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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