live batters at the Cubs’ training complex.

Shota Imanaga’s First Rehab Outing

On Monday, the much-needed rotation asset finally pitched in an actual game situation– and it reportedly went quite well.

Pitching for the Arizona Complex League (ACL) Cubs in a game against the ACL Rockies, SI.com reports that Imanaga worked two full innings, allowing only one hit and striking out four. By accounting of the stats, it was a commanding performance in 106-degree Arizona weather and with lots of underlying uncertainty mixed up with the stress of facing his first live hitters in over a month. No pitch count was released.

The next step, of course, is to do this all over again, likely upping the pitch count a bit, before possibly moving on to an actual minor league rehab stint. Obviously, though, this depends on how Imanaga feels and how the Cubs feel about his advancement. More and more, it’s looking like manager Craig Counsell’s mid-May assessment of a major league return “well into June” will be right on the money.

But we ARE ten days into June, as of this writing, so that’s not entirely awful news.

The Chicago Cubs Starting Rotation Balancing Act

To say that the Cubs need Imanaga is an understatement. Even with the team sitting somewhat comfortably atop the NL Central Division and the starting pitching holding together admirably well, the strains of a depleted front of rotation are starting to be felt. As the season goes on and the pressure of a playoff race amps up, the team won’t be able to skate by on a strong offense and a merely competent everything else.

Offseason free agent acquisition Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon have picked up the front-of-rotation slack in Imanaga’s absence. Free agent signee Colin Rea has, mostly, done well in his role as a fill-in starter. Top pitching prospect Cade Horton is clearly a work in progress, but he’s also performed well enough since his big league call-up in early May. Sophomore Ben Brown, meanwhile, has put together a pair of impressive outings after a wildly inconsistent beginning to the season.

Aggressive Trade-Minded Cubs?

Maintaining a league-competitive rotation in the face of losing their two aces (and fifth starter Javier Assad before the season began) has been an impressive balancing for Counsell and his staff. But it’s a balancing act nonetheless.

It’s widely believed that the Cubs will be very aggressive in looking for pitching before the trade deadline and potential high-end trade targets have already been mentioned.

Getting Imanaga back, though, would be a huge playoff drive boost alongside whoever they can pick up in a swap.

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The Chicago Cubs are riding high right now, carried to a somewhat comfortable first-place spot in the NL Central Division by their league-best offense.

Their formerly shaky bullpen has also solidified in recent weeks, making it one of the most reliable relief corps in baseball at the moment.

The live-or-die aspect of the team, though, may be its starting pitching.

The Cubs lost their ace Justin Steele to an elbow injury back in early April, and they won’t have him back until May-June of next year, at the earliest. Then, they lost co-ace lefty Shota Imanaga to a hamstring injury in early May. And, before all of that, Javier Assad was lost due to an oblique issue.

For those keeping tabs, that makes 60% of their starting rotation lost for all, or most, of the season thus far.

The Chicago Cubs’ Starting Rotation Has Held Together, Somewhat

Despite the losses and setbacks, the Cubs’ rotation has actually held together quite well. With Jameson Taillon and free agent acquisition Matthew Boyd leading the way, along with veteran Colin Rea, sophomore Ben Brown, and top pitching prospect Cade Horton, the staff has been outstanding in spots and iffy in others. Overall, though, they’ve been good enough not to be a liability.

But “good enough to not be a liability” won’t be good enough in the postseason or even in the late-season drive to make postseason play. The Cubs need starting pitching.

The big hope among fans is that the front office will pull off some big deal by trade deadline, bringing over a stud top-of-rotation starter for the playoff race.

The Realities Of The Deadline Trade Market

But the trade market looks like it will be pretty slim this year, especially when it comes to high-end starters. Of the few who may be available, some, like Miami’s Sandy Alcantara and Arizona’s Zac Gallen, are performing poorly and may not be desirable fits because of it. The remaining starters will require a hefty haul in return, as it will most definitely be a seller’s market.

And given that the Cubs have not been generally known for big, bold in-season trades, the team may find itself on the losing end of trade bidding wars.

So, what does that mean for Chicago’s push to bring in an ace-level starting pitcher?

They may NOT get one, at least not from the outside.

The Cubs May Have To Look Internally For Second-Half Pitching Help

The Cubs may have to settle for returning assets to be their rotation-fortifying additions. Notably, Imanaga.

According to Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network, Imanaga has flown to Arizona to face live hitters. This news comes after the news that the Japanese star had pitched back-to-back bullpen sessions without discomfort.

These are positive updates when it comes to Imanaga’s return and, with a short rehab stint in Iowa, it means that they could get him back at full strength somewhere around the all-star break.

The progress of Assad is a bit hazier, with the last word being that he had started playing catch about a week ago. Optimistically, the Cubs could hope to have him back in some capacity by late summer, just in time to help eat some innings in long relief and/or possibly spot start.

If the high-end trade market proves to be too unfriendly, the team may have to settle on a second-tier pitching addition or two for the sake of depth and to give manager Craig Counsell flexibility and maneuverability to make the most with what he has.

More and more, it appears that this might be the path the Cubs will have to take as the real playoff race takes shape. For now, everyone will just cross their fingers that Imanaga gets back, Assad can contribute something, and that no other pitchers go down to injury.

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The Chicago Cubs acquired veteran Colin Rea in January, signing the righty swingman to a 1-year, $5 million deal. At the time, it was almost considered an afterthought.

Rea was thought of as competent, solid, and versatile. As far as his role with the Cubs, he was set to be a long relief bullpen piece who could step up to spot start on occasion. Formerly with the Milwaukee Brewers, he had earned the confidence of Cubs manager– and former Brewers manager– Craig Counsell and was picked up as a known-commodity depth piece. His lifetime ERA in the mid-4s told the tale of a guy just good enough to be an asset, but not quite capable of stardom.

Despite some token mentions as the team’s possible fifth starter, the 34-year-old wasn’t seriously considered for the rotation until Justin Steele went down with a season ending elbow injury. The loss of Steele, preceded by the loss of Javier Assad for an extended period of time, pushed Rea from swingman to firm member of Chicago’s rotation.

Colin Rea Steps Up

And the veteran responded well to the sudden boost in profile and responsibility.

In his first four starts, he posted a 1.86 ERA, with an overall ERA of 1.46. Coming into the month of May, he was killing it with a combined 0.96 ERA. Best of all, the Cubs were 4-0 when Rea started.

His dominance was a head-turner and a head-scratcher for many fans and analysts. The Rea dealing like an elite-level all-star in 2025 had never been like THIS.

Whatever the case and whatever the reason, the Cubs were enjoying the fruits of his performances. His surprise emergence was especially appreciated after Japanese southpaw Shota Imanaga went down with a hamstring injury.

But Rea’s success has not rolled along, building momentum.

The Fall Of Colin Rea

In May, he posted a 5.61 ERA, even with a solid May 1, 6 inning/2 earned run, start to the month. On Friday, he allowed a trio of 2-run home runs and 10 hits in 5.2 innings pitched. In his last two starts, he has a 10.13 ERA.

Unfortunately, this slippage is going hand in hand with the floundering of Ben Brown, who has posted a 6.75 ERA in May and may be on the verge of losing his starting rotation gig, even with no clear competitor in line to assume the spot.

In the case of Rea, could this just be him settling into who he is? With a lifetime 4.51 ERA, his 2025 ERA is now 3.96 after a pretty bad month. Is he really and truly who everyone thought he was back in January– an inning-eater in the bullpen who can do alright as a starter over a limited period of time?

Maybe.

But the Cubs need more than that. Steele is gone until well into next season, Assad is just starting to play catch after two runs at fixing an oblique issue, and the time frame for Imanaga’s return is alarmingly vague.

Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon have held things together and rookie Cade Horton is doing well for a kid essentially learning on the job. Obviously, however, that’s not enough for a team hoping to play deep into the postseason.

So, where do the Cubs go if Rea can’t turn things around?

Chicago Cubs Plans For A Struggling Rotation

Some of the team’s strategy amounts to little more than crossing their fingers and hoping for the best. The return of Imanaga and/or Assad will beef up the rotation. The continued advancement of Horton will help as well.

A low-risk gamble on released veteran Kenta Maeda has, so far, not paid off.

Brad Keller, Chris Flexen, or Drew Pomeranz could be given a shot at a rotation spot, replacing Rea and/or Brown.

Then, of course, there’s the trade deadline option. The Cubs could pull themselves through to late July with hopes of targeting a front-of-rotation presence. However, with most every other contending team also looking for pitching, it might be hard to land that big name.

For now, the Cubs will have to make due with what they have and hope for the healthy, successful return of Imanaga and Assad.

Rea returning to April form would also be an absolute godsend.

The post Chicago Cubs veteran pitcher’s fall from grace hits especially hard appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs’ starting pitching appears to be in for a long weekend against the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs dropped Game 1 of their three-game series in a 6-2 loss to the Reds in front of 36,019 fans at Wrigley Field.

Starting pitcher Colin Rea gave up 10 hits and six earned runs in 5.2 innings pitched on Friday. With Ben Brown struggling early in games, Cubs manager Craig Counsell plans to use Drew Pomeranz as the opener on Saturday before Jameson Taillon gets the nod on Sunday.

Chicago Cubs manager points out an issue with Colin Rea

Following Friday’s loss, Counsell noted that Rea had an issue with pitching against left-handed batters TJ Friedel, Gavin Lux, and Will Benson, who all recorded two hits in the contest.

“Well, their left-handed hitters did a nice job against (Rea), and you get burned by some home run balls,” Counsell said via Marquee Sports Network.

Rea has a 3-2 record this season and an ERA of 3.96, which went up on Friday when he earned a 10.80 ERA against the Reds.

Rea blamed “misses” over the middle of the plate for the three home runs he gave up. He said after the game he needed to have better focus.

“I mean it’s just a little more focus on where my misses are going to be with the ball coming out of my hand,” Rea said. “Just have better misses.”

The Cubs play the final game of May (before a busy June) on Saturday against Cincinnati at 1:20 p.m. CST.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Cubs waited until starting pitcher Colin Rea made 108 pitches before they put in right-handed relief pitcher Ryan Braiser in the sixth inning of Saturday’s game.. By then, Rea had given up six earned runs to the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cubs trailed 6-1 at Great American Ball Park.

Rea gave up two runs in the first inning, but settled into the game, giving up zero runs in the second and third. He gave up one run in the fourth, and Chicago could have thought about putting in a relief pitcher at that point. Instead, Rea, who entered the game with a 2.38 ERA, surrendered three runs in the fifth inning, putting Chicago in a serious bind.

Cubs fans on social media thought the team made a mistake by trying to extend Rea through the fifth inning. Many are blaming the front office for not adding enough solid relief pitchers to give the starting pitchers help, as asking the 34-year-old Rea to throw 100+ pitches was a big ask.

Chicago Cubs fans are upset Colin Rea was left in game

“If the Cubs keep extending pitchers like this, it is not going to end well. If you have a problem with the bullpen, which we do, then you have to go out and fix it. You put yourself in this position when you did nothing in the offseason. Colin Rea shouldn’t have to pay. Shame,” wrote a fan.

“Rea can’t get an out to save his life and is at 97 pitches but Counsell, being the genius he is, will leave him in to make sure a comeback is absolutely unattainable,” posted another.

“Best manager in baseball” left Rae in there to give up 3 more runs so he can save the bullpen one lousy inning. Counsell is a true genius,” argued a fan.

“I guess the @Cubs are saving the bullpen today,” wrote another in frustration.

I guess the @Cubs are saving the bullpen today

— Matt (@AU4thGen) May 24, 2025

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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Injuries have hit the Chicago Cubs hard so far this season, yet they remain in first place entering the series finale against the Marlins on Wednesday night. Teams looking to chase after the pennant every year deal with injuries to some degree, and the Cubs have been prepared for those early on in 2025. Chicago had a handful of their top prospects at Triple-A entering the season, and the front office has even had to bring up a couple of them to help the club out over the last week.

Justin Steele was the first major domino in the Cubs’ early-season injury chain a month ago. The left-hander was ruled out for the season and underwent left elbow surgery in hopes to return at some point toward the beginning of the 2026 campaign.

Shota Imanaga and Ian Happ are the two important players on the IL for Chicago right now. Imanaga left his start in Milwaukee on May 4 and is expected to miss the rest of the month due to a strained hamstring. Happ tweaked his oblique over the weekend in the opening game of the Mets’ series. He missed the final two games of the set and was placed on the IL following Monday’s win over the Marlins.

Ian Happ is “ramping up activity” after being placed on the IL

Craig Counsell told the media before Monday’s series opener that Happ starting “ramping up activity”, but the organization is being cautious with his rehab. Oblique injuries are nothing to mess around with, as a poor rehab of the issue could lead to a longer IL stint for Happ later on in the season. The club called up highly regarded prospect Moises Ballesteros with Happ being out for the next week or so.

The plan is for Ballesteros to continue to be the team’s designated hitter, and for Seiya Suzuki to play left field until their lead off man returns. Happ is slashing .269/.364/.381 with a .745 OPS in 39 games. He has also collected three homers and has driven in 16 runs so far this year.

The Chicago Cubs had Shota Imanaga play catch on Monday

Similar to Happ getting going to an extent on Monday, Imanaga played catch in the outfield upon the team’s first game back at Wrigley Field after being away for the weekend. The southpaw’s hamstring issue is similar to what Steele dealt with at the beginning of the 2024 season, so not expecting him to be back on a big league mound until June is completely reasonable.

Veterans like Colin Rea have stepped up in Imanaga’s absence. The organization’s top pitching prospect, Cade Horton could be making his first career start this weekend against the White Sox in Imanaga’s turn in the rotation. Imanaga has been dealing so far this season, as he currently holds a 2.82 ERA to pair with his 1.10 WHIP in eight starts. The lefty has tossed in 44.2 innings so far this season and has a 3-2 record.

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The Chicago Cubs had some questions about their starting rotation coming into the 2025 season.

Those questions, however, were more focused on the back end of the rotation. Specifically, the fifth spot, which appeared to be entirely up for grabs.

With Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and free agent addition Matthew Boyd slated to be the front four, there were several candidates vying for the last starter gig. Among those in consideration were Javier Assad, Ben Brown, and veteran free agent signee Colin Rea.

There seemed to be little cause for concern, if all things went according to plan.

In baseball, though, all things rarely go according to plan.

Chicago Cubs Starting Pitching Setbacks

Steele had to have season-ending elbow surgery. Assad has been down twice with oblique issues and may not be back until mid-season. Imanaga, meanwhile, is currently on the IL with a hamstring injury and there’s no timeline yet on when he may be back in the rotation.

The strain on the team has been less profound than one might think it would be. Credit that to a stellar offense that has ranked among baseball’s best. Credit that, also, to a remaining rotation that has performed remarkably well throughout the bad news.

Stepping Up

Boyd has stepped into the spotlight as de facto ace, posting a 2.78 ERA through 8 starts. Taillon’s 4.53 ERA is nothing spectacular, but he’s been steady and sturdy in the middle of the rotation. Brown has shown flashes of his true potential. And, most welcome of all, Rea has been brilliant with a 2.48 ERA in 9 appearances, which include 6 starts.

In Monday’s game with the Miami Marlins, Rea, who was signed to a 1-year, $5 million deal this past offseason, was given a standing ovation at Wrigley Field as he left the game after a performance that saw him give up just two earned runs in 6.2 innings pitched.

“This is,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell gushed to media after the game, “exactly the reason that we thought he was an important piece in the offseason.”

“It doesn’t feel flashy, and it doesn’t feel overpowering, but it’s good,” Counsell added. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s good at his craft. He’s a pitcher. He knows how to navigate an inning, navigate different types of hitters, and how his stuff plays against everybody. He’s very self-aware.”

There have been some definite feel-good moments within this battered starting rotation. There’ve been enough of them to, maybe, cloud perspective.

Reality Will Hit Hard

Johnny Flores Jr. of The Athletic, contributing to the website’s recent MLB Power Rankings article, spotlighted the reality destined to present itself further down the Cubs’ road:

“…What the Cubs surely will miss, especially down the stretch, is an ace like Steele. Ace-level starters don’t just grow on trees, you know? Having a dependable No. 1 could mean the difference between winning the NL Central and sitting out another October. It also creates a tall task for Jed Hoyer’s front office, as the Cubs won’t be the only team in search of a starter…and through the early parts of the season, it looks like it’ll be slim pickings come July.”

The cold, hard reality is that any team serious about a deep postseason run has to have a serious rotation and at least one proven shutdown starter. The Cubs, staffed with some overachieving assets and unproven talents, don’t have that right now.

Fans would like to believe that Rea, with his lifetime 4.42 ERA, will keep throwing gems and that the oft-injured Boyd, who hasn’t thrown more than 100 innings since 2019, will deliver greatness for a full season. They’d also like to believe that Imanaga will bounce back entirely after a tricky hamstring injury and that Assad will come back as well, dealing like 2024 at the tail end of the rotation.

There’s also the belief that the famously frugal Cubs organization will pull off some stellar deal for an ace at the trade deadline, despite having to compete with at least a half dozen other, historically more daring, teams looking to do the same.

That’s a lot of believing.

This is not to say that all of the above won’t happen or that, at the very least, enough of the above will happen to get the Cubs where they need to be. It’s just a lot and it will require some major efforts from both players and front office, as well as some major positive twists of fate.

Cross your fingers.

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The Chicago Cubs’ starting rotation so far this season has already fought through multiple injuries, yet it remains one of the stronger units on their roster. Many believe that the main reason why the Cubs had a fighting chance to make the playoffs in an underwhelming 2024 campaign was because of their starting pitching, with their entire rotation stepping up when needed. The bullpen for last year’s squad was extremely inconsistent, as they have proven to be again so far in 2025. While the offense has seen an uptick in production so far this year, there were many times a season ago where they didn’t come through when it was needed the most.

Chicago getting slammed with injuries to their top two arms early on this season is certainly not ideal. Justin Steele was ruled out for the season in mid-April, which instantly put the organization behind the eight ball in terms of having top-end starters for a playoff push. Matters were made worse when Shota Imanaga was placed on the IL last week with a hamstring strain.

The Cubs rotation has remained strong despite losing Steele and Imanaga. One of their under-the-radar additions in the offseason has proven to be a reliable option after taking Steele’s spot in the starting five last month.

Colin Rea has been an incredible signing for the Chicago Cubs

The Cubs signed Colin Rea to a one-year deal in the winter worth $5 million that includes a $6 million option for the 2026 campaign. The right-hander made on appearance with Milwaukee in 2021 before missing the 2022 season and being a consistent start for Craig Counsell with the Brewers in 2023. Counsell has brought over a few coaches from his days with the Brewers, but Rea is the first player from his tenure in Milwaukee that has joined him in the Windy City.

The veteran’s start on Monday at home against the Marlins spoke volumes to the work that the front office did in finding Rea on the open market this offseason. Dansby Swanson spoke on how Rea has been such a positive addition to this group after Monday night’s victory.

"He's been huge for us … just a guy that's a true pro."

Dansby Swanson tips his cap to Colin Rea pic.twitter.com/5lzfYGeimJ

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 13, 2025

Rea went 6.2 frames on Monday and allowed two runs on six hits. The veteran struck out four and walked two in what was a huge bounce back start after he allowed four earned funs in 5.0 innings against the Giants last week.

The Chicago Cubs will need more help next to Colin Rea

Rea has been fantastic since joining the Cubs rotation when Steele got hurt. The 34-year-old has a 3-0 record in nine appearances this year and has a 2.48 ERA in 36.1 innings pitched. Six of Rea’s nine appearances have been starts, as he began the season in a swing role in the bullpen. Until it’s proven otherwise, Rea should remain in Chicago’s rotation for the long haul this summer.

Even though the current rotation has been stacking wins together, there will need to be another arm of two brought into the fold at the end of the summer. The Cubs should be active at the trade deadline, and arms like Sandy Alcantara and Mitch Keller will be available. Imanaga should return at some point in June, and there is a chance that Javier Assad returns to the staff at some point this year.

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The Chicago Cubs bullpen has continued to give the organization and fanbase headaches so far this season despite the team remaining in first place. This isn’t new to the organization, as some could make the argument that the relief pitching unit is what held the Cubs back of making the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. This especially came into effect in the the 2024 campaign after the franchise finished the year with an 83-79 record for the second straight season.

Even though the front office has struggled to bring in the right veterans for high-leverage situations over the past few years, the player development department down on the farm hasn’t helped with bringing in homegrown talent in the bullpen either. The best teams in baseball over the last handful of years have had stables with a blend of good veteran talent and homegrown arms. Chicago knows the recipe for success in their relief pitching unit, they just have not been able to execute on it.

One of the few in-house younger arms has pitched well so far for the team this season and might receive a bigger role moving forward.

Daniel Palencia could be an answer to the Chicago Cubs’ problems

Daniel Palencia has quietly been lights out so far in 2025. The right-hander didn’t start the season with the club, but the hope is that he won’t need to go back down to Triple-A with how well he is throwing the baseball this season. Palencia has pitched in 11 games this season and has a 1.38 ERA to pair with his 0.77 WHIP in 13.0 innings tossed.

The right-hander has a fastball that tops at 101 mph and can blow it by most hitters in the league. His main issue relies in his accuracy, but his walk numbers have been down drastically early into this season compared to the previous couple of years. Palencia pitched in 10 games with Chicago in 2024 and almost had as many walks (12) as strikeouts (16) in 14.2 innings of work. He relieved Colin Rea yesterday with two outs in the seventh inning and did not allow a run in 1.1 innings tossed. Palencia struck out two and walked one in the 5-2 victory.

The Chicago Cubs need Daniel Palencia to throw more breaking balls

Porter Hodge and Ryan Pressly were the eighth and ninth inning options for Chicago entering this season. Pressly has been a tough watch so far this season and Hodge has been mostly sharp with the exception of a couple of rough outings. There is no doubt that Chicago will need to add a couple of bullpen arms at the least when the deadline rolls around toward the end of the summer, but they’ll have to make it work in the meantime.

Palencia could be a guy that the coaching staff gives an opportunity to have a more prominent role in the stable. If he can be more consistent with locating his fastball and trust his splitter and slider more, the Cubs could utilize him big time down the stretch this summer. He has the arsenal to be an elite reliver, it’s just about putting everything together at the right time.

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Despite a rough past week for the Chicago Cubs, their starting pitching remained consistent like it has been all season long through early-May. Their rotation was the strongest part of their squad in 2024, but injuries have made that tough to follow this spring. Justin Steele went down for the season in mid-April and Shota Imanaga strained his hamstring in Milwaukee over a week ago, so depth has become an issue for the unit. The Cubs were able to take the opening game of the San Francisco series last Monday, which was the first of just two games that they won in that six-game stretch.

Chicago followed up their massive series opening victory by dropping three straight contests for the first time all season. It’s impressive that this was the first time that the team had done this in 2025, as they had a gauntlet that they needed to complete to begin the campaign. Out of there first 29 games of the year, 20 of the Cubs’ battles came against the Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks. They managed to stay above .500 in these games, as they went 11-9.

After Sunday’s loss at Citi Field, one the club’s more consistent starters this season spoke on how important it is for the rotation to take care of business this year.

Matthew Boyd stresses Chicago Cubs’ starters going deep into games

Following his start in the series finale against the Mets, Matthew Boyd spoke to the media about the importance of the current rotation going as deep into games as possible.

“That’s our job as a starter, it’s always important,” Boyd said. “The bullpen’s been amazing for us, and it doesn’t change what’s been happening. The bullpen’s been money for us and they’ve been doing a lot for us down there.”

The bullpen has received plenty of criticism so far this year after not being able to hold onto a handful of leads. While guys like Porter Hodge have been relatively consistent, there are still way more questions than answers in the stable as the summer nears. Boyd was sharp once again on Sunday, as he allowed just two runs in six innings for the second straight start. He now has a 3-2 record with a 2.78 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 45.1 innings tossed this year.

The Chicago Cubs’ could use some starting pitching depth

Even though Imanaga could be back around the beginning of June, the Cubs front office could look to add some depth in the rotation down the stretch. Names like Brad Keller and Sandy Alcantara have been floated around on the rumor mill, and either would be great additions to the current unit.

Alcantara has had a rough start to the 2025 campaign, so his price could be much more reasonable for Chicago to make a solid offer on now compared to what it would have been at the beginning of the year. Keller has been the definition of consistent for the Pirates since the 2021 season and has kept a clean bill of health in the process, making him another suitable candidate for the front office to pursue.

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The Chicago Cubs have made a few alterations to their pitching staff due to injuries. On Wednesday, Javier Assad was put on the 60-day injury list due to an oblique injury.

The most significant injury occurred to the starting rotation when Justin Steele suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, the second such surgery for the lefty since 2017.

On Wednesday, the Cubs called up Chris Flexen to take the place Colin Rea occupied earlier in the season.

Chicago Cubs’ replacement for Justin Steele has been hot recently

Rea has been pitching well recently, and Marquee Sports Network argued that he has been a solid replacement for Steele.

“Colin Rea has been phenomenal replacing Justin Steele in the rotation,” MSN posted on X.

Colin Rea has been phenomenal replacing Justin Steele in the rotation pic.twitter.com/IXQvlXrVOx

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 1, 2025

In his four starts this season, Rea has an ERA of 1.86. He’s earned 19 strikeouts and given up five walks in 19.1 innings pitched.

Rea was the Cubs’ starting pitcher during Thursday’s 8-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in front of 13,633 fans at PNC Park. He allowed two earned runs on four hits and recorded two strikeouts in six innings pitched.

Fans are excited about Colin Rea

Fans were excited about his play on Thursday.

“Colin Rea has the ability to put the other team to sleep Inning after inning he gets easy outs. He’s Melatonin on the mound The other team wakes up and it’s too late,” wrote a fan.

“Is it too early to say Colin Rea for Cy Young,” asked another.

Rea has appeared in several games for the Cubs this season. Before Thursday’s game, he had a 2-0 record with an ERA of 1.46. He’s given up 21 hits and four earned runs in 24.2 innings pitched.

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The post Chicago Cubs’ replacement for Justin Steele is turning heads appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs find themselves in a tough spot after elbow surgery ended the season for lefty ace, Justin Steele.

Replacing their most consistently excellent starter won’t be an easy task, although the team has continued to perform very well, despite his absence. Sooner or later, it’s believed that swing men and young, mostly unproven arms won’t be enough to fill that top-of-rotation spot.

But, for now, there seems to be no panic among the team, coaching, or the front office.

In part, that calmness has been fostered by the Cubs incredibly improved offense and its 6+ runs per game so far this season. The team’s defense has also been as shutdown good as expected. There’s been some encouragement, as well, from closer Ryan Pressly seemingly settling into his game-finishing role.

The Chicago Cubs’ Other Lefty Ace

Just as important as all of the above, perhaps, is the fact that the Cubs have another lefty ace putting up stellar top-of-rotation numbers.

Japanese stat Shota Imanaga has had an incredible sophomore year thus far, arguably even outshining in some ways his outstanding all-star rookie season, which he finished with a 15-3 record and a 2.91 ERA.

After five starts in 2025, Imanaga is 2-1, with a 2.22 ERA and an excellent ,988 WHIP.

There was a belief among many that the 31-year-old would be in for a more humbling sophomore season, with numbers more in line with a strong middle-of-rotation starter. However, as of this very early stage of the 2025 campaign, the former Yokohama DeNA BayStars standout looks similarly dazzling to last year.

Shota Imanaga Is On Fire

Jeremy Trottier of Sports Illustrated, using info culled from Baseball Savant, recently showcased the southpaw’s excellence and offered up a possible explanation for him staying ahead of the game.

Per Trottier:

“In terms of pitchers who have faced at least 100 batters this season, he ranks at the top of the list in swing percentage, with 56.4% of his pitches being swung at according to Baseball Savant. In addition, he is also generating high swing and miss numbers, with a 27.8% whiff rate, good for a tie at No. 24 among the same group of MLB pitchers.

The most intriguing part about this is why he has found so much success, and it heavily revolves around his utilization of the four-seam fastball.

This season his four-seamer is averaging 19.3 inches of induced vertical break (3.0 inches more than comparable pitches around the MLB) and 11.9 inches of induced horizontal break (3.9 inches more than comparable).

This type of movement allows him to rotate and mix his pitches to give similar looks with different ending points at the point of contact, which is something typically seen with the most elite pitchers in the league.”

The Importance Of Being Imanaga

All of this has contributed to Imanaga excelling at generating swings. Trottier theorizes that a technical tweak involving his arm angle has opened up more and varied movement for his pitches.

Whatever the case, Imanaga has become a superior asset coming out to start every fifth game. His stellar performances could not have come at a better time in the season, with the Cubs’ schedule filled with playoff-caliber teams and after having lost Steele for the year.

Of course, it’ll take more than one starting pitcher to push the Cubs forward as a playoff-serious team. But performances like Imanaga’s (and Matthew Boyd’s) can be contagious. The 25-year-old Ben Brown, for instance, has now turned in consecutive killer outings. Veteran Colin Rea has also been excellent.

Whether Chicago adds another elite-level starter or not, Imanaga’s presence will continue to be crucial to the Cubs’ success. So far, he has most definitely not disappointed.

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The Chicago Cubs had declared a front-of-rotation starter as their top priority very early into the offseason. But, for whatever reason, they were never able to pull the trigger on a high-profile trade or big ticket free agent acquisition.

Instead, they made a pair of calculated budget-minded acquisitions, working around the peripheral of their rotation.

The Cubs would sign rehabbed, rebuilt lefty Matthew Boyd to a 2-year, $29 million deal and veteran swing man Colin Rea for one year at $5 million.

So far, both pickups have proven to be smart, savvy acquisitions. However, not picking up a true ace-level starter meant that the Cubs would be headed into the 2025 season with almost no margin for error in the area of starting pitching.

And now, with the season-ending injury suffered to ace Justin Steele, that inability and/or unwillingness to add an impact starter seems to have come back to bite them on the proverbial rear end.

Offseason Decisions Have Come Back To Bite The Chicago Cubs

Former New York Mets GM Steve Phillips recently commented on the Cubs’ predicament in an interview on MLB Network Radio.

“He was 5th in Cy Young voting in 2023,” Phillips pointed out. “He’s an underrated ace of this staff. Now they’re going to have to find a way to navigate their way through it without him…This is a big blow for a team where there’s pressure to win.”

“You can have a much depth as you want, you can build depth to replace the numbers of pitchers but not the impact of pitcher,” Phillips continued. “You don’t have a number one starter to replace your number one starter. You’ll have to piece it together and everyone is going to have to give it a little bit more right now.”

There Was No Margin For Error

The Cubs’ “no margin for error” predicament wasn’t exactly a secret headed into the 2025 campaign. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, himself, touched on this reality in a late March Q & A with The Athletic.

Per Hoyer:

“The National League is really challenging and when I look at our team, we have to play to our projections or better. … That’s always the concern. We have to stay healthy. We have to have guys outperform expectations…I feel like for us, we don’t have a lot of margin for error. We need guys to improve, we need to stay healthy, we need to play clean baseball. I think that the way this team is built…postseason. We have to have a really good season to do that.”

Vulnerabilities Exposed, Realities Faced

That minuscule margin for error was especially present when looking at the starting rotation.

Coming into this season, the Cubs’ rotation was topped by Steele, who had shown some physical frailties at the end of 2024 and Shota Imanaga, who was heading into his sophomore season. Behind the front two, there was Jameson Taillon, who has been inconsistent in his first two years as a Cub, and the oft-injured free agent signee, Boyd, a starter who hadn’t pitched more than 78.2 innings in a single season since 2019. Competing for the fifth starter slot was sophomore Ben Brown, Javier Assad, the demoted Jordan Wicks, and swing man Rea.

There was certainly some degree of depth in the back-end of the rotation, but zero answers for what might happen if Steele or Imanaga went down.

Now, the Cubs have to face a worst case scenario and they’ll have to overpay in trade capital if they make the move to bring in a true replacement for Steele.

Rumors abound as to who they may target in a trade, but it’s most likely that such a deal would have to wait until around the trade deadline.

Until then, a minor free agent pickup, internal options, and a hefty dose of overachieving from the rest of the starters will have to suffice for the next three-and-a-half months or so.

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The Chicago Cubs received terrible news that one of their top left-handers, Justin Steele, will miss the rest of this season due to an elbow injury and require surgery.

The Cubs are playing great baseball, and not having Steele be an anchor in their rotation will hurt dearly, as the Cubs will have to find production elsewhere.

Thankfully the Cubs have a few internal options they can turn to, which should hold them over if they decide to trade for another starter at the trade deadline.

The most immediate option for the Chicago Cubs’ starting rotation

The Cubs have at least three options to choose to replace Steele in the rotation, even though the guys replacing Steele won’t provide the same level of production Steele would bring.

The first and most immediate option the Cubs have is right-hander Colin Rea. Rea was signed this off-season for something like this and could slide into the rotation for a few starts.

Rea has appeared in three games this season and has not allowed a run in any of his outings. His longest outing came against the Athletics in Sacramento, throwing 3.0 innings in a mop-up role.

For his career, Rea has made 76 career starts and a career ERA of 4.52. Rea will take the mound tonight for the Cubs when they play the Los Angeles Dodgers for the last game of the series.

A sign of one of the Cub’s top pitching prospects could get the call

Another option the Cubs have is promoting their top pitching prospect, Cade Horton.

Horton was a non-roster invite to spring training and pitched in three innings, with a 3.00 ERA in two games.

Horton is the Cub’s second-ranked prospect and is off to a hot start at Iowa, where he has a 1.23 ERA in 7.1 innings.

The 23-year-old Horton would’ve debuted last season if it hadn’t been for an injury that caused him to miss his whole season. The injury to Steele could provide an opening for Horton to get a chance to make his big league debut, as the Cubs could use another right-hander in their rotation.

One right-hander is working his way back

The last and most likely option to fill in for Steele will be right-hander Javier Assad.

Assad has been dealing with an oblique strain since the start of spring training and has been slowly progressing back to throwing in game situations.

The latest injury update on Assad is he pitched three innings out in Arizona on April 9th and will begin his rehab assignment with the Iowa Cubs on April 15th.

Assad beginning a rehab assignment is good news for the Cubs as it will give them another pitcher for their depth, but an experienced right-hander to plug into the rotation.

Assad made 29 starts for the Cubs last season, pitching to a 7-6 record and a 3.73 ERA in 147.0 innings.

The need for innings

Steele going down means one less arm to tackle taking down innings for this season, and will have to be found elsewhere from other guys.

These three provide good internal options, but the Cubs may not hesitate to make a move to get a high-level arm as the trade deadline gets closer.

Given they’re trying to make the playoffs for the first time in five seasons, that could be a possibility.

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The Chicago Cubs’ starting rotation has without a doubt been the most consistent part of their roster so far in the 2025 season. They are coming off a 16-0 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night where Ben Brown dazzled in his six innings of work as the team’s starter.

While every member of the rotation has put together a couple of solid starts this season, one of the organization’s frontline starters received some brutal news on Sunday.

Chicago Cubs announce that Justin Steele is out for the season

Craig Counsell made the fears of Cub fans official on Sunday when he announced that Steele will undergo season-ending surgery on his left elbow. The 29-year-old was placed on the injured list after his best start of the season on Monday against the Rangers, and things quickly went from bad to worse on the severity of his injury.

With the team off to a strong start and having aspirations to win the division, this is a crushing blow. Steele’s spot is up in the rotation for the Sunday night battle against the Dodgers and veteran right-hander Colin Rea has taken his place in the rotation for the time being.

It will be up to Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon to step up and fill Steele’s shoes for the rest of the season. Shota Imanaga continues to look like an ace, but it will take more than just his efforts to keep the franchise’s divisional title hopes intact.

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The Chicago Cubs entered into this past offseason with the stated goal of targeting front-of-rotation starting pitching.

There were several reason for that. Most notable is the hard, cold reality that a team– especially one with postseason aspirations– can never have too much pitching. It’s a long, long season and any number of things can happen to valuable arms. So, it’s always advisable to try and have more pitchers than one needs.

Despite their lofty rotation goal, however, the Cubs finished the offseason with only rehabbed lefty Matthew Boyd added to the starting staff, along with swing man Colin Rea.

And now, with just a handful of games under their belt, the Cubs have run into their first starting pitching issue as ace left-hander Justin Steele had to be placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow tendonitis, the same injury that sent him to the IL last September.

Justin Steele Goes Down

Cubs manager Craig Counsell seemed cautiously optimistic about the injury, even with an MRI planned for Thursday.

“We’re gonna take the conservative route here,” Counsell told reporters. “He had symptoms of an injury that he experienced last year. For that reason, rather than have him focus on his next start, I think it’s best to back off that and make sure he recovers in a good place. (We’re) hoping it’s the minimum and he can be ready to go in a couple of weeks.”

Frustratingly, the injury came after Steele’s best outing of the young season, allowing only 3 hits over 7 shutout innings in Monday’s 7-0 win over the Rangers, in a brutally frigid Wrigley Field.

The Cubs will benefit from having four games off over the next couple of weeks, allowing the rotation to operate in 4-man mode for most of that time. Rea has reportedly been designated the fifth starter when needed.

But plans do need to be made if Steele’s injury is more extensive.

A Steele Replacement Via Trade

One of the quickest paths to rotation insurance is via trade.

Major trades this early in the season are fairly rare, but there are some quality arms out there that seem destined to eventually be fodder at the trade deadline. A deal could be pushed forward under the right circumstances and for the right price.

Baseball media voices have jumped on the “insurance for Steele” story and have been tossing out possible trade targets for the Cubs. The names range from Zac Gallen of the Arizona Diamondbacks to Taijuan Walker of the Philadelphia Phillies to Bobby Miller of the Los Angeles Dodgers. There are also the ever-present calls to explore deals for either Dylan Cease or Michael King from the San Diego Padres.

None of those proposed trades seem too realistic at this point of the season, though.

The Chicago Cubs’ Other Options

Another backup plan for an injured Steele is via minor league call-up of top prospect Cade Horton or recently demoted Cubs Jordan Wicks and Keegan Thompson.

While the talent is deep at Triple-A, it would probably be unwise to call up Horton at this stage of a year coming back from injury. Re-adding former big leaguers from the Iowa Cubs would also be more of a temporary stopgap than a long-term fix.

A third backup-to-Steele option for the Cubs is to just be patient.

Javier Assad is not too far away from his first rehab assignment and could be worked into a Steele-less rotation. Rea is also a stable, albeit unspectacular, replacement. Brad Keller could be given a try in the rotation as well.

For now, there’s no need to go into full panic mode about Steele. But, still, preparing for the worst would be smart.

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The Chicago Cubs starting rotation has gotten off to a strong start in the 2025 season as the team is currently holding a 1.5 game lead in the NL Central. Jameson Taillon was the latest arm to have success in another quality start on Tuesday against the Rangers. The right-hander went six innings and allowed three runs on five hits while striking out six in the Cubs’ 10-6 victory.

With only a couple of starts in the first 14 games of the season being hiccups for the staff, things have been clicking on all cylinders. Unfortunately for the Cubs, they have hit their first pitching roadblock of the campaign due to injury.

Chicago Cubs place Justin Steele on the 15-Day IL

Steele was officially placed on the 15-day IL on Wednesday with left elbow tendinitis. Right-handed reliever Ethan Roberts has been called up to take Steele’s spot on the roster prior to Wednesday’s series finale at Wrigley Field against the Rangers.

Steele’s last start was his strongest of the season so far. He went seven scoreless innings in the win over Texas on Monday night, as he struck out eight and only walked two batters. He has a 3-1 record on the season with a 4.76 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in four starts. Colin Rea could be the next man up in Chicago’s rotation to take Steele’s spot until he is fully recovered.

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The Chicago Cubs are coming into the 2025 season with what appears to be an upgraded starting rotation.

That’s a pretty significant achievement since the team’s 2024 starting pitching was just about the only thing that stayed consistently good from opening to closing day. With a combined ERA of 3.79, the Cubs’ staff ranked tenth in the majors at the end of the 2024 campaign.

Chicago’s stated goal headed into the offseason was to target a front-of-rotation starting pitcher to further bolster the team’s strength. That objective was seriously questioned, however, when they refused to even make a play at any of the high-end starting pitching free agents and also failed to pull the trigger on a trade to pick up such an arm.

The Chicago Cubs Upgraded Their Starting Rotation

The Cubs did sign free agent Matthew Boyd to a 2-year, $29 million contract. It was the team’s first major move of the offseason and, ultimately, their only significant starting rotation move.

The 34-year-old Boyd is an upgrade from the outgoing veteran Kyle Hendricks, possessing the stuff and the mindset of a front-of-rotation starter unfortunately limited by a historically fragile arm.

In his 2024 with the Cleveland Guardians, the southpaw pitched extremely well after coming back from Tommy John surgery in 2023. He posted a 2.72 ERA in eight regular season starts. He also impressed in the playoffs, giving up just one earned run in 11.2 innings over three starts.

This year, he joins a returning Cubs rotation consisting of Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and a fifth starter slot in play for Ben Brown, Colin Rea, Brad Keller, Jordan Wicks, or the currently injured Javier Assad.

Matthew Boyd Has High Praise For Cubs Rotation

Boyd, who is slated to start Game 4 of the Cubs’ domestic opening series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, recently had high praise for the Cubs starters, calling the staff one of the deepest crews he’s been on in his decade-long career.

“It’s a lot of talent, and talent beyond the five (starters),” he told The Chicago Tribune. “It’s one through nine, if you will. There are a lot of guys that can start that are super-talented. It’s one of the deepest rotations I’ve been on and the most talented. We all have our unique looks and unique ways to attack hitters.”

There is definitely depth when it comes to Cubs starting pitching. There are legitimately nine or ten pitchers who can man those five rotation slots, even with Wicks starting the season in the minors and Assad on the IL. If the front four of the rotation holds strong, that depth will be especially felt as there will then be several arms competing for just one rotation slot.

There Are Plenty Of Questions, Though

It should also be noted, though, that there are plenty of questions concerning the Cubs rotation and several possible ways things could go sideways.

Will the Wrigley Field winds that made the park so pitcher-friendly in 2024, start to blow out in 2025, suddenly making fly ball pitcher Imanaga significantly less successful? Will Taillon regress to poor 2023 form after a bounce back 2024 season? Will Boyd, who’s totaled just 275 innings pitched over the last five seasons and hasn’t pitched more than 100 innings in a single season since 2019, stay healthy over the long haul?

The names are certainly there for Chicago, but there is also some insecurity.

There’s a reason why the Cubs front office had been trying to bring another starting pitcher into the fold and, reportedly, are still trying to do so.

But, for now, everyone will cross their fingers and hope that what’s currently on paper– and what Boyd sees– translates to what plays out on the field.

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The Chicago Cubs regular season roster beginning next Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks will look different than it did in Japan when they faced the Dodgers. They will enter play at Chase Field still in search of their first victory of the campaign as they lost both of their battles in the Tokyo Dome.

The fifth spot in the starting rotation has been up for grabs for most of camp and not a single candidate budged at any point while the team was in Mesa. The competition has been between Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and veteran right-hander Colin Rea. Brown made his debut in the first week of the 2024 season while Wicks has spent time with the club in both 2023 and 2024. Rea spent the previous two years with Milwaukee before signing a contract with the Cubs this past offseason.

Chicago’s front office made two moves on Thursday that have a major impact on the pitching staff next week in Arizona. One that alters the competition for the fifth spot in the rotation, and the other is a shocking send-down from the bullpen.

Chicago Cubs send Eli Morgan and Jordan Wicks to Iowa

Per reports, Wicks and Morgan will begin the year in Iowa where they will open up their season at home against the Omaha Storm Chasers on March 28. Morgan was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians in November and was seen as a legitimate option to be a solid middle-of-the-bullpen guy in 2025. There is still plenty of reason for him to be just that, but he will have to work his way up in Iowa to get to that spot.

Morgan appeared in five Spring Training games for the Cubs and had a 3.18 ERA in those outings. He tossed 5.2 innings and had an impressive 0.71 WHIP before being sent down. The right-hander was excellent in 2024 with the Guardians in 42.0 innings. He made 32 appearances and finished the season with a 1.93 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP.

Jordan Wicks’ future with the Chicago Cubs could be in question

Wicks was a first-round draft for Chicago out of Kansas State in 2021. He battled injury in 2024 but still appeared in 11 games while making 10 starts. The lefty had a 5.48 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP in 48.0 innings. Wicks was not as effective last year as he was in his debut season in 2023. He made seven starts and had a 4-1 record for a Cubs team that closed out the year with 83 wins.

Despite being a former top prospect, Wicks has not shown enough in a smaller sample size to give the Cubs a reason to place him on the roster moving forward. It appears that the coaching staff likes Rea and Brown more, leaving Wicks out to dry. The southpaw will be 26 years old at the end of the season, so his time is certainly ticking on how much longer the organization could keep him around.

If Wicks can reactivate his changeup and make it the weapon in his arsenal like it used to be, he will have a fighting chance to be a member of the staff at some point this year. He has stuff that can play at the big league level, it’s all about putting everything together and staying consistent when he gets his next opportunity.

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The Chicago Cubs have wrapped up their two exhibition contests in Tokyo and there were plenty of positive takeaways from both games. Despite the team being shutout in the first matchup 3-0 by the Hanshin Tigers, everyone got the work out of the bullpen as a way to knock off the rust before Tuesday’s season opener against the Dodgers.

Projected closer Ryan Pressly tossed a scoreless second frame and right-handed flamethrower Nate Pearson impressed as well. The former Toronto Blue Jay punched out a pair in a scoreless inning of his own after having a rough transition to the Cubs when he was acquired during the 2024 campaign.

The Cubs being held without a run in the first game was not ideal, but the bats came alive in game two. In a 4-2 victory over the Yomiuri Giants, all runs from both squads were plated in the fifth inning. Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled and rookie Matt Shaw collected a two-run single with the bases loaded.

Two members of the starting rotation combined for 8.1 frames of excellent work against the Giants, and one arm had high praise for the other entering the season.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd deemed an “x-factor”

Jameson Taillon got the nod for Chicago against the Giants and went 4.1 frames. He allowed four hits and an earned run while walking a pair. Taillon punched out four batters and looked sharp in his lone outing overseas this year. When talking to the media after the game, Taillon had great things to say about new left hander Matthew Boyd who tossed the final four innings in the victory.

“He’s pretty nasty. I think if he’s healthy, he’s an x-factor for us this year.”

Jameson Taillon on Matt Boyd. pic.twitter.com/pC4xDRRhTf

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) March 16, 2025

Boyd allowed three hits in his scoreless outing and did not walk anyone. The southpaw punched out six in what could be his lone appearance out of the bullpen this season. Chicago inked Boyd to a two-year contract back in December which will pay him nearly $15 million per season.

Boyd spent most of the 2024 season rehabbing from injury, but he looked extremely sharp when he returned to the mound. He tossed 39.2 regular season innings and made eight starts with the Cleveland Guardians. Boyd finished the year with a 2-2 record and a 2.72 ERA to pair with his 1.13 WHIP.

The veteran has proved that he can be a solid asset to any rotation as long as he can stay on the field. Chicago’s starting pitching was by far the strongest and most consistent aspect of their team a year ago. The addition of Boyd shows that the Cubs front office knows the team needs a similar level of success out of their rotation if they want to make a run at the NL Central crown this year.

It will take more than Matthew Boyd in the Chicago Cubs rotation

Shota Imanaga was incredible for the Cubs in 2024 in his first big league season. While him and Justin Steele will serve as the one-two punch yet again this year, it will be hard for Imanaga to replicate his dominance from a year ago. On the flipside, Steele had a down year in 2024 compared to his stellar 2023 campaign, so him getting back to form could even things out.

Boyd and Taillon will hold down the third and fourth spots in the rotation which will be much more significant than ever before. Taillon’s second year as a Cub a season ago was a breath of fresh air compared to 2023 and the coaching staff is hoping that he can be similar to that version of himself this season.

The competition for the fifth spot in the rotation is still in full swing and it should be figured out after the Cubs return back to the states. It appears that the final two candidates are Ben Brown and Colin Rea, with Jordan Wicks on the outside looking in.

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The Chicago Cubs are slowly getting their roster together to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Japan for the Tokyo series on March 18-19.

The Cubs have a couple of interesting positional battles happening in camp that will likely come to a head in the coming days.

One of those battles that has proven to be the most interesting to follow is the fight for the fifth spot in the starting rotation.

Chicago Cubs’ probable rotation

The Cubs have Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele leading the staff as their Ace and number two. Both will be the Game 1 and 2 starters over in Japan.

Following the Cubs, two high-quality lefties are Jameson Taillon, who occupies the third spot, and Matt Boyd in the fourth spot in the rotation. Since the Cubs have the first four spots locked in, the only remaining question is who will occupy the fifth spot?

There are three leading candidates for the job: Colin Rea, Ben Brown, and Jordan Wicks. Brown looks to be the man for the job, even though he’s had a shakey spring.

Brown is the leading candidate

The 25-year-old right-hander has been up and down in his three appearances this spring, with a 1-1 record with a 6.75 ERA, but has nine strikeouts in 8.0 innings pitched.

In a recent episode of Northside Territory, Cubs Insider and columnist with The Athletic Patrick Mooney stated that Brown has the best chance to be the Cub’s fifth starter. When asked by a fan if Brown or Wicks would be the guy, Mooney stated that he “would be shocked” if Wicks made the trip to Japan.

Mooney added that Brown has “flashed” more “stuff” this spring than Wicks has, and that brings more “impact” to the roster.

Brown was impressive in his 15 appearances (eight starts) last season for the Cubs before he went down with a neck injury. In those 15 games, Brown pitched to a 1-3 with a 3.58 ERA in 55.1 innings. The young right-hander also had a nice FIP and WHIP of 3.11 and 1.084.

Wicks has options

Wicks, as Mooney said, will start the season in Iowa and is likely the next player to be sent down, given he still has three minor-league options available. Mooney’s colleague at The Athletic and co-host on the show, Sahadev Sharma, said that he couldn’t see Wicks coming out of the bullpen, and would be better served getting innings down on the farm.

“I would not see Wicks coming out of the bullpen, I think he’s willing to do whatever is needed and what is asked of him, but I think you don’t open the season with him in the bullpen. It’s either rotation or Iowa rotation.”

Wicks this spring has been great, pitching to a 3.86 ERA and five strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

It’s good to have options

Brown has the potential to be more than a fifth starter as he progresses through his career, but this is a great place to start.

The Cubs have plenty of options to mix and match in the starting rotation if an injury happens.

The Cubs have a solid rotation forming to start the season, and having Brown fill it out is a nice “cherry on top” to finish it off.

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The Chicago Cubs have an additional drama working its way through this spring training. They need to come up with a new fifth starter.

Javier Assad, last season’s rotation mainstay and favorite for the fifth starter slot this season, is dealing with an oblique strain that will keep him from starting the season in the Cubs’ rotation. That reality has created the need to find someone else for a rotation that also boasts Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Matthew Boyd.

Javier Assad Will Not Make The Opening Day Roster

The truth is, though, that Assad was not necessarily a lock for that fifth starter spot, anyway. The 27-year-old may have been the favorite after a season that saw him register a 3.73 ERA in 29 games and 147 innings, but there was considerable competition for the final rotation spot coming into spring training and Assad was not a sure thing to make the starting five.

In the offseason, names such as Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, Cody Poteet, and top pitching prospect Cade Horton were named as possible fifth men in addition to Assad. The free agent signing of veteran Colin Rea also added a name to the list of potential contenders for the role.

Fans Decide On Chicago Cubs Fifth Starter

A recent fan poll conducted by MLB Trade Rumors, before Assad was ruled out of making the opening day roster, shows that the fans believe someone other than Assad will be the Cubs’ fifth starter headed into the 2025 campaign.

According to the poll that registered 4,419 participants, Rea is the favorite to make the back-end of the rotation with 27.54% of the vote. He’s followed by Assad with 25.98%. After that, Ben Brown came in with 22.79%, Wicks got 16.02%, and “someone else” got 7.67%.

Possibilities

It’s actually not much of a surprise that the 34-year-old Rea would be considered the favorite to take the final rotation spot. The six-year veteran most recently pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers, with two of those seasons coming directly under the watch of Cubs manager and former Brewers manager Craig Counsell. The familiarity factor, alone, would seem to make Rea a favorite in the race for pitching time.

Rea has never been blow-away great, with a less-than-stellar 4.57 career ERA in 94 total games, but he’s been solid enough as a reliable innings eater. Originally thought to be signed on his one-year, $5 million deal as a swing man, there was always the possibility that he’d find some rotation work at some point in the season.

The fan poll runner-up, Brown, might be the long-term answer when it comes to being a starting rotation asset. The 6-foot-6 right-hander showed outstanding stuff last season, at times overpowering hitters, before a persistent neck injury shut down his season.

Up until the injury, Brown had delivered a 3.58 ERA in 55.1 innings, including a 3.23 ERA in eight starts. The 25-year-old had been given full medical clearance this offseason to resume training and has pitched 4.1 innings this spring.

The 25-year-old lefty Wicks, meanwhile, has shown flashes of brilliance, but, hampered by injury, has never delivered fully on his promise. Last season, he posted a 5.48 ERA in eleven games (ten starts). Wicks’ most likely role on the Cubs will be as a long reliever, with emergency starter capability.

Other possibilities for the fifth starter spot exist, as well as the possibility that the Cubs may make a deal for another arm at some point in the season. There’s also the distinct reality that another starter may fall from the rotation at some point, necessitating another backup to move up.

As is always the case in baseball, anything can happen and the Cubs will just have to prepare themselves for the unexpected.

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The Chicago Cubs have had a respectable spring training so far and are slowly getting themselves ready to start the regular season.

The Cubs have dwindled their roster down to 54 players after sending four players to Triple-A Iowa, with more cuts set to come in the next few weeks.

Entering camp, the Cubs had a few of their players banged up, with the most notable names being Matt Shaw and Javier Assad.

According to manager Craig Counsell, Assad will likely start the season on the injured list. Assad’s absence will free up a spot in the rotation for other players on the active roster to seize the opportunity.

The open spot in the Chicago Cubs rotation

With Assad starting the season on the injured list, it frees up an opportunity for others to fill the void. Players like Colin Rea, Ben Brown, and Jordan Wicks all have chances to take the fifth spot in the rotation, with a potential for a sixth spot to open up with the Cubs possibly implementing a six-man rotation.

Rea and Brown would be considered the front-runners for the job, with Rea having a slight edge over Brown with him being the veteran. The 34-year-old Rea signed a one-year deal with the Cubs in the offseason. Rea brings six years of big-league experience and 76 career starts.

Rea has the inside edge

Rea has the inside edge to take the fifth spot after coming off the best season of his career last season. The Indiana State University product spent the past three seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, with a brief stopover in Japan for the 2022 season.

In his three seasons with the Brewers, Rea put up decent numbers. Pitching to an 18-12 with a 4.46 ERA with 250 strikeouts in 298.1 innings, Rea had the best season of his career thus far last year. In 167.2 innings, the 6-5 right-hander, in 27 starts, had a 12-6 record with a 4.29 ERA.

Rea has six pitches in his arsenal, which could help him be an effective starter. Rea throws three different types of fastballs, a four-seamer (19%), a sinker (31%), and a cutter (19%), with a sweeper (17%), a splitter (9%), and a curveball (4%) in reserve. Rea’s 35-degree arm angle makes him more effective at getting sink, ride, and cut on his pitches.

So far this spring, Rea has proven to be the leading candidate, pitching to a 2-1 record with a 1.93 ERA in 4.2 innings. If he keeps this up, he certainly will in the job.

Brown

Brown could overtake Rea to win the fifth spot, but if there is, in fact, a sixth spot, Brown would be the guy to capture it. The 25-year-old hasn’t had the best spring, having a 6.23 ERA in two appearances.

Browns’ season got cut short last year after having a neck injury, and he looks to bounce back and become a may-stay in the rotation. In 15 games for the Cubbies, eight being starts, Brown had a record of 1-3 with a 3.58 ERA in 55.1 innings pitched. In that short span, Brown displayed his ability to have elite strikeout stuff by striking out 64 batters, which is good enough for a 10.4 strikeout per nine.

Brown enters camp looking to up the use of his changeup, which could help him be a more effective starter. Having an above-average fastball and a nasty knuckle curve, adding a changeup could take Browns game to the next level.

Wicks

The Cubs have three lefties in their rotation, with Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, and Matt Boyd currently occupying spots in the rotation. The 25-year-old left-hander didn’t have the best season in 2024, pitching to a 5.48 ERA in 45.0 innings.

The Cubs need another left-handed option out of the bullpen, with Caleb Thielbar being the lead option. Wicks could occupy that role and be a valuable weapon for the Cubs this season. Wicks has been good this spring, having a 3.86 ERA in two outings.

Options to choose from

The Cubs, thankfully, enter the season with a good amount of starting pitching depth.

You can never have enough starting pitching in baseball, and the Cubs certainly have that in spades.

With the season fast approaching, hopefully, the Cubs can stay healthy and put on a show in Japan for when they travel there to play in the Tokyo Series.

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Chicago Cubs pitcher Colin Rea made his his spring training debut on Sunday, February 23.  The right-handed pitcher signed a one year, $5.0 million deal during the off-season.  During his first outing of 2025, he deployed a new pitch that he may be adding to his already extensive arsenal.

Colin Rea overview 

Formerly a Cub in 2020, 35 year old Colin Rea also played under current Chicago manager Craig Counsell from 2021-2023 with the Brewers.  Rea found his footing in 2023 and was steady again for Milwaukee in 2024 as over the past two seasons he has had ERA’s of 4.55 and 4.29 while throwing 124 and 167 innings.

Instead of paying Rea $5.5 million in 2025, the Brewers elected to place him on waivers this off-season.  He went unclaimed and signed with the Cubs.  With Chicago he can operate both as a starting pitcher or swing man out of the bullpen.

Pitch arsenal 

According to baseball savant, Rea throws the kitchen sink at batters.  Statcast had him throwing six different pitches in 2024 that includes a sinker, cutter, four seam fastball, sweeper, split finger changeup, and curveball.  The sinker was his most used pitch at 31%.

Colin Rea deployed a new pitch during his Chicago Cubs debut

Of the pitches Rea throws, one missing is the slider.  According to Marquee Sports Network, he is tinkering with one and threw a bunch of them during his debut on Sunday.  The slider is intended to have more downward movement and velocity than his sweeper.

It will be interesting to see if Rea continues to use the slider throughout spring training and if it becomes a regular pitch for him during the season.

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The Chicago Cubs have been on a roller coaster ride when it comes to their bullpen.

In the first half of last season, the bullpen’s full-on collapse was almost comically awful. But it was no laughing matter for the team or its fans when the failings of the relief corps helped put the Cubs in such a hole that it was, ultimately, a season killer before they ever even had a real chance to contend.

Manager Craig Counsell, however, did lead an almost miraculous second-half comeback and, down the stretch, the Cubs bullpen earned recognition as one of the better relief staffs in the league.

Headed into the 2025 season, the Cubs front office focused on bullpen depth to prevent the early struggles of last season, where injury and under-performance doomed postseason promise.

Here’s a look at where that bullpen stands as spring training starts to really kicks off

Chicago Cubs Bullpen Locks

The Cubs acquired former Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly in a steal of a deal, with Houston even picking up $5.5 million of the veteran’s $14 million salary. The 36-year-old Pressly is no guarantee to settle in as a shutdown closer at this stage of his career, but he’ll definitely get first dibs on the gig.

The 23-year-old Porter Hodge, who performed well as the Cubs’ late-season closer last year, will be the team’s setup man and emergency closer replacement. His 1.88 ERA in 43 innings showcases the promise he has as a future bullpen ace.

Newcomers Eli Morgan, Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Brasier, and Colin Rea were not brought in to NOT play key bullpen roles and they’ll get their shots to serve as key components.

High-performing holdovers Tyson Miller and Nate Pearson should have favored status headed into 2025. Expect Luke Little to get a long look as one of the few left-handed bullpen options on the roster.

Any other bullpen pieces will come from failed fifth starters and minor league call-ups.

Options Limit Options

The Cubs face some tough roster decisions in their bullpen headed into 2025, not only because of the surplus of available arms, but because of the limited options attached to certain key relief pieces.

Keegan Thompson and Julian Merryweather (as well as bullpen guarantees Pressly, Brasier, Rea, Miller, and Thielbar) are out of options and would have to be designated for assignment and passed through waivers if the decision were made to send them to the minors for whatever reason.

This handcuffs the team greatly in terms of bullpen flexibility and will most likely result in someone being traded, who otherwise would not have been traded.

The team has already had to part ways with newcomers Rob Zastryzny and Matt Festa due to roster overflow before either even stepped foot into training camp.

More Acquisitions?

It’s not out of the question, despite the talent overflow and the abundance of relief arms, that the Cubs could add a name or two before too long.

Former Cubs David Robertson and Andrew Chafin are still on the market as free agents and would make for good fits in the Chicago bullpen. Chafin as a left-hander, especially, would make sense since the team’s only lefty 40-man roster bullpen options are Thielbar, Little, and Jordan Wicks. The 34-year-old Chafin could slot in nicely as the team’s southpaw setup man, serving alongside right-handed counterpart Hodge.

At least on paper, the 2025 Cubs bullpen looks deep and strong, with plenty of backup in case things start to go sideways, like last season.

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The Chicago Cubs front office is still looking to add any arms they find suitable to join the pitching staff with the team already in camp. After having a strong overall season in 2024, the starting rotation will be leaned on heavily once again as the organization looks to chase down the NL Central crown for the first time in five years.

The bullpen has been a major point of emphasis for the organization this offseason, and they’ve addressed it in the ways that they have needed to. Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea have joined the starting rotation already this offseason on short-term deals.

Jed Hoyer is known for inking as many minor league deals as possible once camp gets underway and that will be something to pay attention to over the next couple of weeks. Another arm was brought aboard on a minor league deal Monday night, and he won’t have to move too far if he makes the Cubs Opening Day roster.

Chicago Cubs sign Chris Flexen to a minor league deal

The Cubs and Chris Flexen officially agreed to terms on a minor league contract ahead of the 2025 season. He spent the 2024 campaign with the White Sox where he made 30 starts in 33 total appearances. Flexen finished the year with a 3-15 record and a 4.95 ERA on the worst team in the modern era. His 160.0 innings tossed proved that he can be a reliable option and durable when needed.

Flexen’s best season at the big league level came in 2021 with the Mariners. He posted a 14-6 record with a 3.61 ERA in 31 starts. Flexen threw 179.2 frames that season and finished with a solid 1.25 WHIP. The veteran will serve as depth for the Cubs as Spring Training gets into full swing and he will definitely receive opportunities to prove himself to Craig Counsell’s staff.

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The Chicago Cubs have developed a reputation for being conservative and frugal in their talent acquisitions, eschewing big names and big contracts for budget buys and calculated low-risk/high-reward movements.

This year in Cubs history, however, the team has done some very “un-Cubs-y” things.

On the record as being “all in” when it comes to making the playoffs this coming season, the Cubs front office has participated in some big-time gambling when it comes to 2025 and what may remain when it comes to their postseason viability immediately afterward.

The Chicago Cubs Have Made Some Bold Moves

The trade for Houston Astros all-star outfielder Kyle Tucker was a bold move. Acquiring a much-needed impact player cost the team third baseman Isaac Paredes, promising right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and top prospect Cam Smith.

Most daring in this Tucker deal was the fact that the 28-year-old may turn out to be only a one-year rental. The multi-tool player will become a free agent after the 2025 campaign and could command a multi-year contract in excess of $300 million– a price that, historically, would seem to be too rich for Cubs ownership.

Before Tucker, though, was the decision to sign free agent left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd to a two-year deal worth $29 million. The oft-injured Boyd, who just returned late last season from Tommy John surgery, was signed based off of just a handful of solid appearances after returning to active duty.

Most recently, the Cubs again knocked on the Astros’ door, this time targeting their former closer and current setup man, Ryan Pressly, for a trade.

The 36-year-old Pressly was a relative steal, only costing the Cubs an A-ball pitching prospect. The Astros even agreed to cover $5.5 million of Pressly’s $14 million contract.

However, like Tucker, Pressly will become a free agent at the end of the 2025 season and will likely be a one-year rental for the team.

Similarly, free agent pickups LHP Caleb Thielbar, ultility man John Berti, and RHP Colin Rea are one-year acquisitions (although the Cubs have a team option on Rea for 2026).

“Win Now”

All of this means, that no matter how well the Cubs do this coming season, they will likely enter into 2026 without their star right fielder, their closer, and a few other assets.

That’s a pretty risky “win now” gambit for a team not necessarily known for taking risks.

Some have speculated that this risk-taking behavior comes as a result of Jed Hoyer’s contract status.

Jed Hoyer’s Job At Stake?

Hoyer, the Cubs’ president of baseball operations, is up for contract renewal at the end of this coming season and it’s not guaranteed that ownership will renew him. Although a big part of the administration that helped build the Cubs’ 2016 World Series team and key in rebuilding their farm system, Hoyer has yet to guide the team to the postseason in four years as the top dog in the Cubs’ front office.

For what it’s worth, Hoyer insists that his moves this year have no relation to his job status next year.

“It’s not going to change any decisions we make,” Hoyer recently told the Chicago Sun-Times. “That’s what people always ask. ‘You’re in the last year, are you guys going to do things differently?’ It’s like, of course not. That’s not my job.

“This is about the fans. This is about Chicago. This is about the Cubs. These things are so much bigger than me. I’m not going to make decisions that impact a city or a fan base based on my self interest.”

Still, the Cubs seem aggressively “all in” this year. The patience for letting their young stars rise and take matters into their own hands has made way for some “win now” pragmatism, with the much-needed rebuild taking place somewhat beneath the surface.

For fans eager to get the Cubs back into the postseason picture, this is good news. Long-term, though, time will tell if the gamble on 2025 was worth what the team had to give up for that roll of the dice.

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The Chicago Cubs lost out on Tanner Scott, the best available closer in this offseason’s free agency class, reportedly coming up just a few million short of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ winning offer.

But the Cubs’ pursuit of a shutdown closer shouldn’t end with Scott.

The Chicago Cubs Bullpen, Future and Present

There are a couple of remaining high-end closers still available, such as Carlos Estevez and Kirby Yates. There’s also the possibility of trading for a closer. The San Diego Padres’ Robert Suarez has been a name brought up by a few media analysts.

There’s also the distinct possibility that the Cubs front office may pull back on making any big deals and, instead, opt for a smaller piece or two to add to the bullpen mix.

So far this offseason, the Cubs have acquired right-handers Eli Morgan and Cody Poteet via trade from the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees, respectively. They also picked up veteran lefty Caleb Thielbar and veteran righty Colin Rea via free agency.

An Under-The-Radar Post-Tanner Scott Target

One final piece, as suggested by Jordan Llanes of Clutch Points could be the 34-year-old Paul Sewald.

The veteran reliever, who has worked as both a set-up man and closer, is coming off a down year with the Arizona Diamondbacks where he finished with a 4.31 ERA and posted 16 saves, but he’s only one year removed from delivering back-to-back 30+ save seasons with an ERA in the low 3s.

Per Llanes:

“Paul Sewald has had experience closing games with the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks and has pitched in October. He did have a bit of a down year in 2024, but he still saved 16 games and struck over a batter an inning. For the next couple of seasons, he’d be a solid addition to the backend of the Cubs’ bullpen. For a team stocked with talent but short on experience, Sewald would be a savvy pickup on a two-year deal.

The right-hander could be the closer, or setup man for Porter Hodge. Counsell and Hoyer would likely hope for the second scenario, as it means that Hodge has seized the closing role, and he has a capable deputy in Sewald. They’ve already brought on board a couple of other relievers in free agency, so Sewald wouldn’t be too much of a stretch here. Having a strong bullpen would certainly help the Cubs in their pursuit of October glory. The former Diamondback could be an underrated but key pickup for the North Siders.”

It Makes Sense For Both Parties

Sewald had been talking a lot in the offseason about the Dodgers and possibly finding a gig with that powerhouse crew. With their acquisition of Scott, however, they may have no need for the eight-year veteran. He would now do well to pivot to his backup plan– finding a place where he has a path to becoming a closer and re-entering the free agent marketplace in 2026, asking for closer money.

Chicago, with a history of rebuilding, re-polishing veterans and currently in need of a veteran closer, may be the ideal landing spot for Sewald.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report has estimated that Sewald could be signed on a one-year, $7 million deal. This would be a price in line with what the Cubs might be expected to spend for what amounts to a rental player looking for a comeback year before re-exploring free agency.

At the very least, the Cubs could take a look at Sewald as a co-closer, along with the 23-year-old Porter Hodge. One more bullpen arm never hurts.

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The Chicago Cubs front office and coaching staff have been making it known that the team is not done building their 2025 team.

The frustration from fans is evident as time drags on and high-end impact pieces remain available on the free agency market.

There are several areas where the Cubs would like to improve this offseason. They’ve been vocal about targeting another quality starting pitcher. They’ve also been actively targeting infield depth, as well as catching depth.

The Chicago Cubs Need A Closer

One big target for improvement, however, should be in the bullpen, where the Cubs lack a true, proven shutdown closer.

Last season, 23-year-old Porter Hodge did well in that role over the last part of the season, saving 9 in 39 games and posting an impressive 1.88 ERA. But way too many winnable games were lost in 2024, late in the game, because the bullpen just couldn’t shut the door. A team that hopes to make a playoff run needs to have an established presence in the closer role and Hodge, coming off a good rookie campaign, isn’t that man right now.

Chicago has already added Cleveland Guardians’ Eli Morgan via trade and Caleb Thielbar and Colin Rea via free agency, as well as some other depth pieces. One would assume that the middle of the bullpen is pretty much set. The only thing missing, now, is the closer.

Hottovy Confirms Closer Target

In an appearance on the Mully and Haugh Show on 670 The Score Wednesday morning, Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy pretty much confirmed that the team will be picking up that closer.

“I love that we’re at January 15th, and it’s like, ‘Who’s the closer?” Hottovy asked. “I think if we sat here today and said our team is a finished product, we’d be doing us and everybody else a disservice. We’re still very active in trying to raise our floor, especially in the bullpen.”

So, that just leaves the open question of who the Cubs will pursue.

Who Will The Cubs Bring Aboard?

Free agents Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, Kyle Finnegan, and Kenley Jansen are still available. Fans and media have theorized about all of these possible closers for the team, but there’s been no real buzz about the Cubs exploring deals with any of them. Of the available closers, Scott is probably the best and most reliable, but he’ll also carry the highest price tag and will be looking for a multi-year deal.

There’s also the possibility of a closer coming via trade.

Not too long ago, a writer proposed a deal with the San Diego Padres that would bring in Padres closer Robert Suarez for a package that includes a prospect and a majors-ready young arm, such as Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, or Ben Brown.

Suarez would be a one-year rental since he becomes a free agent at the end of the 2025 season, but he would be a quick fix for a big problem that the team may not want to solve via big-ticket free agent acquisition. Chicago, this year especially, has kicked the tires on trades for talent rather than pursue additions on the open market, even though they do have the payroll space right now to dip into free agency more freely.

Whatever the case, it seems clear that the Cubs WILL add the shutdown closer they need ahead of the 2025 season. It’s just a matter of who they decide to target and when they pull the trigger. Pitchers and catchers report to Arizona in less than a month.

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The Chicago Cubs signed free agent pitcher Matthew Boyd this offseason to a two-year, $29 million deal. It was the first significant move the team made in preparation of their stated “all in” 2025 push towards postseason play.

And even right now, the signing of the soon-to-be 34-year-old Boyd ranks as the team’s second biggest offseason acquisition, behind their trade for Houston Astros star Kyle Tucker.

Adding Boyd to a rotation that already had Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and Javier Assad seemed to be a pretty significant move.

The Reality Regarding Matthew Boyd

However, as things may turn out, even under a best case scenario, the Cubs will have merely swapped the limited innings and output of Kyle Hendricks for a more effective replacement. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s a far cry from some fans’ expectations that the Cubs might’ve added a top-of-rotation stud when they got Boyd.

In a recent interview on 670 The Score, Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy talked about Boyd and what the team can realistically expect from the veteran pitcher who just came back from Tommy John surgery at the end of the 2024 campaign.

Per Hottovy:

“There’s definitely some risk/reward there… If we’re sitting here today and we say, ‘Matt Boyd throws 120 innings of really good baseball,’ I think we’d all be really happy about that. Anything above that would be great…We know when he’s on the field, he’s a really good pitcher…

One thing [Craig] Counsell talks about all the time is that it’s a puzzle to cover 1,400, almost 1,500 innings in the course of the season. Starters, if you’re a good team and your starting rotation is good, you’re covering 850 to 950 of those innings. It’s all one big puzzle. You’re putting the pieces together.

I think the combination of signing a Matt Boyd, with the upside, but with some injury history, with guys like Colin Rea being able to cover some of that, knowing that you have some guys who can step in to cover some major innings if we need to make some moves, I think is very important.”

Sobering Words

So, that’s 120 innings, optimistically, to replace Hendricks’ 130.2 innings and then some significant shuffling for fill-ins.

But, really, what could one expect?

The oft-injured Boyd has thrown a combined 202.2 innings over the last four seasons and hasn’t broken 100+ innings since 2019. The hopes are that the 2023 Tommy John surgery repaired the damage that has been breaking the 10-year veteran down.

The reality, though, is that the Cubs’ hopes are just hopes and a calculated gamble based on the pitcher’s quality comeback at the end of last season and brilliant postseason performances that saw him give up just one earned run in 11.2 innings for the Cleveland Guardians.

The Plan All Along

That’s why the Cubs picked up Colin Rea via free agency– a starting rotation puzzle piece for a rotation many deemed as already set. That’s also why the team was said to be targeting a high-end starting pitcher even after they signed Boyd.

A six-man rotation could be a way to keep Boyd full-season healthy and full-season productive. It could also aid Assad, who seems to have some durability issues.

It’s more likely, though, that the Cubs will roll with the customary 5-man cycle and pull pieces as wear, tear, and strain dictate.

Boyd, meanwhile, will be what the team knew he was all along– a back of the rotation, cross your fingers he stays healthy, calculated gamble.

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The Chicago Cubs have been on the prowl for big, young arms, who also have plenty of controllable years and an affordable salary. But, really, which team isn’t looking for that? Ultimately, pitching tends to be the separating factor between good teams and great teams.

In the particular case of the Cubs, the front office has made it their mission to bolster the starting rotation while adding depth and flexibility to the bullpen.

The Chicago Cubs Bullpen Collapse of 2024

Last season, the relief corps quickly collapsed and put the team into a hole from which it couldn’t emerge. Although the bullpen did turn around in the last half of the season, it was be too little to late to help Chicago in their quest for post-season play.

This offseason, the Cubs have added several depth pieces to prevent such a situation in 2025.

Bullpen Additions for 2025

Eli Morgan was brought over via trade from the Cleveland Guardians. Cody Poteet came in the Cody Bellinger trade with the New York Yankees. Caleb Thielbar and Colin Rea, meanwhile, were acquired via free agency.

Ryan Garcia of Empire Sports Media envisions a scenario where the Cubs could pick up three more quality arms for the cost of second baseman Nico Hoerner.

The Proposed Trade For Even More Arms

In a proposed Cubs-Yankees trade, Garcia has the Cubs sending over Hoerner for pitchers Ian Hamilton, Will Warren, and Cam Schlittler.

Everyone knows what they’d be getting with Hoerner.

The 27-year-old is a Gold Glove winner at second and one of the top contact hitters in the league. He’s an every day asset who can steal bases and also play a solid shortstop. He underwent flexor tendon surgery on his right forearm in October, but is expected to fully recover.

Per Garcia:

“Acquiring one of the top second basemen in baseball would be the perfect way to address a serious hole in their infield, and while Nico Hoerner isn’t a great hitter, he’s posted a wRC+ at or above 100 in three straight seasons with an OBP of .341 over the last two years. His ability to run the bases well makes him a serious threat for pitchers to keep their eyes on when he reaches base as well, as he’s eighth in stolen bases (74) and BsR (11.8) over the last two years as well.

Defensively, the Yankees would be incredible with Hoerner at second base, as he’s recorded 23 OAA and 16 DRS in the last two years at the position. He is a truly elite defensive player who would further aid the pitching staff because of his excellent range and mobility on the dirt. Nico Hoerner is capable of playing shortstop at a high level as well if Anthony Volpe goes down, which is very valuable as well.”

In the return for Hoerner, the highlight may be the 25-year-old Will Warren, who struggled in a brief six-game stint in the majors last season, but remains the organization’s no. 5 prospect, per MLB.com. The 23-year-old Schlittler, who Baseball America selected as one of the breakout prospects for the 2025 season, would also be a great pickup.

The 29-year-old Hamilton, meanwhile, who has a 3.34 ERA in 89 major league appearances, could step right into a bullpen role.

This Cubs-Yankees swap is worth considering, especially if the Cubs are able to pick up a starting third baseman this offseason and, perhaps, move prospect Matt Shaw over to second. Three solid arms in one deal is something that should entice any organization.

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The Chicago Cubs went into the offseason in search of another starting pitcher to shore up their already-solid rotation.

The 5-man crew of Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, newcomer Matthew Boyd, and Javier Assad stands to be a solid rotation, building upon their status as one of the better rotations in the league.

Behind that 5-man staff, however, is another 4-man staff of potential fill-ins. Newly-acquired veteran Colin Rea heads a backup crew that also includes youngsters Jordan Wicks, Cade Horton, and Ben Brown.

Brown Could Be The Man

The 25-year-old Brown, especially, carries some big-time potential headed into the 2025 season and could turn out to be that impact starter the team’s been looking for.

The 6-foot-6 right-hander dazzled and overpowered at times last season, before having his season shut down due to a neck injury that just would not go away.

Up until the injury, Brown had posted a 3.58 ERA in 55.1 innings, including a 3.23 ERA in eight starts. The numbers would’ve been even better had the nagging neck injury not hampered his last couple of appearances.

The Cubs gave Brown medical clearance to resume training at full speed earlier this offseason and the hope is that he’ll be mound-ready by spring training. If so, he could very well earn his way into the rotation.

Justin Steele Says Brown’s A “Stud”

Cubs’ ace Justin Steele has a home near the Cubs’ Mesa training complex and has been keeping tabs on Brown’s progress. He’s impressed.

“Ben Brown … that dude’s a horse,” Steele recently said on the North Side Territory podcast. “He’s in the weight room, doing the stuff that he would normally do. (We had) conversations when all that stuff was going on with his neck. When the player doesn’t really know what it is, it can affect you mentally. It makes you not want to do stuff because you don’t want to make it worse.

“Just to see him being the spring chicken that he is, doing the lifts, throwing with full effort, and having that personality that he always had, it’s just fun being around him. Watching him throw his bullpens and go through his work, you know the guy is going to be a stud if he gets a full season under his belt.”

Brown came to the Cubs from the Philadelphia Phillies in an August, 2022 trade for relief pitcher David Robertson. He had earned his way into status as the no. 8 prospect in the Cubs loaded farm system in 2023 before getting a call to the big league in 2024.

Still A Work In Progress?

Although struggling with control at times and working to increase his arsenal, the young prospect’s raw talent and dogged attitude always managed to shine through. The belief among many is that Brown has finally figured things out and, if he stays healthy, could be a high-end major league starter. When right, he’s been an absolute beast.

“It’s kind of a relentless attack,” Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said of Brown last season. “He’s coming at you.”

It’ll be interesting to see what the Cubs do if/when Brown shows that he’s ready for a spot on the starting rotation. Will the front office choose to trade the more mildly talented Assad or maybe veteran Taillon (and his $18 million salary) to make room for Brown? Will they adopt a 6-man rotation to include Brown? Maybe they’ll keep him in the bullpen as a swing man, at least for one more season as he gains experience and works on being a more sturdy player.

Whatever the case, Ben Brown is coming.

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The Chicago Cubs have the potential to be great this season and that could happen with a strong starting rotation.

The Chicago Cubs have made great acquisitions this offseason with adding Kyle Tucker to the roster being the biggest move they’ve thus far. Kyle Tuckers acquisition along with the other moves the Cubs have made and the potential moves to be made when the season starts put the Cubs in the conversation of possibly being a playoff team this season. That dream will hinge on one key element of the Chicago Cubs roster that will give them the best shot to do that.

An emerging monster of at the top of the starting rotation

The Chicago Cubs have the potential to have one of the best starting rotations in the National League this season. With emerging stars and potential Cy Young award winners Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele leading the way that has a real possibility of happening.

According to FanGraphs they project the Cubs to possible incorporate a six-man rotation for this season. The Cubs will have rookie phenom and All-Star Shota Imanaga be there Ace for this season. Imanaga getting crowned the moniker of Ace in just his second season in Major League Baseball is impressive to say the least and it’s all thanks to a stellar rookie season. Imanaga in his rookie year went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA with 174 strikeouts in 173.1 innings. For 2025 Baseball Reference projects that in 2025 Imanaga will pitch 147 innings and finish with a record of 11-5 and strike out 144 batters.

Following Imanaga in the rotation will be Justin Steele who Baseball Reference projects to go 8-6 with a 3.29 ERA in 145 innings. Steele also has the potential to be great this season as well and possibly be in the Cy Young race, like he was for the 2023 season in which he finished fifth.

The three four spots in the rotation

For the third spot in the rotation the Cubs will have the 33-year-old Jameson Taillon who had a solid season for the Chicago Cubs in 2024. In 28 starts Taillon had a 12-8 record with 125 strikeouts with a 1.131 WHIP in 165.1 innings of work. Taillon enters into his third year of a four-year $68 million deal, and he will look to replicate the season had in 2024 and bring it to 2025 which Baseball Reference projecting Taillon to go 10-8 with a 3.93 ERA in 158 innings.

In the fourth spot of the rotation the Chicago Cubs will use left-hander Matt Boyd who the Cubs signed two-year $29 million with a mutual option for 2027 of $15 million. The 34-year-old is working his way back from Tommy John surgery and made just a handful of starts for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024. For 2025 Matt Boyd is projected to 5-5 with a respectable 4.06 ERA in 82 innings pitched.

The backend and potential swing men

Leading the way for the fifth spot is the 27-year-old Tijuana, Mexico native Javier Assad. Assad in my opinion is an under the radar pitcher to watch for the Chicago Cubs this season. Since debuting with the Chicago Cubs back in 2022 Assad has career ERA of 3.40 in 294 innings. In 2024 for the Cubs Assad had a really solid year for his development with making 29 starts going 7-6 with a 3.73 ERA with 124 strikeouts in 147 innings of work. Assad is projected to throw 135 innings with an ERA of 3.60 and a record of 7-6.

Potential bids for the sixth spot for the Cubs rotation are recent signee Colin Rea who signed a one-year deal and the 25-year-old Ben Brown who is coming back from an injury that had him miss most of last season. If the Chicago Cubs could add one more top of the rotation pitcher to pair with Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele to give them a solid one, two, three. And if the tandem of Taillon, Boyd, Assad, Rea, and Brown can all just give decent levels of production, the Chicago Cubs can certainly be looking at a playoff berth this season.

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The Chicago Cubs recently signed pitcher Colin Rea to a contract that guarantees him at least $5 million.  Rea is expected to provide depth to the pitching staff and he will do so at essentially a bargain price.  However, his contract isn’t as simple as he signed for one year and $5 million as the details of his deal were recently revealed.

Colin Rea will be a depth option for the Chicago Cubs 

Headlining the Cubs starting rotation currently is Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd.  From there, Colin Rea and Javier Assad are potential options for the fifth spot, but guys like Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, Cody Poteet and Caleb Kilian are also options.  Rea also has bullpen experience, so he could move into a relief role with the ability to pitch multiple innings.

A year ago, Rea pitched the highest amount of innings in his career at 167.2.  He had a nice 3.77 ERA in the first half, but a 5.17 second half ERA.  It’s possible that having him work in both roles, and not taking the ball consistently every fifth day, may keep him fresher, sharper, and more effective throughout the seasons entirety.

Colin Rea’s contract isn’t a simple one year deal

MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and Brian Murphy recently discussed the finer details of Colin Rea’s contract.  While he is ultimately guaranteed a minimum of $5 million, he could potentially earn up to $10.25 million in a Cubs uniform.  His 2024 base salary will be $4.25, but there is also a $6.0 million option for the 2026 season with a $750,000 buyout.

This is a great contract for the Chicago Cubs and Colin Rea

This off-season, the Milwaukee Brewers declined Colin Rea’s 2025 option worth $5.5 million and paid him a $1.0 million buyout.  The Cubs then turned to him, signed him to a base salary $1.25 million less than what he could have got with the Brewers, and included a buyout that is just $750,000.  Financially this is a win for Chicago, and contractually this is great for Rea as he automatically will receive $5 million, but if he pitches well he can more than double his earnings.

It will be interesting to see how Colin Rea’s second tenure with the organization goes.  He’s not the same pitcher that he was back in 2020 and now Rea will be re-united Craig Counsell, who previously managed him with the Brewers in 2023.

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The Chicago Cubs designated one of their top pitching prospects for assignment after latest signing.

The Chicago Cubs went out and made a move to add depth to their starting rotation by signing former Milwaukee Brewer Colin Rea to a one-year $5 million deal. In a corresponding move the Chicago Cubs designated top pitching prospect Michael Arias for assignment per MLB Trade Rumors.

Michael Arias (No. 18 prospect)

The 23-year-old Michae Arias was the Cubs No. 18 overall prospect and was protected on the Cubs 40-man roster earlier this offseason. Michael Arias struggled in thirty-three relief appearances at Triple-A last season where he had a 5.45 ERA. The sidewinding right-hander would have had a chance to be a really solid bullpen option for the Chicago Cubs, but unfortunately he was never able to throw strikes consistently.

Being he’s a sidewinder, his fastball will have a lot of run on in and given he can get it up to around 98-mph in spurts it could be an effective weapon for him. Sadly, the ability that Arias has will have to be  with another organization since he was just DFA’d to make room for Colin Rea.

Colin Rea

The Chicago Cubs signed the 34-year-old Rea to be a swing man in both the bullpen and the rotation for the Cubs. With having experience and success in each, Rea could figure to be a big part of the Cubs pitching staff and with being more of a proven talent than Arias the move made a lot of sense for the Cubs. Michael Arias will now be placed on waivers and the Cubs will have five days to either trade Arias which they shouldn’t have an issue doing. The Chicago Cubs 40-man roster with this move is now back to being full.

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The Chicago Cubs acquired veteran right-handed pitcher Colin Rea on a one-year, $5 million free agent deal.

The acquisition came as a surprise to many, as most felt the Cubs would be targeting a shutdown closer for the bullpen, a younger and stronger starting arm, and/or infield depth pieces with third base possibility.

Keen observers definitely did not see Chicago picking up a 34-year-old, bottom of rotation piece rather than all of the above.

Acquiring Colin Rea Was Puzzling

Rea is not a bad pitcher and the deal, which includes a team option for 2026, isn’t a bad deal. On most teams, this would’ve been considered a solid acquisition.

But adding Rea doesn’t line up with the Cubs’ needs. It also pulls money away from Chicago’s other, more pressing, needs– a frustrating detour for a team that seems more and more concerned with budget issues.

On the surface, Rea was brought on to provide depth and flexibility. He would be an insurance policy in case of injury, a capable veteran who would serve as a bullpen long relief guy until needed to step into a rotation spot.

He could even win a rotation spot, adding more veteran stability to the staff.

At the very least, Rea is a stable presence that could assume a leadership role if/when the Cubs make a playoff run. Manager Craig Counsell knows him from his Milwaukee Brewers days and, apparently, trusts and values his ability to contribute. That could be good enough to earn a roster spot ahead of a younger, less-proven pitcher.

But, could there be another reason behind adding Rea to a staff that, apparently, doesn’t currently need his services?

Chicago Cubs Toying With The Idea Of A Six-Man Rotation?

The idea of experimenting with a 6-man rotation has been tossed around a bit and it could be a possibility for the Cubs in 2025.

Moving from the 5-man rotation has its pros and cons, both in theory and in limited MLB practice.

On the pro side, a 6-man starting crew preserves pitcher arm strength and lets starters bring more of their physical “A game” to the latter part of the season. It’s also considered to combat injury and fatigue. Limited use in MLB has shown all of the above to be true, with advanced analytics confirming the physical benefits.

Those against the idea point out that such a rotation can throw pitchers off their schedule and routine. It also, ultimately, gives fewer innings to the aces of the staff as they will have fewer starts. Another factor is that the addition of an extra starter means one fewer reliever. Analytics show that bullpen performance drops over the long haul as the extra burden begins to wear on relievers.

The Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan regularly uses a 6-man rotation as standard practice and the benefits of health and longevity for their starters is clearly evident.

The Rotation, As Of Today

As things sit with the Cubs right now, the starting five is pretty much set at Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, and Javier Assad. Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, Cade Horton, and now Colin Rea are also rotation possibilities.

It wouldn’t take much imagination to picture Counsell slipping Rea in as the sixth starter in a 6-man rotation. The move could specifically benefit Imanaga and Assad as pitchers who may struggle with a full season workload. It could also help the recently rehabbed Boyd. It wouldn’t be the craziest idea to want to preserve rotation vitality for the dog days of summer.

We’ll see soon enough what the Cubs have in mind with Rea.

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