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, early this season, appear to be very cognizant of what their postseason should look like and how best to optimize a run at a championship. Last year, the focus seemed to be on just making the postseason.

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In 2025, pitching injuries hobbled their playoff run. By the time they reached the NLDS, they were down to, maybe, two reliable starters and two or three trusted relievers. It was a sobering reality that played out at the tail end of an otherwise tremendous season.

In 2026, however, the pitching focus has seemingly shifted to depth and to pacing themselves for a more pitching-powerful postseason.

That, maybe especially, means keeping an eye on the workload of the team’s younger starters and using their long relief to greater benefit early in the season.

That mindset seemed evident in the first starts of Cade Horton and Edward Cabrera.

An early focus on workload

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Both young arms were cooking into the sixth inning with a minimal pitch count. Manager Craig Counsell opted to take both out of their respective games.

Horton and Cabrera do have a history of injury and durability issues, so it’s no surprise that Counsell would want to be cautious with both. Horton, for example, was shut down late in the season and missed the playoffs entirely with a rib injury, after a sizzling post-All-Star break run. But Counsell’s own words to the media after the Horton game reveal, perhaps, more of a long-term team goal than a simple focus on the health of one young arm.

“If you look at history,” Counsell said, “the first three weeks of the season for pitchers are pretty delicate.”

Counsell has also talked about the benefit of having starter-capable pitchers such as Ben Brown and Colin Rea on the team.

“Having a pair of experienced starters filling in the long-reliever role is a luxury for a team,” Counsell said.

“Early in the season, we thought it could be valuable. With unforeseen weather and being cautious with the starters, I think it’s worked out and will continue to be an asset the next couple of weeks.”

It’s been speculated that the Cubs may be trying to adopt a 2025 Dodgers strategy to managing their starting corps, one where the team is ultra conservative with their starters in order to bring a strong and rested rotation into the playoffs.

Adopting the 2025 Dodgers strategy?

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

They were then careful and judicious with the return of injured/recovering starters Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and even Shohei Ohtani. Ultimately, they were able to reintroduce all three to the rotation just in time for a strong pennant push and then the postseason.

The strategy paid off as Yamamoto and the fresh, strong threesome of Glasnow, Blake, and Ohtani accounted for more than 68% of the innings pitched in the postseason en route to another World Series win for the Dodgers.

The Cubs don’t have the studs the Dodgers did, but they do have big-time depth. The team currently has seven possible starters on the big league roster and Javier Assad in Iowa, with recovering ace Justin Steele set to make his return before mid-season.

If the workload is handled just right, it’s almost a guarantee that Chicago will be able to put together a very nice four-man rotation for what they hope to be a deep postseason run.

Last season, they really didn’t have that luxury of depth—and they ultimately paid the price. This season, they’re angling for a much different end to the season.

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Chicago Cubs starter Justin Steele appears to be making outstanding progress after undergoing Tommy John surgery last April, checking every milestone along the way from receiving full clearance from his surgeon to recently facing live hitters. Great as this is, his timeline to return to the big leagues remains late May to early June.

With Steele projected to miss around the first two months of the season, the Cubs face an important roster decision with him that must be made prior to Opening Day. That is whether to put him on the 15-day or 60-day injured list.

Should the Chicago Cubs place Justin Steele on the 15-day or 60-day injured list to begin the 2026 season?

From a roster construction standpoint, the key difference between the 15-day and 60-day injured lists is how they affect the Cubs’ roster flexibility. The 15-day IL doesn’t free up a spot on the 40-man roster, meaning Chicago can’t bring in a replacement for Steele, potentially leaving them short-handed as they wait for him to recover.

Timeline-wise, Steele’s projected return lands right on the 60-day borderline. A late-May return would come just under that threshold, creating the risk of delaying his return if he’s ready but ineligible due to a 60-day IL placement. An early-June timeline, however, would push him beyond 60 days, removing the concern of keeping him sidelined longer than necessary. For now, it remains unclear which way his recovery will break.

Ultimately, the Cubs must decide between maximizing roster flexibility and ensuring Steele returns as soon as he’s ready. With his timeline hovering around that critical 60-day mark, the decision isn’t straightforward and could have ripple effects on both the pitching staff and overall roster construction.

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The Chicago Cubs appeared to have things pretty much hashed out when it came to their starting rotation. The offseason acquisition of emerging powerhouse Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins seemed to fill the last spot of a rotation that was already pretty packed before the trade.

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But things can change in a heartbeat in baseball– both for the better and for the worse.

Some of that “worst” is coming from Jameson Taillon. The veteran starter, who was so clutch last season for the Cubs down the stretch and through the playoffs, has been getting absolutely shellacked this spring. In Sunday’s 14-8 loss to the Dodgers, the 34-year-old gave up 10 runs on 8 hits, with 4 walks, over 3.2 innings, bringing his Cactus League ERA to a whopping 22.18. Perhaps more importantly, his velocity is down significantly, as is the movement on his pitches.

But with the bad news, there’s also some good news.

Brown’s rise paired with Taillon’s fall

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The 26-year-old Ben Brown has been looking like he’s finally turned a corner in his development.

The Cubs have always eyed the tall righty as a potential rotation piece, but, despite flashes of brilliance, his performances have been too inconsistent to really consider him in that role. That may be changing.

Coming into the third year of his young major league career, Brown has added a sinker to his repertoire and is also sporting a fortified mindset.

“I feel like I’m in a much better spot than I was last year,” Brown told the Chicago Tribune. “The resilience and the ability to pitch in different situations is something that I need to add to my repertoire and to be confident in. And that doesn’t mean I can’t stop dreaming of what my career could be like, but for right now, what can my day look like? That’s the focus…Wherever I am right now is where I have to be and be my best because I didn’t really do a good job of that last year.”

Being focused on the present and on growing as a pitcher has yielded solid results this spring. In 10.2 innings of spring training play, Brown has a 3.38 ERA and 15 strikeouts against only 3 walks.

Swapping of roles?

So, the rise of Brown and the apparent fall of Taillon have to bring up the possibility that Chicago might be forced into making a major decision soon. Could they consider a swapping of roles, with Brown taking a spot in the rotation and Taillon moving to long relief duties in the bullpen?

Taillon, set to become a free agent at the end of next season, has been an important starting pitching asset for the Cubs over the last three years, but they can’t go too long with him every fifth day if he’s just not up to the task.

The team has been clear that they hope for Brown to become the rotation stud his raw ability always suggested he could be. But will 2026 be that year where he establishes himself in that regard?

The Cubs have a deep enough starting pitching pool to absorb the loss of a guy like Taillon. If Brown’s not the man to fill the job, there’s Javier Assad, who’s done very well this spring, as well as the reliable Colin Rea. Then, of course, ace Justin Steele is moving towards his comeback, which is projected to happen in May or June. A little bit down the road, top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins will also be knocking on the door.

For now, though, the Cubs will surely give Taillon every possible chance to figure things out and get back on track. If he can’t, though, there are options.

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The Chicago Cubs pulled the trigger on the big trade that had been rumored for the better part of a year when they acquired emerging powerhouse starter Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins. By all accounts, the Cubs had been eyeballing the young arm since the end of the 2024 season and were finally willing to part with the prospects to secure the deal.

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If one recalls last season, though, there was considerable debate over whether the Cubs should move to acquire Cabrera or the more proven Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara, who was coming back from Tommy John surgery. The debate became more fierce as the trade deadline neared.

Ultimately, the Cubs didn’t move on either pitcher. Now, some feel that the Cubs could have both by the time the 2026 trade deadline passes.

Cubs, back in the Sandy Alcantara hunt?

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Chicago was recently mentioned by Mike Axisa of CBS Sports as a possible landing spot for Alcantara at the trade deadline.

Per Axisa:

“The Marlins moved two veteran-ish starters this offseason (Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers) but hung on to Alcantara, who was a prime trade candidate last winter and again at last year’s trade deadline.

He instead remains in Miami. How long will that last? I don’t think it will be too much longer given his $17 million salary this year and $21 million club option next year. Interested teams will give up more to get two postseason of Alcantara rather than one, making a trade this summer more likely.”

On the surface, this Alcantara-to-the-Cubs scenario wouldn’t seem to make a lot of sense. The Cubs already have a deep rotation with too many starters for too few spots. Returning ace Justin Steele, who’s expected back in May or June, will make the starting corps even more crowded.

But what about 2027?

A holdover for 2027

Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, and Shota Imanaga could all be gone via free agency at the end of this 2026 season. At that point, the Cubs’ surplus of starters could turn into a deficit.

Alcantara has potential ace-level stuff and would be working under a $21 million club option in 2027 before becoming eligible for free agency at the end of that season. He’d fit nicely into a new-look Cubs rotation around guys like Steele, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, and, possibly, top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins.

As for what to do with the 30-year-old righty in 2026? That’s not a problem. You find a place for someone as talented as Alcantara and it’s not difficult to see him wedged somewhere into the rotation as the Cubs push for a deep postseason run. A team can’t have too many quality arms.

Although his 2025 numbers didn’t look good (11-12, 5.36 ERA), he did finish closer to his old self with a 3.33 ERA in 13 starts after the All-Star break.

There will be a market for Alcantara, especially if he’s still available at the trade deadline. So, the Cubs will have competition if they decide to make a play for him. But finding a way to bring him aboard is an idea certainly worth exploring.

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The Chicago Cubs figure to have a deep and well-rounded starting rotation as they head into a 2026 season where expectations are high. They’d really like for Justin Steele to be a part of the team’s success. Actually, some think that the lefty might help push the team to that success.

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Steele went down with an elbow injury last season after just four starts, forcing the Cubs to scramble and find an emergency rotation replacement or two. Subsequent elbow surgery (ulnar collateral ligament revision repair) put him on the shelf for the rest of the year.

Hopes were high, though, that the Cubs’ ace could make a full recovery and be a big part of a 2026 squad aiming for a deep postseason run. The 30-year-old has been Chicago’s most reliable and effective starter through the last four seasons, posting a 3.18 ERA over 82 starts in that span of time. A full comeback would be a huge boost to the team’s chances for success.

Justin Steele faces live batters

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On Friday, Steele took another big step in the direction of a return. For the first time since he was given medical clearance to resume pitching activities, he faced live batters.

With several teammates in attendance, the southpaw threw 19 pitches to Michael Busch and Jonathon Long, notching three strikeouts and provoking some uncomfortable swings.

It was a small sample size of pitches, which was to be expected, but everything went well and, reportedly, he already looks to have some of his old mojo back.

“Looks like Justin,” Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy told reporters with a smile. “There’s days where he has really good cut to the fastball and gets weak contact. And there’s days where it has a little more carry, where you get more swing and miss. I thought today, you kind of saw a little bit of both.”

“I think it went as well as he could have wanted it and hoped for it to go,” Hottovy added. “Now it’s just continuing to build off every outing, every live BP and making sure we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves.”

“Another box to check,” Steele told media after the outing. “Felt good today, that’s the main thing — I was throwing strikes, putting the fastball where I wanted to for the most part. Just excited about it.

“I’ve worked really hard to come back as fast as I could and as strong as I could. It was really cool to see all my teammates and coaches come out to watch.”

Nice, relaxed return

Steele, who had full Tommy John surgery back in 2017, says that the recovery process this time around is going much smoother, thanks in great part to knowing what to expect and how to handle his limitations.

It also helps that there’s no rush to get him back on the mound.

With the Cubs rotation sporting five capable starters (Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, and Shota Imanaga) as well as several solid backups (Javier Assad, Colin Rea, Ben Brown), Steele can take his time and make sure that he’s truly at 100% before getting back into the thick of things. Right now, the target remains May-June for his return

The Cubs will eventually have to figure out what to do with the surplus of starters when their ace comes back, but that’s certainly a good problem to have.

For now, the Cubs move forward and Steele keeps working to get back.

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The Chicago Cubs, on Thursday, named Matthew Boyd their Opening Day starter. It was the safe, reasonable choice to make considering Boyd’s 2025.

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The veteran lefty came to the Cubs as a bit of a free agent gamble last season, coming off a long history of injury and Tommy John surgery in mid-2023. Originally targeted for 110-120 innings as a back-end-of rotation starter, Boyd exceeded all expectations and performed his way into being the ace of the staff with a 3.21 ERA in 179.2 innings over 31 starts.

So, yes, Boyd was the logical choice for Opening Day.

That designation, though, probably paints a clearer picture for the rest of the rotation order.

Boyd on Opening Day, and then what?

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The Cubs would probably want a power right-hander coming after the more nuanced lefty. That means probably Cade Horton, but it could also mean newcomer Edward Cabrera. Then, maybe, another nuanced lefty in Shota Imanaga. After that, either Horton or Cabrera, whoever didn’t land the no. 2 spot in the rotation. That would leave Jameson Taillon as the no. 5 starter.

A probable rotation might look like this (although, obviously, the order could easily be all scrambled up behind Boyd):

Matthew Boyd
Cade Horton
Shota Imanaga
Edward Cabrera
Jameson Taillon

Things get a bit more complicated, however, when Justin Steele returns after being on the shelf, recovering from elbow surgery last April. Upon his comeback (expected before mid-season), someone will have to be booted from their rotation spot. Who gets the boot will be determined, obviously, by who has been the least effective at the time of Steele’s return.

One also has to consider the fact that the Cubs have a pair of very capable swingmen in Javier Assad and Colin Rea, with Ben Brown also having starter potential. Assad has been having a killer spring so far and Rea performed admirably in the rotation last season, making up for the injury-related absences of Steele, Imanaga, and Taillon.

A Plan B, Plan C?

Some have theorized that Chicago could possibly go with a 6-man rotation for at least part of the season, given their depth and the need/desire to preserve arms for what they hope to be a deep postseason run.

They could also piggyback starters for a stretch of time, maybe pairing two for a single game, utilizing all of their nine potential starters to deliver multi-inning outings and save wear and tear on a staff that does have considerable injury and durability concerns. Although this strategy might end up taxing the bullpen disproportionately, essentially forcing a small handful of dedicated relievers to cover almost all relief innings.

Whatever the Cubs decide, the elephant in the room will always be the staff’s health and durability concerns. Boyd, Horton, and Cabrera have significant history of injury. Taillon and Imanaga spent a good amount of time on the IL last year. And Steele, of course, is coming back from major elbow surgery.

An ace in the hole may be top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins, who some are hoping could be the Cade Horton of 2026, moving up from the minors to win a spot in the Cubs rotation. There’s also hope that lefty Jordan Wicks can get healthy and finally put it all together for a good major league run.

For now, all the Cubs can do is lay down their pieces and play them. Soon enough, everyone will know whether a Plan B or C is necessary.

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The Chicago Cubs will be feeling pressure this season. Unlike the situation heading into last season, where the team was expected to contend, the expectations this year are that they will win, at the very least, the NL Central Division.

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Although they lost right fielder Kyle Tucker via free agency, they added three-time All-Star free agent Alex Bregman and traded for emerging powerhouse starter Edward Cabrera. They also restocked a depleted bullpen with four free agent relievers (Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and Hunter Harvey).

With so many key additions and a returning core of talent from last season, the general feeling is that anything short of a division title and a deep playoff run will be seen as a major disappointment.

Cubs under pressure

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Karl Rasmussen of Sports Illustrated recently acknowledged that pressure by naming the Cubs one of the teams under the most pressure this coming season. While he placed them outside the “World Series or Bust” category, he did put them high atop the “Postseason Run Required” list.

Per Rasmussen:

“The Cubs are in a good spot as they look to win the NL Central for the first time since 2020. Chicago acquired Alex Bregman in the offseason and should be favorites to win the division, especially after the Brewers parted ways with Peralta. The Cubs made it back to the postseason last year, snapping a four-year drought, and fans will be expecting the team to be playing into October again this season.”

Expectations are running high this spring and everyone feels it, from the front office to the coaching to the players themselves, as well as the fans. Actually, the word “expectations” has been a running theme throughout spring training.

“Everybody in this industry wants expectations,” manager Craig Counsell told The Athletic. “You work hard to get expectations. You work really hard to build a roster that has expectations, you work really hard to get on a team that has expectations. That’s what we want. We’re truly excited we have expectations. It’s not easy to get them.”

Causes for concern

And while there are numerous reasons for optimism, there are also some glaring causes for concern.

Several Cubs had career years in 2025, such as Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Seiya Suzuki, and Nico Hoerner. There’s no guarantee that they’ll replicate their successes this season.

There are legitimate durability and health concerns in their deep starting rotation. Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, and Edward Cabrera have a history of injury, while Jameson Taillon and Shota Imanaga spent considerable time on the IL last year. Returning ace Justin Steele, meanwhile, will be coming back from elbow surgery.

Then, there’s the bullpen, which is always a wildcard on almost every team. Closer Daniel Palencia had 80% of a great season last year as he came up from Triple-A Iowa to win the bullpen shutdown spot. But he faded late in the year, delivering two months of subpar performances which suggested that, maybe, the young arm was bending under the pressure.

On paper, the Cubs would appear to be a better team than they were at this time last season. But that’s certainly no guarantee of equal or greater success.

The pressure will definitely be on.

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The Chicago Cubs are heading into the 2026 season with great expectations and a feeling that this year could most definitely be their year. Part of the reason for such optimism is in the fact that their starting rotation is so deep and locked in.

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Barring some unforeseen surprise, the Cubs will start the season with a rotation of Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, and Shota Imanaga. Then, possibly as early as May or June, Justin Steele should be coming back from last year’s elbow surgery.

That would give the team six viable starters, plus Colin Rea and Javier Assad as capable swingmen who could step in and take a rotation spot for a good period of time.

So, what would Chicago do with six starters (or possibly eight) and only five slots in which to put them?

An unprecedented trade

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Jake Misener of Cubbies Crib predicts that the Cubs could trade one of them away at the trade deadline for whatever they may need to take them comfortably into the postseason.

Per Misener:

“…Nobody is doubting the sheer volume of arms in the mix here. Cabrera and Horton are joined by Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga – as well as Javier Assad, Colin Rea and Ben Brown, not to mention Justin Steele, who is expected to return in May or June.

That math doesn’t math – at least not when everyone is healthy. There could be a deal out there this summer to the Cubs’ liking, maybe to add a bona fide late-inning arm, and seeing Hoyer deal from a position of strength makes a decent amount of sense.”

Dealing from a position of strength

It’s unprecedented for a likely playoff-bound team to trade AWAY a starter at the deadline. However, if the Cubs’ rotation stays healthy and Steele can return to ace-level form, the front office, as Misener says, could cut a deal from a position of strength.

Maybe they’d get a bullpen stud, someone who could add some end-of-game stability and step into a closer or co-closer role. Maybe the acquisition could be a proven power hitter.

Of course, such a deal would probably mean that their trade partners would also see themselves as contenders for postseason play. So, a trade like that would require some boldness from both sides.

But, why not? Imanaga and Taillon are free agency-eligible at the end of the season. Boyd, meanwhile, is staring down a mutual option at the end of 2026 and is not an absolute guarantee to return next year.

In a Cubs-perfect world, the team would still be carrying five starters into August with some solid backup behind them.

First, though, the Cubs have to stay healthy and live up to expectations. If not, any deadline trades would be sell-offs and not roster reinforcement.

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The Chicago Cubs have real reason to believe that they are the favorites to win the NL Central Division. They made a lot of impact moves this offseason and a lot of smaller depth acquisitions that provide ample insurance if/when plans go sideways.

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The biggest move may have been the signing of free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, who brings veteran leadership, a strong bat, and stellar defense to the team.

Right behind the acquisition of Bregman, in terms of potential impact, was the trade for emerging powerhouse starter Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins.

Then, there was the re-stocking of a depleted bullpen with four free agent relievers (Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and Hunter Harvey).

And beyond all of that, Chicago went out of its way to acquire depth pieces at every possible position, but especially in the area of pitching.

So, yes, given their success last season and the moves made this offseason, it’s no mystery why the consensus opinion among fans and experts is that the Cubs will win their division.

But that belief is not universal.

The emerging Reds

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Steve Phillips of MLB Network is giving the Cincinnati Reds a real chance of winning the division this coming season:

“Their starting pitching matches up with anybody… I think the Reds have a real chance to win the NL Central this year. They’re going to be well beyond 78-79 wins.”

This past offseason, the Terry Francona-led Reds acquired free agent slugger Eugenio Suarez, who just happens to be a verifiable Cubs killer. They also made considerable efforts to rebuild their bullpen.

Given their spirited 2025, which led to an NL Wild Card spot, they will be a team to watch in 2026.

The Pirates as dark horse NL Central contenders

Robert Murray of Fansided is fancying the Pittsburgh Pirates as dark horse contenders to upset the Cubs’ hopes:

“Ryan O’Hearn compared them to the 2023 Baltimore Orioles, a group that came out of nowhere to win 101 games and the AL East, and it’s hard not to be impressed by what Pittsburgh is building.

Their pitching staff, headlined by Paul Skenes, speaks for itself. But now they have a credible offense with new additions such as Marcell Ozuna, Brandon Lowe and O’Hearn to pair with Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz and more. Their new manager, Don Kelly, has drawn rave reviews from folks early on. I’m optimistic about what’s to come with the Pirates, and I know I’m not alone there.”

Both the Reds and Pirates are notably improved teams with, seemingly, real hunger heading into the 2026 campaign. The Milwaukee Brewers, however, should also never be counted out, even after trading away pitcher Freddy Peralta and making other high-profile subtractions.

The Cubs, meanwhile, do have some question marks and causes for concern.

Causes for Cubs concern

Chicago’s deep starting rotation, which will carry six viable starters when Justin Steele returns, is also full of health and durability concerns.

Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, and Edward Cabrera have extensive history of injury. Steele is coming off elbow surgery that forced him to miss all of last season. Shota Imanaga was on the shelf with a hamstring injury for nearly 8 weeks in 2025. James Taillon, meanwhile, was on the IL twice last year.

Closer Daniel Palencia is due to resume his game-closing role in 2026. But, for as good as he looked for much of his breakthrough 2025, he looked just as bad down the stretch of the season. He posted an ugly 7.07 ERA in his final 17 regular season appearances, with an IL stint after the first week of September to boot.

There’s also the possibility of regression is some players who had career offensive years last season, such as Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, and Seiya Suzuki.

Despite being the clear favorites to take the NL Central Division, the Cubs may have to scrap and fight their way to the top. People are starting to acknowledge that now.

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Cubs fans got a nice bit of good news Saturday when Justin Steele gave an important update on his UCL reconstruction surgery rehab via Twitter(X).

https://x.com/twitter/status/2027805243312935266

While Steele will not be ready to pitch on Opening Day, receiving official clearance to start full throwing activities from his surgeon is a monumental step toward his return. Come mid-April, it will mark a year since Steele was lost for the 2025 season with the UCL injury. It will still take some work for him to ramp up to get ready to pitch in an MLB game again. If all goes well, he can hopefully return sooner rather than later. Things were already pointing in a good direction prior to his clearence.

Important note: Steele is not currently on the 60-day IL; he was taken off it in November after the World Series. They could have re-added him to it this Spring but they have not to this point. It’s also worth noting the Cubs DFA’ed Ben Cowles when they added Shelby Miller to the roster and kept Steele off the 60-day IL and on the 40-man. Steele not going to the 60-day IL is important because it means there isn’t the required two-month time to be out before coming back if he indeed stays off it.

What’s next for Steele?

Expect Steele to first face live hitters in camp soon. He will not be thrust into Cactus League play right now. Assuming all continues to go well, he can work in extended Spring Training and then, once the season starts, probably get in some in-game work in the Minors before coming up. His progress at each step will dictate the exact timeline for everything.

The biggest priority is doing his rehab right and his returning when he is 100% ready. They have a set rotation in place even without him. Nevertheless, while the team’s pitching staff is deep, having Steele back will be a big boost. Depending on what Craig Counsell does, they could have three lefties in the rotation with Steele, Matthew Boyd, and Shota Imanaga if they go with a six-man rotation with Jameson Taillon and Cade Horton as the righties. Assuming everyone is healthy at the same time, obviously.

Knock on wood, hopefully things continue to progress as they have. Steele’s rehab, by all accounts, has gone very smoothly up to this point. While it was not a full Tommy John surgery, having UCL surgery and potentially back pitching in ~12-13 months would be good to see. Steele mentioned that this surgery was different from his UCL reconstruction back in 2017 in that it was less challenging.

The post Chicago Cubs: Justin Steele delivers great news on rehab appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs got hit with a stunner very early last season when ace Justin Steele went down with an elbow injury. After just his fourth start of 2025– a seven-inning blanking of the Texas Rangers– the veteran lefty was lost for the year (and beyond).

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Shortly after the injury, it was reported that Steele had undergone a “left ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) revision repair.” It wasn’t a full Tommy John surgery, which is a reconstruction of the UCL, but the procedure still meant he’d be out of commission for all of 2025 and a good portion of 2026 as well.

The 30-year-old is currently in Mesa with his teammates and working his way to a comeback. On Saturday, he visited the Cubs broadcast team at Sloan Park and gave an injury update brimming with positivity.

Justin Steele offers update on recovery process

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“I’m feeling very good,” Steele said. “Bullpens have been progressing well lately. I’m throwing two a week, Tuesdays (plus) Fridays and/or Saturdays. I had one yesterday (Friday), recovering well from that. The next one will be 35 pitches. Throwing four-seam, sinkers, and sliders right now. I’m gonna be introducing changeups into the bullpens next week, I believe. At that point, I’ll be at curveballs to catch play. That’s kind of the progression were going with as far as getting pitches back into the game mound.”

This isn’t the first reporting of Steele’s recovery being a bit ahead of schedule. Steele, himself, has previously talked about how good he feels.

An ahead-of-schedule Steele, though, does present an interesting dilemma for manager Craig Counsell.

A good dilemma to have

Would the Cubs consider bringing him back into the rotation earlier than the mid-season return previously targeted? With five capable and healthy (as of this moment) starters in the rotation (Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga) and two quality reserves (Colin Rea, Javier Assad), there’s really no burning need for them to hurry Steele back into the mix.

The best move would probably be to target that mid-season return and limit innings for awhile, in hopes of getting Steele at 100% for the end of the season and through the playoffs.

With the goal of making a deep postseason run, the Cubs would definitely like to see Steele back on the mound at 100%. Over the last four years, he’s been Chicago’s most reliable and effective starter, posting a 3.18 ERA over 82 starts.

The idea of the team going to a six-man rotation or possibly piggybacking starters in a single game to keep pitchers fresh and healthy has been brought up, especially in connection with Steele and how they may want to handle his return.

No rush to bring Steele back

But, again, there’s no rush, right now, to wedge him into the rotation before it’s absolutely safe to do so.

This isn’t Steele’s first time dealing with major surgery to his throwing arm. Back in 2017, when he was still a minor league prospect, he underwent full Tommy John surgery. That experience is helping him get through this latest recovery process.

Late last month, Steele talked about the depth of the Cubs’ rotation and how that affords him the opportunity to recover properly and at a healthy pace.

“That definitely eases your mind,” Steele said. “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.”

Currently, projections for his comeback range from late May to the All-Star break.

The post Chicago Cubs: Justin Steele delivers great injury update news appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs are expecting big things from newcomer Edward Cabrera, who many in the organization feel is right on the verge of moving from high-promise, high-upside young gun to powerhouse ace.

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The Cubs had to send their no. 1 prospect Owen Caissie to the Miami Marlins to get their hands on the 27-year-old righty, along with a pair of infield prospect, but, as of right now, there’s not even the slightest bit of buyer’s remorse.

Cabrera will come to the team in the most ideal of situations, too, with the least amount of stress possible in a rotation expected to carry the team to a deep playoff run.

There’s no pressure on the young talent to immediately step in and become a superstar or even to become an elite-tier starter right now. He’ll be able to slide right into the middle of a deep Cubs rotation while contributing and further developing at his own pace. Alongside fellow starters Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga, and the soon-to-be-returning Justin Steele, Cabrera will find a significantly dimmer spotlight shining on him.

Killing off rumors of a Cubs-Zac Gallen union

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There’ve been rumors, too, that the deep Cubs rotation could be even deeper come opening day. Buzz regarding Chicago’s continued interest in the still-unsigned Zac Gallen has been all over the place, priming Cubs fans for the possibility that Jed Hoyer and the front office may have one more big move in store before spring training fully kicks into gear.

The idea of a Cubs-Gallen union is no doubt an attractive one. After all, why WOULDN’T Chicago want a workhorse starter with ace-level chops in the rotation, even if that rotation becomes overstuffed with quality starters?

Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, however, has just dumped some cold water on the flaming-hot Gallen rumors.

Per Sharma:

“Even as his free agency drags on, the Cubs are unlikely to land starting pitcher Zac Gallen. The longer he lingers on the market, the more concerned the Cubs front office will be that Gallen can even be an effective starter this season without a normal spring training to ramp up. A one-year deal, or an opt-out after one year, makes little sense when it means losing a draft pick. Gallen should have other suitors who would be a more logical fit.”

Logic trumps ambition

And, yeah, it makes total sense why they’d bow out of any Gallen talk at this point. Actually, it never quite made sense in the first place why the Cubs would still even be taking to Gallen, given that they retained Imanaga this offseason and traded for Cabrera.

Possibly, if the righty’s price dropped to an insane degree, the Cubs would take a grab at the 30-year-old on a short-term deal. But, realistically, that wasn’t likely to happen. It’s still pretty much a sure thing that he’ll get a decent deal somewhere, with more years attached than the Cubs would’ve felt comfortable offering.

It’s true that you can never have too much starting pitching, but the Cubs, as of right now, are about as solid in that regard as anyone else in baseball.

Cubs don’t need Gallen, anyway

Boyd, Horton, Cabrera, Taillon, Imanaga make for a solid front five and Steele should be back in the mix by mid-season. Beyond the likely A-team, there are swing men Colin Rea and Javier Assad along with Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins. The team has also brought in some low-risk non-roster arms, most recently once-upon-a-time 21-game winner Kyle Wright.

Barring some deep, dark bad luck, the Cubs should be alright when it comes to starting pitching.

If Gallen would’ve fallen into their laps, fine. You don’t turn away a pitcher like Zac Gallen if you can get him on a sweetheart deal. But they don’t NEED Gallen. And, apparently, the rumors of pursuing him are no longer worth the distractions they could create.

The post Chicago Cubs move on from Zac Gallen pursuit, per insider appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs finished their 2025 season with the clear understanding that they needed starting pitching. Despite a spirited effort in the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers, they fell in five games. And a big part of that fall had to do with a hobbled and inconsistent rotation.

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Coming into that series, the Cubs were down to two reliable starters– Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon (and Boyd, himself, kicked off the series with a rocky start). Shota Imanaga had fallen out of manager Craig Counsell’s circle of trust. Rookie phenom Cade Horton never even made it to the playoffs as a rib fracture late in the regular season put him on the shelf.

So, in advance of 2026, the Cubs declared a focus on fortifying their starting five, plus restocking a depleted bullpen. They did both.

They signed four veteran free agent relievers for the bullpen rebuild. Then, they pulled the trigger on the much-talked about trade with the Miami Marlins for emerging star Edward Cabrera.

Adding the 27-year-old Cabrera to the rotation is a big deal. Another big deal is the mid-season return of ace Justin Steele, who had elbow surgery last April.

But are Cabrera and a half-season of Steele enough to ensure the kind of starting pitching depth needed for a deep playoff run?

Maybe not.

Zac Gallen rumors won’t die

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Rumors keep flying about ongoing talks with free agent Zac Gallen and every indication is that there could be fire where the smoke is. Recently, MLB insider Bruce Levine doubled down on the fact that a Cubs-Gallen deal is not so far-fetched.

The 30-year-old Gallen is coming off a down year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, posting an ugly 4.83 ERA after early season struggles. But the righty is an established workhorse, with an average of 31.5 starts and 183.5 innings logged over the last four seasons.

On paper, he looks to be exactly what a Cubs rotation full of durability questions needs.

But what would it take for the Cubs to get Gallen and what kind of roster maneuvers would his acquisition require?

Spotrac is estimating Gallen to go for a 4-year, $74.8 million contract. MLB Trade Rumors nearly mirrors that estimation with a 4-year, $80 million projection.

There’s some indication, though, that Gallen might go for a shorter-term deal in hopes that a rebound 2026 season could lead to a more lucrative re-entry into the free agent market.

That’s probably where the Cubs come in.

How much would Gallen cost the Cubs?

If the market doesn’t suddenly shift with regards to Gallen, the Cubs could conceivably get him on a two or three-year contract, with a player opt-out at the end of each contract year, somewhere in the $20 million-per-season range.

The Cubs would suffer a draft penalty for signing Gallen, who turned down Arizona’s $22 million qualifying offer. But that is less of a concern than how and where to fit Gallen into the rotation.

The addition of Gallen would give the Cubs six starting pitchers prior to opening day, competing for five slots, with Steele on deck to return and quality swing men Colin Rea and Javier Assad waiting in the wings.

An incoming Gallen = A big trade ahead?

A surplus of starting pitching is a good problem to have, of course, but it’s a bit of a problem nonetheless. There have to be innings for their pitchers to build a working rhythm. If injuries don’t come into play, the Cubs would have at least seven starters vying for innings.

Could the acquisition of Gallen be the precursor to another significant trade for Chicago this offseason?

Imanaga is working on a $22 million qualifying offer for 2026 and has seemingly, to an extent, fallen out of favor with coaching and the front office. Taillon is due $18 million for this last year of his contract. Both Imanaga and Taillon will likely be leaving Chicago after 2026 and could conceivably be moved ahead of the finish of their contract. Assad, as the team’s second swing man, could also be moved, perhaps packaged with another player for a more significant haul. Gallen would probably be seen as an upgrade over Imanaga, Taillon, or Assad.

Gallen, meanwhile, seems just fine with staying with the Diamondbacks, apparently amenable to a contract keeping him in a city where he has strong roots.

“It’s been humbling,” Gallen recently told reporters at the WM Phoenix Open, referring to the outpouring of ‘stay here’ talk from locals. “That’s kind of been the constant thing the last couple of weeks. People have been like, ‘Hey, we’d really love for you to come back.’ I think people understand what Phoenix means to me…My wife is from here, I’m calling this home base now, so for us to be here would be awesome.”

In December, Gallen’s rotation-mate Merrill Kelly signed a 2-year, $40 million contract to stay in Arizona.

With or without Gallen, though, the Cubs are hoping to come into 2026 with significantly more depth and security in their starting rotation.

The post Chicago Cubs and Zac Gallen: The cost and the necessary next move appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs finished the 2025 season as, in a lot of ways, overachievers who eventually ran into a reality that knocked them from their playoff run.

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Despite adding right fielder Kyle Tucker, the team’s offense wasn’t expected to be as good as it was. Several players had career years, powering them to an especially strong first-half of season. The pitching staff also overachieved, delivering solid performance from a rotation that lost ace Justin Steele just four starts into the season and from a bullpen that seemed cobbled together from bits and pieces of other teams’ castoffs.

Eventually, though, the Cubs’ magic wore off and reality set in.

The offense flatlined for long stretch during the second half of the season and through the playoffs. The bullpen settled into mid-tier level. The starting rotation, meanwhile, carried on through injury until the wheels fell off the cart in the second round of the playoffs and the team was basically left with just two reliable starters in the NLDS.

A busy offseason

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This offseason, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office worked on fortifying the roster and addressing the issues that kept the team from greater success in 2025.

Third baseman Alex Bregman was signed, replacing the outgoing Kyle Tucker in the lineup. They pulled the trigger on a trade to acquire emerging powerhouse starter Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins. They restocked a depleted bullpen with four veteran free agent pickups (Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and Hunter Harvey). They also re-signed starter Shota Imanaga and reliever Caleb Thielbar on one-year deals.

Cubs get an “A” on offseason report card

The Cubs’ efforts were enough to earn them a stellar grade of “A” in a recent piece by former MLB exec Jim Bowden at The Athletic, giving them the same report card grade as the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. Only the Dodgers got a higher grade, with an A+ after another offseason spending big money for big acquisitions.

Per Bowden:

“The Cubs have had arguably their best offseason since president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer took over in November 2020. They bolstered their starting rotation by acquiring Edward Cabrera, who has three years of team control remaining. They rebuilt the bullpen, adding five new relievers. But they made their biggest splash with the Alex Bregman signing. In addition to what he brings to the field, Bregman gives the Cubs an instant upgrade in team leadership and clubhouse culture. They lost Kyle Tucker in free agency but still have one of the best defensive outfields with Gold Glovers Ian Happ and Pete Crow-Armstrong.”

Bowden, who is picking the Cubs to finish first in the NL Central Division, listed the team’s biggest question as Justin Steele and whether he can make a healthy, productive return by mid-season.

But when/if/how Steele returns is not even close to being the only question on this Cubs squad, which seems pretty much set for the start of the season.

Glaring questions remain

Pitching is still the biggest all-around concern for this team.

Starter Matthew Boyd, who managed to stay healthy last season, has a long history of injury, as do Cade Horton and the newcomer Cabrera, who weren’t able to stay healthy. Jameson Taillon and Imanaga had long IL stints last season. And, of course, Steele is coming off elbow surgery.

In the bullpen, meanwhile, Daniel Palencia seemed to lose his luster as the team’s closer late in the season in his first extended run as a closer at the MLB level. He also suffered a late-season shoulder injury that landed him on the IL.

Then there’s the reality that a lot of the position players on the 2025 team had career offensive years, like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, and Carson Kelly. There’s bound to be some regression in at least some of them.

Yes, it’s true that all teams have question marks and that health and/or consistent play is not a guarantee for anyone. Any team, any player can be a victim of circumstance. The best a front office can do is line up all its ducks in a row and hope they don’t get run over by fate.

Have the Cubs done enough to protect themselves from the inherent uncertainty of baseball fates? On paper, the answer seems to be “yes.” On paper.

The post Chicago Cubs get “A” grade for offseason moves amid glaring questions 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 made headlines when they pulled the trigger on the trade they had been tied to since last trade deadline. The deal to acquire Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins cost the team their no. 1 prospect Owen Caissie and two other solid young talents, but most everyone agreed that the price was worth paying.

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By most accounts, the hard-throwing 27-year-old righty is an emerging powerhouse starter who turned the corner on his progress last season. In acquiring him, they also got three years of team control at a discount price until he becomes a free agent at the end of the 2028 season.

Now, the Cubs get to drop Cabrera into a starting rotation that also includes Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, and Shota Imanaga, with injured ace Justin Steele possibly making his comeback before the All-Star break.

All good news, right?

Not exactly.

Cubs starting rotation gets ugly ZiPS projection

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A prominent MLB projection system doesn’t think all that highly of a starting rotation that’s generating widespread enthusiasm among Cubs fans.

The well-respected ZiPS is not convinced by the starting staff put together by Jed Hoyer and the front office, describing the admittedly deep rotation as also being “deep in meh.”

The Cubs’ rotation is projected to have just a combined 11.2 WAR next season, ranking them 19th in the league in starting pitching.

Dan Szymborski, the developer of the computer-based ZiPS projection system, elaborated on the projection of mediocrity:

“ZiPS sees the Cubs as having a very deep rotation that’s also very deep in unexcitement. There’s certainly some upside here, especially in Edward Cabrera, but ZiPS largely views the team as having a whole lot of broadly average starting pitching options. The good news here is that if Justin Steele has any setbacks, ZiPS likes the team’s replacement options. Even with especially bad luck in the injury department, the computer thinks Javier Assad will be adequate — it has him with an ERA considerably lower than his FIP, though some of that is thanks to the stellar Cubs defense — and that Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks would both be far more acceptable as starters if called into duty than they’ve shown so far. Heck, if Colin Rea or even Connor Noland were forced into starting some games, that wouldn’t be an apocalyptic scenario for the Cubs.”

Nearly the same or worse next season

Specifically, ZiPS sees Boyd and Horton falling somewhat flat next year, down slightly in WAR in 2026 (down .1 for Boyd and .3 for Horton). Imanaga and Taillon, meanwhile, are projected to achieve minor gains over last season ( up .4 WAR for Imanaga and .2 WAR for Taillon). Cabrera is projected to finish the season with a 1.9 WAR, which would place his impact on the team somewhere between what Boyd and Imanaga had in 2025. The projection system gives the returning Steele a 1.5 WAR, despite not knowing exactly when he might actually pitch.

But…

Being projected as a bottom-half starting rotation (along with the projection of a middle-of-the-pack bullpen) is not great news.

It should be taken into consideration, however, that this Cubs staff has a lot of intangibles swirling around it. Imanaga could conceivably have a nice rebound after a rough second half of 2025. Nobody is quite sure when Steele will return to full-time duty. Cabrera’s ability to perform in a new city under a new system is still an unknown factor.

There’s also the uncertainty surrounding a rotation full of durability and injury issues. A full year of a healthy Horton, for example, would make a major impact, even if his rookie year performance over the second half of the season proves to be an outlier run.

Overall, though, it’s just hard to look at the Cubs rotation, one through five, extending to Steele (with Colin Rea and Javier Assad as backups), and see extreme “meh.” We shall see.

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The Chicago Cubs bolstered their starting rotation by trading for emerging right-handed power pitcher Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins. Prior to that they retained the services of lefty Shota Imanaga and swing man Colin Rea, who performed very well as a starter last season.

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The Cubs got an added injection of rotation positivity this week with the latest update on injured ace Justin Steele’s progress.

Justin Steele recovery ahead of schedule, threw from mound

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Chicago Tribune Cubs beat writer Meghan Montemurro is reporting that the southpaw threw from the mound on Friday, for the first time since his April 18 elbow surgery and that his rehabilitation is actually ahead of schedule.

“There hasn’t really been any hiccups at all through this process,” Steele told Montemurro. “It’s felt good the entire time. If anything, we’re ahead of schedule. Kind of been pushing the envelope the entire time, wanting to get off the mound, push the footage back as far as the throwing progression goes. But, yeah, it’s full steam ahead.”

The 30-year-old Steele would double down on his optimism in an interview with Marquee Sports Network at this year’s Cubs convention:

“I threw off the mound yesterday for the first time…felt great, you know, I’ve been doing the normal throwing progression in the past however so many months, weeks and it’s been feeling really good…It felt really good to get off the slope, felt like back to normal…just ready to start building the volume off the mound again.”

No need to rush

Steele went down for the 2025 season after just four starts and after a stellar 7-inning shutout versus the Texas Rangers on April 7.

Technically, there was a possibility that he could be back from his surgery at the start of the season, but the feeling within the team seems to be that pushing his recovery is neither prudent nor necessary at the moment. Starting the 2026 season, the Cubs aim to carry a starting rotation consisting of Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, and Shota Imanaga, with Colin Rea and Javier Assad as possible fill-ins.

Chicago’s depth in starting pitching will allow Steele to continue his rehabilitation at a slower, more deliberate pace with the end goal being full recovery by the start of the dog days of summer and the team’s hopeful postseason run.

Full recovery at the perfect time

Per Montemurro:

“Steele expects his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, will want him to be on some level of an innings limit for 2026 and so he anticipates that will impact when he comes back, though the belief is it will be sometime early in the season. The Cubs envision playing in October and making a deeper run this year, lessening a rush to get Steele back as soon as possible, especially with the depth they have built for the rotation.”

As things stand right now with the Cubs’ starting rotation, barring injury or unexpected setbacks, the team seems to have solid depth. If the goal is a deep postseason push, having a proven pitching asset like Steele back on the mound and fully recovered will be an incredible boost for the team, akin to acquiring a front-of-rotation trade deadline starter just in time for the pennant race.

For the last four years, Steele has been the Cubs’ most reliable and consistently effective starter, posting a 3.18 ERA over 82 starts in that span of time. A healthy and fresh Justin Steele in the Cubs rotation, just in time for the most crucial part of the season, would be killer.

The post Chicago Cubs: Positive news on injured ace, rehab ahead of schedule appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs went out and made the deal this offseason for the pitcher they had been linked to since last season’s trade deadline. In a trade that cost them their top prospect Owen Caissie and two infield prospects, the Cubs brought aboard right-hander Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins.

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Despite the feel-good vibes generated by this acquisition and the tremendous upside with Cabrera, there are definite risks involved in this move. The 6-foot-5 power pitcher, in what many see as a breakthrough year, had to be paused twice last season due to arm issues and has a history of injury throughout his pro career.

In that regard, Cabrera fits in with the rest of the proposed Cubs rotation, which is also filled with question marks regarding durability and health.

A rotation full of durability questions

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The oft-injured Matthew Boyd, with his surgically-repaired arm, smashed all expectations last season by avoiding the IL and delivering 179.2 innings in the regular season and 9.2 innings in the playoffs. Shota Imanaga missed almost eight weeks with a hamstring issue that may or may not have thrown off his game for the rest of the season. Jameson Taillon had two separate stints on the IL last year. Rookie revelation Cade Horton, who has an extensive history of injury throughout college and the minors, went down with fractured ribs in late September and missed out on the postseason entirely. Ace Justin Steele, meanwhile, only managed four starts before a season-ending injury that required elbow surgery (It’s estimated that he could return to the rotation around mid-season).

So, what do you do with a rotation where every single starter carries a significant risk of injury?

Cubs considering a 6-man rotation?

The idea of going from a 5-man rotation to a 6-man rotation is currently being considered by the team, according to MLB insider Bruce Levine:

“Depending on pitching staff health, the Cubs will be exploring using a six man rotation this season. Past injuries to Imanaga, Steele and a veteran mix of Boyd and Taillon makes this a logical approach. Rea and Assad are excellent swing men. 7 bullpen guys is a challenge.”

The idea has been brought up before, as recently as early last season when the Cubs’ rotation also gave some signs of frailty. This year, though, there seems to be more substance behind the buzz– and maybe an even greater need to keep the starters healthy over the long haul as the team aims for an extended postseason run.

Sam Olbur of the Locked on Cubs podcast is all for this 6-man rotation proposal:

“I love the idea. I think it really benefits some of these guys. I think if Boyd had an extra day, his last five, six, seven, eight starts. If Shota got an extra day every start. Man, I really think that benefits these guys and I’m interested in seeing it. Even a guy like Cabrera, who battled his injuries…I think it just benefits everybody. The Cubs don’t really have a guy on their team…to where, you’re like, ‘every fifth day, that guy’s going seven innings, he’s throwing 200 innings a year.’ They really don’t have that guy.”

Maintaining the rotation over the long haul

And all of that is true. In the absence of a workhorse to eat innings, the Cubs will have to do whatever they can to make sure they have a strong core of starters throughout the pennant race and into the playoffs.

There will be the risk of throwing off the rhythm of starters used to a 5-man rotation. There will also be an added strain on the bullpen, which will then only be able to carry seven relievers rather than the customary eight.

The Cubs have depth when it comes to their rotation and at least three possible swing men– Colin Rea, Javier Assad, and Ben Brown– who can switch between starting duties and long relief. If the 6-man rotation idea is implemented, it may be put into play later in the season and maybe in spots where the schedule is less forgiving. It’s just as likely, though, that the starters’ innings will be monitored and long relief options employed more often.

As everyone learned last year when the Cubs’ rotation limped its way through the playoffs with only two viable starters, a team can never have enough pitching…and pitching options. Fortunately, the 2026 Cubs, barring a crazy rash of injuries, look to have the needed depth to make it over the long haul.

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The Chicago Cubs recently committed $13 million across three different pitchers, all of whom were arbitration eligible. Those three players, Justin Steele, Edward Cabrera, and Javier Assad were the only arbitration eligible players remaining, after Eli Morgan and Reese McGuire were non-tendered earlier this off-season.

Chicago Cubs commit $13 million to arbitration eligible pitchers Justin Steele, Edward Cabrera, and Javier Assad

According to multiple reports, Steele will be receiving $6.775 million in 2026, Cabrera $4.45 million, and Assad $1.8 million. Steele and Cabrera both agreed to one year deals whereas Assad also received a team option for 2027.

The Cubs have avoided arbitration with RHP Edward Cabrera ($4.45 M), LHP Justin Steele ($6.775 M) and RHP Javier Assad ($1.8 M), sources confirmed.@JesseRogersESPN was first on Cabrera, @PJ_Mooney on Steele.

— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) January 9, 2026

For reference, Steele earned $6.55 million a season ago, Cabrera, who was just recently acquired via trade, $1.95 million with the Miami Marlins, and Assad under $1.0 million as this off-season is his first time being arbitration eligible. Cabrera’s salary as he moves through two more additional seasons of arbitration will be worth monitoring. If he performs well this year, another big pay jump could be in store.

All three pitchers are expected to play important roles in 2026. Steele is continuing his rehab from elbow surgery, but when healthy, he is a true top-of-the-rotation arm. Cabrera also brings considerable upside and is coming off an impressive season in which he posted a 3.53 ERA. Meanwhile, Assad has consistently delivered strong results when called upon, making him a dependable option in the Cubs’ pitching mix.

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Heading into the 2025 MLB season, the Chicago Cubs felt that Justin Steele could end up being an ace-caliber pitcher for them. Unfortunately, that hope was short-lived.

Steele was only able to pitch in four games before an elbow injury ended his season prematurely.

As the team entered the offseason, adding a starting pitcher was high on the wish list. However, it’s quite possible that Steele returning to the mound could be exactly what the Cubs need to take the next step from a starting pitching perspective.

While there haven’t been many updates regarding Steele’s current status, the star pitcher took to social media to share an update about himself.

In a post on X, Steele shared a two-word update along with a video of his progress.

“Feelin Good,” the post read.

Last season in the four games he was able to pitch, Steele was off to a solid start. He compiled a 3-1 record to go along with a 4.76 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, a 4.2 K/BB ratio, and 22.2 innings pitched. Back in 2024, he went 5-5 in 24 starts, recorded a 3.07 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP, ended with a 3.6 K/BB ratio, and pitched 134.2 innings.

At 30 years old, Steele still has plenty of high-caliber baseball left in his career. He simply needs to stay healthy.

When he’s at full health, Chicago has one of the elite starting pitchers in baseball from a talent perspective. Coming back at 100 percent would give the Cubs a much better chance of competing for a World Series.

Hopefully, the progress and updates continue to be good. This is great news for Chicago and hopefully fans will get to watch him back on the field at full strength during the upcoming 2026 MLB season.

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The Chicago Cubs vowed to be fully focused on pitching this offseason after a playoff run that ended, in great part, due to a lack of depth in both the rotation and bullpen. So far, they’ve lived up to their promise.

More News: Chicago Cubs young stars projected to have disastrous 2026

They settled up with lefty Shota Imanaga, bringing back the starter on a mutually agreed-upon one-year, $22 million qualifying offer deal. Chicago, tasked with rebuilding almost their entire bullpen, also signed veteran free agent reliever Phil Maton to a two-year, $14.5 million contract (with an option for a third year).

Obviously, though, there’s a lot more work to be done.

Chicago Cubs pitching needs

More News: Chicago Cubs to pursue trade over free agency in search of impact arm?

A conservative estimate would be that the Cubs need to add at least 3-4 sure-thing arms to the bullpen, as well as some quality depth pieces. They also need to add at least one more high-end starter to their rotation.

The Cubs had been linked to former Cubs prospect Dylan Cease, but the hard-throwing righty just signed a 7-year, $210 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Other pitchers on a Cubs wish list, like Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez, seem more like fan fiction at this point.

But one free agent starting pitching name has kept popping up in Cubs talk this offseason and it might be nice to feel that, in this case, where there’s smoke, there’s at least the inkling of a fire.

Michael King, linked to the Cubs again

Michael King, the Padres’ second-best departing starter behind Cease, remains a potential Cubs target and, at the very least, a logical fit for the team’s needs.

Andy McCullough of The Athletic, writing about one Black Friday 2025 free-agent deal for each MLB team, ties the 30-year-old King to the Cubs.

Per McCullough:

“The Cubs may well get out-bid for the services of King by a team more willing to pay top dollar for a talented pitcher who has not yet proved he can handle the rigor of a full season as a starter. But King has an elevated ceiling, perhaps the highest of any pitcher on the market, and likely won’t require a long-term deal.”

Not too long ago, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney, also of The Athletic, talked up the Cubs’ apparent interest in the free agent:

“Michael King is another pitcher the Cubs have on their radar, viewing him as a starter with big upside when healthy. His work ethic, intelligence and feel for pitching are attributes that the Cubs previously targeted with free agents such as Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd.”

High-ceiling, significant risk

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden projects that King could go for $75 million over three years. It’s a price that would stretch the boundaries of the Cubs’ per-year desire to spend. However, the relative short 3-year contract would be appealing to their conservative sensibilities as well.

But, while King’s ceiling is high and his ability to miss bats would be welcomed, there’s also some considerable risk involved in such a deal, hence only a projected 3-year contract.

The former reliever followed up his stellar first year as a full-time starter with a 2025 hampered by a nerve issue in his right shoulder and, later, a knee injury. The physical issues limited him to just 15 starts, although he still managed to finish the year with a very solid 3.44 ERA.

When healthy, King is elite. In 2024, he finished the year with a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts over 173.2 innings. The question with him is whether he’ll get back to being healthy in 2026 and beyond. It’s a similar risk to the one the Cubs took in signing the injury prone Matthew Boyd to a 2-year, $29 million deal, just at a higher AAV with, arguably, a greater upside attached to King’s success.

There’s a lot to like about a possible King-Cubs marriage. The promise of a returning Justin Steele and a complete year of a fully-actualized Cade Horton would take some of the pressure off the incoming arm as he settles into his new home. In a best case scenario, a pitcher like King could make the difference between targeting a playoff berth and making a legitimate run at a championship.

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The Chicago Cubs started out the offseason facing the possibility that they might need to bring aboard as many as seven or eight major league roster-ready pitchers before spring training. That’s an especially tall order for a team that is planning on a return to the playoffs and on topping their 2025 performance there.

More News: Chicago Cubs: 8 possible fits from the list of MLB non-tendered

Of last season’s bullpen mainstays, only Daniel Palencia is guaranteed to be returning. In the starting rotation, there was uncertainty regarding Shota Imanaga’s future as the Cubs and the Japanese star’s representatives danced around with contract-related issues.

Two pieces of the team’s pitching puzzle, however, have fallen into place well before the winter free agent frenzy. Imanaga will be back for at least one more season after accepting the Cubs’ $22 million qualifying offer for 2026. Veteran reliever Phil Maton was also signed to a two-year deal.

Pieces added to the puzzle

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Imanaga will return to the rotation to join Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, and Jameson Taillon ahead of opening day. Colin Rea and Javier Assad will then be pushed to the bullpen where they can do long relief and jump into the rotation if/when they’re needed. Justin Steele, still recovering from elbow surgery last April, should make his return around mid-season.

Palencia and Maton, meanwhile, will make up the back-end of the bullpen as closer and set up man, at least for now.

There’s obviously more work to be done for a Cubs team looking to fortify its pitching. And, according to several MLB insiders, the team is actually willing to throw some money around this offseason to do that. Still targeted are a front-of-rotation starter and several bullpen pieces.

Chicago Cubs will be aggressive in pursuit of pitching, per insiders

On Sunday, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic talked about what they’ve been hearing regarding the Cubs and the targeting of pitchers this winter:

“The Cubs will continue to pursue a starting pitcher who can compete at the top of their rotation. It will be determined whether that addition comes through trading for a pitcher such as Edward Cabrera or signing a free agent who rejected a qualifying offer, a group that includes Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Michael King, Ranger Suárez and Zac Gallen. But adding an impactful starting pitcher remains the goal…

If the Cubs didn’t trust Imanaga enough to use him in their final game in October, then they certainly can’t stop looking for more pitching and better options to upgrade a playoff team.”

Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation, meanwhile, offers some optimism in mentioning, per his source, that the Cubs might actually be serious about opening up their pocketbook:

“I’m here to tell you today that they aren’t done yet. According to a source, the Cubs remain engaged in the impact free-agent relief market even after signing Phil Maton last night. Nothing is thought to be close, but Maton won’t likely be their only established relief signing this offseason. In fact, it sounds like they’re aiming even higher than Maton for their next target.”

A welcomed deviation

If accurate, all of this represents a departure from standard operating procedure with the Cubs, especially when it comes to pitching. Ownership and the front office have shied away from spending big money on quality arms that demand multi-year deals, although they did make a substantial effort in trying to sign closer Tanner Scott last winter.

Chicago could’ve easily fallen back into familiar habits this offseason. They could’ve justified standing pat in the rotation with Imanaga coming back and Steele due to return. They could’ve also assumed their usual approach to bullpen building, shopping for a mass of bargains and reclamation projects to provide a pool of talent from which to draw all season.

A reported willingness to be spenders is a welcomed deviation from business as usual. It shouldn’t be assumed, however, that the Cubs will completely buck their conservative nature and go all-in on a top-of-the-market starter and closer.

However, with $40-$50 million to spend and the understanding that they’ll have to spend to make a deep playoff run next season before all of the uncertainty facing them in 2027 (with so many player contracts expiring and a labor dispute brewing), some bigger-than-usual moves should be in order.

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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?

More News: Chicago Cubs urged to reconsider possible interest in Dylan Cease

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, if they’re serious about making a deep playoff run in 2026 and possibly even having a chance at a championship, need to get serious about their pitching.

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Being serious means that they have to stop shopping exclusively in the bargain bin, looking for reclamation projects and fringe arms on a budget, gambling on pleasant surprises. The Cubs were very fortunate last season that the bet on Matthew Boyd paid off and that Cade Horton came up from the minors to have a remarkable run in the starting rotation. Colin Rea also performed above expectations in 2025.

If things had played out according to reasonable expectations from Boyd, Horton, and even Rea, Chicago may have finished lower in the standings and nowhere near a playoff spot.

This coming season, the team can’t count on Boyd and Horton– two players with significant histories of injury– to replicate last season’s success and Rea, by all accounts, may find himself in the bullpen, working long relief and spot starting. Shota Imanaga, meanwhile, may be gone altogether, after the Cubs declined his option.

Pitching as the primary focus

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Sure, Justin Steele is due back from elbow surgery at some point in the season. But the Cubs are going to need much more than half-a-season of a rehabbed Steele and crossed fingers that everyone else holds up. They’ll also, by the way, be tasked with rebuilding almost their entire bullpen. That’s why the team, itself, has declared pitching it’s primary focus this winter.

“We’re gonna have an active offseason,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters at the GM meetings in Las Vegas. “Take that for what it’s worth. I think the largest focus will be on pitching; I think that’s obvious looking at our depth chart. We’re in pretty good position on the position player side; on the pitching side, we’re thinner.”

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report is taking Hoyer at his word and predicting that the Cubs will actually go deep in their free agent spending, specifically when it comes to starting pitchers.

Targeting an ace as well as a veteran?

First, Kelly projects the Cubs to land lefty ace Framber Valdez, formerly of the Astros.

Per Kelly:

“The Cubs probably need to find a way to add multiple impact starters to go with Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton. Framber Valdez would be a good name to start with…

Since the start of the 2022 season, Valdez is second among all starters in innings pitched (767.2) and fifth in WAR (16.5), per FanGraphs…

Valdez is not without faults as a free agent. First of all, he’s entering his age-32 season, so he’s a couple years older than some of the other arms available this winter, such as Suárez, Cease and Gallen. Secondly, while he was an All-Star this past year, he struggled in the second half of the season, posting a 5.20 ERA after the Midsummer Classic.”

Kelly estimates the Valdez contract at $114 million over four years with a $25 million club option for 2030.

The analyst also ties the Cubs to right-hander Lucas Giolito, as the veteran’s fall-back option behind the Yankees. He estimates the free agent contract of the former White Sox mainstay to be two-years at $43 million with a $20 million club option for 2028. The 31-year-old had a bounce back year in 2025, posting a 3.41 ERA over 26 starts after three consecutive seasons full of injury and inconsistency.

A rebuilt Chicago Cubs starting rotation

Adding Valdez and Giolito to the Cubs’s starting five would certainly signify a major shift in club philosophy regarding spending on pitchers. It would also fortify the rotation ahead of 2027 when Boyd and Jameson Taillon could be gone via free agency.

A rotation of Valdez, Boyd, Horton, Taillon, and Steele, with Giolito worked into the mix somewhere, would be elite. It would also free up names such as Javier Assad and Ben Brown to be moved via trade for bullpen talent and/or a quality role player for the bench.

But banking on the Cubs spending $157 million for six years of pitching reads a little like fan fiction, given the team’s historically frugal ways. Maybe one or the other could be signed, with hopes and prayers affixed to them targeting Valdez over Giolito. But, even then, it’s hard to be optimistic.

Maybe the team’s big pitching acquisition will come via trade, as rumored. Maybe they’ll just fall back on working the fringes of free agency, looking to grab the right arm at the right time for the most team-friendly contract. As always, time will tell.

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MLB’s first major offseason date, the tender deadline, is fast approaching. For the Chicago Cubs, no drama is expected, as they have just four arbitration-eligible players this winter. Barring a surprise, the front office is likely to handle the deadline with minimal movement and a straightforward set of decisions.

No Chicago Cubs drama is expected at the tender deadline

November 21 is the deadline for teams to tender contracts to players for the 2026 season. The decision typically impacts arbitration-eligible players the most, since their salaries are higher than those of pre-arbitration players. Anyone who is non-tendered becomes a free agent immediately afterward.

This year, catcher Reese McGuire and pitchers Justin Steele, Eli Morgan, and Javier Assad are the only Cubs players eligible for arbitration. According to MLB Trade Rumors, McGuire is projected to earn $1.9 million in 2026, Steele $6.55 million, Morgan $1.1 million, and Assad $1.9 million. All four figures fall well within a reasonable range, making it unlikely that anyone will be non-tendered as a payroll causality.

Of the group, McGuire is the most likely to be non-tendered. Chicago already has Miguel Amaya, Carson Kelly, and Moises Ballesteros on the 40-man roster, so keeping McGuire, who cannot be optioned to the minors, offers little roster flexibility.

Meanwhile, Steele and Assad are all but certain to be tendered contracts. There might be an argument to part ways with Morgan, whose 2025 season was derailed by injury, but given the significant turnover in the bullpen, it would be prudent for the Cubs to keep him on the roster.

Related: Cubs Pete Crow-Armstrong makes massive 2026 decision

With only four arbitration-eligible players and minimal tough decisions to make, the Cubs are poised for a quiet tender deadline. Non-tendering McGuire seems likely, while Steele, Assad, and Morgan are expected to return, providing stability and continuity as the team heads into the 2026 season. Overall, fans shouldn’t expect drama, just some routine roster management.

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The Chicago Cubs finished the 2025 season, maybe, two or three players short of where they needed to be for a shot at a championship.

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As things turned out, their strained and stressed pitching staff limped their way to Game Five of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers where the on-again, off-again offense let them down one last time before elimination.

Few really thought that Chicago had a shot at a World Series bid, but getting so relatively close with such a clear picture of what they need to get there should provide a blueprint for the team’s plans this offseason.

Uncertainty in the face of an MLB lockout

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Unfortunately, MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement ends after the coming season and a lockout is widely expected for 2027. Thoughts are that this coming labor dispute will be a long and ugly one, too, as ownership and labor are already digging in for a war over a possible play to implement a salary cap.

And the Cubs, ever budget-minded and risk-averse, will likely act accordingly this year, reluctant to entertain the idea of multi-year, big-money free agent deals with the possibility of losing all (or most) of 2027.

This means that the Cubs will probably skirt around the fringes of free agency, looking to pick up as many one-year deals as possible to fill holes for the 2026 season. It also means, by the way, that there’s almost no hope of re-signing right fielder Kyle Tucker, who could land a contract somewhere in the 10-year, $400 million neighborhood.

The Chicago Cubs’ 2026 spending plans revealed?

The team already tipped their hand just days following the World Series by declining the 3-year extension of Shota Imanaga. Some will point out that Cubs chariman Tom Ricketts and President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, over the last few years, have built the team around this idea that baseball may lose a full year in the near future. With the exception of Dansby Swanson, they have no big-money contracts extended past 2026. Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Carson Kelly, and Reese McGuire are all set to become free agents after the 2026 season.

“The way we’ve structuralized contracts, I think has been shorter, and I think that’s been by design,” Hoyer said in his season wrap-up press conference. “We have the opportunity to use those dollars really wisely to continue to get better.”

Hoyer also talked about the specter of the impending labor dispute and what that will mean to his team and to baseball in general

“The truth of the matter is, we don’t know what the future holds in that regard, and certainly those decisions are going to happen well above me, and those conversations will happen for a long time,” Hoyer said. “So I think you can pay attention to it. I think it’s something that you have to consider.

“But we don’t know what’s going to happen, and there’s real uncertainty there for us and for 29 other teams.”

Realistic Cubs free agent pitching targets

With that in mind, fans should rule out the acquisition of Dylan Cease, Ranger Suarez, Alex Bregman or any other high-end free agent this offseason. If the Cubs were reluctant to entertain deals with talent from the deep end of the free agent talent pool before, they’re bound to entirely shy away from doing so this year (as well as next year).

So, what will the Cubs do to fortify their starting rotation and rebuild a bullpen that will be almost entirely lost via free agency?

Expect a wave of one-year deals to plug holes as temporary stopgaps until the labor uncertainty is resolved.

Uber-veteran Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer could be pursued to take the spot of an outgoing Shota Imanaga. At 42 and 41, respectively, nobody will offer them more than one one-year deal at a time and either could be had for roughly what Imanaga would’ve made this coming season. The Cubs could explore similar one-year deals with Lucas Giolito or Tyler Mahle, who might currently represent too much risk for anything beyond a single season contract. They could also go after Americans Anthony Kay and Foster Griffin, who may be looking to come back to the states after successful runs in Japan, as well as Cody Ponce, who had a breakthrough 2025 season as a starter in Korea.

Like it or not, the Cubs’ biggest pitching addition this coming year may be the May/June return of Justin Steele following elbow surgery.

As for the bullpen, Hoyer may be set on building from scratch, going with his usual strategy of acquiring castoffs and rehab projects while depending on some good fortune from within the system to make up the relief corps. The labor uncertainty, though, may scare some teams away from multi-year deals for bullpen arms. In that case, the Cubs could swoop in on guys like Luke Weaver, Gregory Soto, Seranthony Dominguez, or Tyler Rogers if these relievers had to settle on one-year contracts. The uncertain market could possibly even open the door for a one-year return of 2025 Cubs Drew Pomeranz, Caleb Thielbar, Michael Soroka, or Aaron Civale, although Brad Keller might be lost to a more daring buyer this offseason.

All in all, 2027 looms large for all of MLB. For the cautious Cubs, though, it might be the exact opposite of a call to arms. It may be a call to a frustratingly conservative offseason.

The post Chicago Cubs: Expect disappointing free agent offseason with 2027 MLB lockout looming appeared first on ChiCitySports.

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.

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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

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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 finished their 2025 campaign with a tough loss after a gutsy and defiant postseason run that saw them twice stare down and get past elimination games in two separate series.

More News: Chicago Cubs pitcher, defense win big honors

Even with the offense not firing on all cylinders and the pitching worn to the point of being threadbare, the team showed championship-level gumption in fighting right through to the very end.

But it can’t be ignored just how roughed up the pitching staff looked as they limped into the last game of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers. By the end of that series, the Cubs were down to just two trustworthy starting pitchers in Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd– and Boyd was just one start removed from an awful appearance in Game One of the series. The bullpen, meanwhile, looked uneven, with maybe three relievers still within manager Craig Counsell’s circle of trust.

One wonders how different things would’ve looked in the playoffs had Chicago brought some real pitching depth into the postseason.

A focus on pitching depth

More News: Chicago Cubs 2026 free agent rumors showcase the team’s worst instincts

The focus this offseason has to be on bringing that depth to the Cubs. It has to be a focus that is actually a serious one, involving proven high-end talent and not bargain bin acquisitions and rehabilitation projects.

With plenty of money to play with and right fielder Kyle Tucker likely leaving for greener (more generous) pastures via free agency this winter, the Cubs will have no excuse to shy away from the deep end of the free agent talent pool, especially when there will be several big ticket ace-level starting pitchers available.

Time will tell if the frugal Cubs ownership will green light any extravagant pitching purchases this offseason. History tells us that they won’t. But that’s not stopping the first offseason free agent rumor from circulating– one which ties the Cubs to former Cub draft pick Dylan Cease.

Chicago Cubs interested in Dylan Cease?

In a recent interview on 670 The Score’s Inside the Clubhouse, MLB Insider Bruce Levine talked up the buzz he’s hearing regarding Chicago’s early interest in the San Diego Padres ace.

“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, as transcribed by Bleacher Nation’s Michael Cerami. “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.”

Before one begins to celebrate and save up for a Dylan Cease Cubs jersey, it should be noted how often “The Cubs are interested in” offseason rumors pop up for players they were never actually all that close to signing at all. So, take Levine’s report with the appropriate grain of salt. When the dust settles on a Cease deal, we may eventually find out that the Cubs, once again, were offering too little money over too few years to be serious competitors for his services.

Still, it’s hard not to dream of a rotation with Cease locked in at no. 1 or no. 2 for the next half-decade or so.

Cease would fit right in

He had a down year in 2025, posting a 4.55 ERA over 32 starts and turning in uneven performances throughout the regular season. However, the physical aspects of his game seem fine and he finished the season strong, posting a 2.76 ERA from September 1 through the playoffs (where he blanked the Cubs at Wrigley Field through 3.2 inning). He’ll only be thirty years of age on opening day and previous proof of success and durability will nab him a lucrative contract somewhere.

For the Cubs, he’s most definitely the kind of power, miss-bats pitcher the team desperately needs. He’d also provide plenty of protection in case there’s any regression in Boyd or Cade Horton or if a returning Justin Steele can’t find his groove.

Cubs fans shouldn’t hold their breath when it comes to the signing of Cease. It’s sure fun, though, to imagine what the team would look like if they did.

The post Chicago Cubs tied to big-ticket free agent, per MLB insider appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs have a pitching problem– and it’s a pretty considerable one.

More News: Chicago Cubs president non-committal on 2026 budget-related issues

Looking back at the end of their 2025 playoff run, it was almost a face-saving thing that they got eliminated in Game Five of the NLDS by the Milwaukee Brewers. There would’ve been a blood bath in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers if the Cubs’ pitching staff, such as it was at the end of the divisional series, had rolled up against Ohtani and company.

By the end of the five-game series against the Brewers, the Cubs had decided to shy away from using starter Shota Imanaga and were down to a two-man rotation of Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd (who, himself, was one start removed from a terrible postseason outing).

Chicago Cubs pitching limped to the 2025 finish line

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They could’ve used Colin Rea as a rotation piece and probably would’ve given Imanaga another start, just out of necessity. There were also rumblings over rookie phenom Cade Horton coming back from a fractured rib for the NLCS, but that had to be considered the longest of long shots.

There were some issues in the bullpen, also, as high-leverage guy Daniel Palencia had looked relatively pedestrian while Andrew Kittredge and Michael Soroka got touched up a bit.

So, yeah, things would’ve gotten pretty ugly as the Cubs’ pitching came limping into the NLCS.

However, as much as fans would like to think otherwise, it’s not likely that the Cubs are going to do a whole lot this offseason to make themselves significantly deeper and better in the pitching department.

Don’t expect an ace free agent acquisition

First, remove the notion that Chicago is digging deep into their pockets to pull a stud starting pitcher from the top of the free agency pool. The Cubs aren’t spending monster money on Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, or even Zac Gallen. There’s also little possibility of a monster trade to bring someone like Sandy Alcantara aboard.

Most likely, ownership and the front office will count on a returning Justin Steele (who could be back from his elbow surgery by opening day or late-spring) as their top 2026 starting rotation addition and the picking up of Imanaga’s option as their top financial maneuver. In doing so, they’ll also be crossing their fingers that Boyd doesn’t regress, that Horton stays healthy and dominant, and that Imanaga finds his form again.

The conservative-minded Cubs will be content with a front five of Steele, Boyd, Imanaga, Horton, and Taillon with Colin Rea, Ben Brown, and Javier Assad as the fall-backs. On the surface, that IS a pretty solid rotation, but there’s also a lot of history of injury and inconsistency in that group as well.

Bullpen business as usual

In the bullpen, there will be massive turnover as five of the eight relievers on the NLDS roster are eligible for free agency and one (Kittredge) has a big $9 million team option over his head. Given the team’s history on such matters, it appears unlikely that bullpen standouts Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, and Caleb Thielbar will be brought back on a significantly beefed-up contract.

This means that the Cubs could very well see Palencia and Brown as the only holdover bullpen pieces from the end of 2025. The team will count greatly on the healthy return of Eli Morgan and the rebound of guys like Porter Hodge and Jordan Wicks. They’ll also look to once again piece together a solid bullpen with reclamation projects and strategic bargain bin one-year free agent pickups.

There could be a plethora of late-inning, closer-capable arms available this offseason— like Edwin Diaz, Robert Suarez, Ryan Helsley, Devin Williams, and Kyle Finnegan– but the Cubs will likely once again err on the side of frugality and roll the dice on Palencia, hoping that he doesn’t experience significant regression from his first year as a closer at the major league level.

If there are any deals or free agent pickups this offseason, expect them to be relatively minor. Barring unexpected injury, they’ll be fine with their starting rotation and insistent on their ability to build a competent bullpen on the cheap.

Unfortunately, this mindset could see the Cubs suffering through the same kind of postseason dilemmas they saw this season.

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The Chicago Cubs had a massively successful 2025– and that’s not even in reference to the actual team, which fought its way to Game 5 of the NLDS before being eliminated by the Milwaukee Brewers.

In terms of bottom-line success, the Chicago Cubs, as a business, were significantly more successful than the on-field product.

The Ricketts family ownership made a killing this past season. Attendance was up about 1200 per home game, despite a significant boost in ticket prices. It was announced that the Cubs would host the 2027 All-Star Game. And then there was the two-series playoff run and all the extra revenue associated with those extra eight games. The team’s entertaining run this year will also likely boost overall revenue next season as well.

As the focus shifts to next year, however, fans will be (rightfully) asking how much the Cubs ownership will invest back into the team in hopes of pushing even further.

As things sit right now, hopes are not high.

Jed Hoyer talks Chicago Cubs money-related issues

On Wednesday, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer addressed the media in an end-of-season wrap-up. Budget issues were a prominent topic of conversation.

“As far as the budget stuff, I haven’t had those conversations yet,” Hoyer told media. “I think we’ll sit down over the next two or three weeks and go through that. But yeah, I’m confident that we’re going to have enough money to field a good team. That’s the simplest thing I’ll say, but as far as details, I don’t know yet.”

The vague “enough money to field a good team” doesn’t exactly instill confidence in a Cubs base that has seen lots of budget-minded bargain shopping over the last several years. Despite being a top four MLB revenue generator, the Cubs are routinely a middle-of-the-pack spender when it comes to talent acquisition.

Hoyer, himself, expressed a degree of frustration this past offseason when working to put together a postseason-viable team under the Ricketts’ budget limitations.

“We took it as a real challenge,” Hoyer told reporters back in February. “We knew we had certain constraints. How do we work within those constraints and continue to get better at the same time? Only time will tell if we were successful. But I feel good about what we accomplished this offseason, given that we had some constraints.”

After having signed a multi-year contract extension mid-season, Hoyer has been more diplomatic with his wording, but the core issue remains.

Kyle Tucker, bullpen free agencies

The most headline-friendly issue facing the team this offseason centers around right fielder Kyle Tucker and whether he’ll be lost to free agency amid a multi-team bidding war.

“Kyle, I think he had a good experience here, for sure,” Hoyer commented, in understandably non-committal corporate-speak. “I think he enjoyed playing in Chicago, and I think certainly Wrigley and our fans made a huge impact. But ultimately, I think Kyle has a big decision and I think that he’s earned the right to not only be a free agent, but to be a coveted free agent…

“Obviously now, we’re into free agency and…we’ll be having those conversations. Like I said a bunch of times during the season, everyone could use a guy like Kyle Tucker. Everyone gets better by having a player like that. We’ll certainly be having those conversations.”

Aside from the Tucker issue, the bullpen will need an almost complete rebuild as 2025 relief anchors Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, and Caleb Thielbar join Michael Soroka, Aaron Civale, Taylor Rogers, and Ryan Brasier in becoming free agents.

Arbitration and extensions

Rehabbing ace Justin Steele, catcher Reese McGuire, reliever Eli Morgan, and swing man Javier Assad will also be arbitration-eligible. The decision will have to be made to either pay up or non-tender.

The team will also have to make some huge decisions at the end of next season as the contracts of Nico Hoerner, Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, and Carson Kelly are all due to expire.

Hoyer talked extensions during Wednesday’s press conference, but shied away from going into any detail.

“My hope and expectation is that we’ll have extension talks with a number of players this offseason,” Hoyer told media. “My hope and expectation is that you never find out about it. But, yes, we have a number of players we’d like to keep long-term and we’ll have those conversations.”

With clean books going forward (the only contract extending past 2026 is Dansby Swanson’s) and a budget well below the luxury tax threshold, there’s no reason NOT to be all-in when it comes to investing in some high-end talent this offseason.

If Tucker is allowed to walk, as is widely believed, there will be even more money in the till for top shelf incoming talent.

The question is whether the Ricketts will open up their wallet to push forward or if they’ll be content with the team being just competitive enough to keep Wrigley full and the playoffs as a possibility.

The Cubs are clearly just one or two steps away from a World Series reality. Their moves this offseason will determine whether they’re serious about getting there.

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The Chicago Cubs are, at this late stage of the season, being given a 100% likelihood of making the playoffs. They are also 3.5 games ahead of the San Diego Padres when it comes to taking the Wild Card top seed, which would give them home field advantage through the three-game Wild Card series.

That doesn’t mean, however, that the front office isn’t eyeing next season and beyond.

Given the quality of this Cubs team and the holes that it needs to address, free agency will loom large in their future.

Free agency looms large in Chicago Cubs’ future

On the minus side, it’s looking more and more likely that four-time All-Star Kyle Tucker might be a one season-and-done asset after coming from the Houston Astros in a 3-for-1 trade this past offseason. With heavy-spending teams such as the Dodgers, Yankees, and Red Sox, among others, possibly in on the bidding, it seems that the frugal Cubs ownership may be outbid for the right fielder’s services.

On the plus side, though, there’s an opportunity for the under-budget Cubs to add some truly impactful free agent assets for the 2026 campaign.

Jackson Roberts of SI.com recently wrote a piece spotlighting the top 2026 free agents and where he believes they may be headed. He tied two quality starters to the Cubs (while also predicting that Tucker will sign with the Dodgers).

Two pitchers tied to the Cubs

The first name Roberts mentioned is former Cubs prospect and current San Diego Padre Dylan Cease.

Per Roberts:

“Don’t sleep on Cease’s potential to shift the power dynamics of the league next season. He may not have an impressive ERA this season (4.59 after Saturday’s start), but he’s the only pitcher in all of baseball to tally at least 200 strikeouts in each of the last five seasons.

It doesn’t seem likely that the Padres’ financial situation will allow them to retain the 29-year-old righty, but there’s a National League rival with money to spend who could really use a right-handed starter.”

Cease was curiously dangled over the trade market near this year’s trade deadline, but the trigger on a deal was never pulled. The 7-year veteran was also rumored to be on the trade market in the offseason.

Cease, who has a 3.88 ERA in 7 big league season, has spent a career going up and down when it comes to performance, alternating from elite-level to mid-tier performance in alternating years. This season has been one of the mid-tier years.

Also mentioned in connection with the Cubs was Jack Flaherty of the Detroit Tigers, who has a $20 million player option for the coming season and a 3.80 ERA over 9 seasons to certify his worth. The thought is that the 29-year-old may opt out of his contract and test the free agent market in search of a multi-year contract.

If he does that, Roberts feels that the Cubs could swoop in to sign him up:

“Flaherty hasn’t had his best season, posting a 4.69 ERA through 29 starts. The strikeouts are still there, though, and with only $20 million on the table if he accepts his player option, it feels more likely that he’ll bank on the market valuing him enough to squeeze out a multi-year deal.”

Logical or not?

The two right-handers, Cease and Flaherty, would be welcomed assets to any team, really.

The question with the Cubs is whether they’ll spend the money and commit to the contract years when they currently have Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, Colin Rea, and Javier Assad on staff as starters, with Justin Steele coming back from elbow surgery at some point next season.

On the other hand, though, Boyd, Taillon, and Rea are due to be free agents after the 2026 season and there’s no guarantee on Steele being the same after his injury. Adding at least one more quality starter to the rotation wouldn’t be unwise.

For now, 2026 is speculation as this 2025 team attempts to make a deep playoff run.

The post Chicago Cubs linked to two high-end free agent starting pitchers by analyst appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs got some more bad news on Saturday when star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong fouled a ball off his knee and eventually removed himself from the game.

The “oh no” moment came just days after star right fielder Kyle Tucker was removed from Tuesday’s game with left calf discomfort.

To make matters worse, both suffered their injuries just as they seemed to be crawling their way out of extended slumps. Tucker hasn’t played since Tuesday. Crow-Armstrong isn’t in Sunday’s lineup and is also listed as day-to-day, likely to sit out several games.

Tucker and PCA sidelined

“It’s new pain,” Crow-Armstrong told reporters after the frustrating 2-1 loss to the Nationals at Wrigley Field. “There’s definitely [stuff] that’s hurt worse, but this hurts. And the legs are just funny. That’s kind of how I help the cause on a daily basis, is with my legs. It was a good stinger, for sure.”

When it comes to Tucker, manager Craig Counsell is reporting some progress on the calf injury and feels that a stint on the IL wouldn’t be necessary.

“That’s what we’re dealing with is we think we have time to let this heal without putting him on the injured list,” Counsell said. “We think he’ll be ready before what an injured list [stint] would cost him. And we also, with having the extra player in September, feel like we’re not playing short, really. Don’t feel like, from a roster perspective, it hurts us at all.”

In the meantime, though, the Cubs will have to make do without two of their starting outfielders and, arguably, their two primary offensive assets.

The bad luck Chicago Cubs

If you’ve been following Chicago’s season even semi-closely, this latest double dose of bad news falls right into the pattern of Cubs 2025 bad luck.

Here are just some of the lowlights:

• They lost their ace Justin Steele in early April with an elbow injury, just four starts into his season. He’ll be out of commission until about mid-2026 at the absolute earliest.
• About a month later, they lost co-ace Shota Imanaga to a hamstring injury for close to two months.
• Workhorse starter Jameson Taillon has now had two separate stints on the IL, missing more than two months of the season.
• Starter Javier Assad suffered two oblique injuries in spring training that kept him down until August 12.
• Trade deadline pitching acquisition Michael Soroka only managed to last two innings in his first start as a Cub before going down with a shoulder strain.
• Kyle Tucker suffered a hairline fracture in his hand in June, which spiraled into a mechanical hiccup and led to a career-worst extended slump that lasted nearly two months.
• Tucker’s decline coincided with an almost team-wide slump that saw Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, and Michael Busch all settle into a funk.
• Catcher Miguel Amaya, after having a breakthrough first half of the season, went down with an oblique injury that cost him almost three months. One game into his return, he suffered a freak accident hustling to first base and may be out for the rest of the season with a severe ankle sprain.

A team of destiny or despair?

It’s just been one of those seasons. And the recent Tucker and PCA setbacks fall right into that pattern of tough luck.

But, even with all the bad mojo floating around, the Cubs have still have the fifth best record in all the majors and are a lock to make the playoffs, likely as the NL Wild Card top seed.

So, what does that say about this 2025 team? Are they a potentially great team hobbled by misfortune or are they a very good team rising above the bad luck?

If you ask the Cubs, themselves, they’ll proudly talk up their resilience as a unit and their confidence in the team as a whole.

“We all go through hard times,” pitcher Matthew Boyd said, back when Tucker was at the height of his offensive struggles. “But that’s why there’s 26 of us in there. We pick each other up.”

The post The bad luck Chicago Cubs: A team of destiny or victims of circumstance? 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.

The post Chicago Cubs: The starting rotation is the unsung hero of 2025 appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs walked into the All-Star break with their heads held high and a degree of positivity about them, despite holding just a one game lead over the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central Division.

Coming off two stellar pitching performances against the heavy artillery New York Yankees, the battered and embattled starting rotation showed their very best faces in back-to-back games– and in three of their last four games.

Imanaga, also “masterful”

On Sunday, Shota Imanaga delivered 7 innings, allowing just 1 run on 2 hits, while striking out 6 in a 4-1 victory. The Japanese star’s sole blemish in an otherwise near-perfect outing was a Giancarlo Stanton solo home run in the second inning. The 31-year-old headed into the break with a 2.65 ERA in 12 starts, despite missing about 5 weeks with a hamstring strain.

“Matt Boyd was masterful yesterday, Shota was masterful today,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters after the game. “It was just wonderful pitching. High, high level of execution.”

“It was excellent today,” he added, referring to Imanaga’s splitter. “Excellent. They had to really respect the splitter today, and you could just feel that in the at-bats.”

Imanaga’s and Boyd’s masterful performances were preceded (we’ll disregard Friday’s bullpen game blowout loss to the Yankees) by a similarly dominant showing by Colin Rea on Thursday, where the veteran allowed just one earned run in 7 innings against the Minnesota Twins.

“The guy knows what he’s doing,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said of Imanaga, after Sunday’s game. “He’s just got such unique stuff, unbelievable feel for his pitches. He’s somebody who, when he goes out there, we feel like we have a good chance to win.”

The realities of the Chicago Cubs rotation

The Imanaga, Boyd, and Rea showings stand in the face of the narrative that Cubs’ starting pitching is in complete disarray and that the team, heading towards the July 31 trade deadline, has an almost impossible task of finding starters for a playoff run. With the injured Jameson Taillon slated to return sometime around mid-August and rookie Cade Horton doing well enough, the rotation may not be too far off from where they need to be– if everything continues to play out true to current form.

The best part is that, with the possible exception of the free agency-eligible Rea, everyone will be back next year, including the injured Justin Steele, who is projected to return from 2025-ending elbow surgery at some point in mid-2026.

Count this as some masterful planning from Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who has been able to walk the line between acquiring impact talent and appeasing the frugal ways of Cubs ownership.

The Cubs-friendly Imanaga deal

The deal constructed around the signing of Imanaga prior to the 2024 season was especially ingenious. It was one which paved the way for the Cubs to add a top-of-rotation presence at a team-friendly price, with safety net opt-outs, just in case. On the surface, it was just a 4-year, $53 million deal, but the details of the arrangement allow for it to eventually become a 5-year, $70 million deal, with club options after both this season and the next. At current market rate, a high-end, All-Star-level starting pitcher at an average salary of $14 million per year is an absolute steal.

Per the terms of the contract, the Cubs will have the ability to execute a team option at the end of this year, extending Imanaga’s contract until after the 2028 season. If the Cubs opt-out, it switches to an Imanaga option at $15 million. The same deal goes for after the 2026 season.

So, in a best case scenario, the Cubs will have Shota through 2028, at a discount price.

The Cubs starting pitching landscape becomes a bit hazy after 2026, as Boyd and Taillon become free agents following that season. However, Imanaga and a hopefully healthy Steele, under team control through 2027, make for a heck of a comparatively low-cost cornerstone for a future where there will be room to add more talent.

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The Chicago Cubs have hit their first true rough patch of this, so far, stellar 2025 season.

They’ve lost three of their last four games– at home– and their first place lead in the NL Central Division has been whittled away to just 3.5 games over the second place Milwaukee Brewers and 4.5 games over the third place St. Louis Cardinals. Even the Cincinnati Reds have moved to within 6.5 games of the Cubs.

With a four-game series in St. Louis slated next, there’s legitimate concern that these next few games will be way more crucial than games in late June need to be. That’s how precarious the Cubs’ position may be.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, however, what is bringing the high-flying Cubs back down to earth.

Chicago Cubs bullpen woes

The team’s weak spots right now, were the team’s weak spots headed into the season.

First, there’s the bullpen.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell and staff had done an impressive job of creating a quality bullpen from what was essentially a crew mostly comprised of castoffs and second/third-chancers, especially after Houston Astros trade acquisition Ryan Pressly proved himself NOT to be the closer the team needed. The rehab stories of Brad Keller, Chris Flexen, and Drew Pomeranz, specifically, have been inspiring. Daniel Palencia coming out of nowhere to earn the closer role has been a godsend.

There has been a lot of positivity coming from the Cubs’ ragtag relief corps.

But fairy tales are fairy tales and it appears that reality may be starting to push its way into the forefront.

In their last five games, the Cubs bullpen has a horrendous 8.41 ERA. Now, admittedly, Genesis Cabrera and Nate Pearson have accounted for 12 of those earned runs in that five-game span and if you remove those two pitchers from the mix, the bullpen’s ERA shrinks down to 3.09. But, honestly, there’ve been very few quality bullpen appearances recently and the crew gives the distinct vibe of being near a breakdown.

The busted up starting rotation

When it comes to starting pitching, the thought headed into 2025 was that the Cubs would have a surplus of rotation assets. With Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and Matthew Boyd making up the front four, the only debate seemed to be about who would be the team’s fifth starter. Javier Assad, Ben Brown, Colin Rea, and top pitching prospect Cade Horton were all in the mix for that last spot.

Steele, however, would be lost for the season in earlyApril due to elbow injury. Imanaga went down a month later with a hamstring injury. Assad was lost before day one with an oblique issue that has kept him from throwing a single competitive major league pitch so far this season.

With the key losses, Boyd and Taillon have had to step up to be the rotation anchors. Cade Brown has done well as an emergency call-up, but has been rushed along in his development nonetheless. Rea and Brown have been present, but not consistently effective.

Offseason concerns about the back end of the starting rotation have been amplified as that back end has become front line out of necessity.

And, now, the realities surrounding a thinned-out rotation that had overachieved over the first couple months of the season look to be emerging as Taillon, Rea, Horton, and Brown have all struggled in recent outings. The imminent return of Imanaga will definitely help, but it won’t be a cure-all.

Third base problems, still

Then, there was the other concern headed into 2025– third base.

Top prospect Matt Shaw was slated into the hot corner spot, but was sent down to the minors after a dismal start that saw him post a weak .172 batting average.

The 23-year-old Shaw would earn his way back into the majors after a little more than a month in Triple-A. Things went well at first, with him hitting an impressive .359 in the month of May despite metrics stating that he was making some of the weakest contact in the league.

Well, metrics usually don’t lie and Shaw’s weak-contact good fortune has apparently run out. So far in June, the rookie is hitting .180 with only 11 hits and 2 RBIs in 61 at bats.

So, in summary, all of the Cubs’ pre-season weaknesses have re-emerged in mid-to-late June, This shouldn’t have been unexpected, even as the team showcased a stellar offense alongside some true grit all throughout the season. Water eventually seeks its own level.

It will now be up to the Cubs front office to fill these holes by the July 31 trade deadline— at a much steeper price than what it would’ve cost to fill them during the offseason.

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Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (PCA) is becoming a well known name across the league this year as during his breakout campaign he has shown the ability to be a five-tool player who impacts games daily.

The 23-year-old is performing so well that MVP discussions started a while back. Recently, his performance against the Brewers helped further solidify that as he drew an MVP shoutout from one of his teammates following a dominating performance where his plays on offense and defense drastically changed the momentum and outcome of the game.

Pete Crow-Armstrong had a spectacular showing

MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago CubsOn Tuesday, June 17, Crow-Armstrong came to life in the eighth inning of a close game against the Brewers. With one out in the inning, Brice Turang hit a line drive to left-centerfield that looked like a for sure extra base hit. Crow-Armstrong had other plans as he displayed his range and speed to make a spectacular diving catch that had less than a five percent catch probability.

Less than four minutes later, Crow-Armstrong came up to bat and launched a 452-foot home run. This solo blast extended the Cubs’ lead to 5-3, in which Chicago ended up holding on for the win.

Pete Crow-Armstrong is a BEAST

Makes an insane catch to end and inning and then starts the next one with a NUKE pic.twitter.com/WiLqLaHJ61

— Baseball Unstitched Podcast (@BaseUnstitched) June 18, 2025

Justin Steele gave an MVP shoutout after the win over the Brewers

Following Crow-Armstrong’s dazzling display of defense and offense, Major League Baseball’s social media account put out a video of his home run with the caption “Pete Crow-Armstrong continues his breakout campaign.” 

Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele then commented back, “You misspelt MVP Campaign.”

MVP numbers

Entering play on June 18, here is where Crow-Armstrong ranks in several statistical categories, which shows he belongs in the MVP discussions:

• 3.9 fWAR – 3rd
• 19 home runs – 7th
• 58 runs batted in -6th
• 23 stolen bases -3rd
• .857 OPS – 18th
• 11 defensive runs saved – 3rd (tie)
• 12 outs above average – 2nd

Crow-Armstrong’s MVP campaign is real, and he is trying to become the first Cubs player to win the award since 2016, when Kris Bryant led Chicago to the World Series.

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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 enter their contest on Wednesday against the Washington Nationals sporting a five-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals for first place in the NL Central.

The Cubs are one of the most exciting teams to watch due to their explosive offense, which trails the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most runs scored in the MLB this season, with 349 runs. Despite dealing with injuries at pitcher, Chicago has the best run differential in baseball at plus-102.

Staring pitcher Justin Steele is out for the season after he sustained an elbow injury that required him to receive his second Tommy John surgery. His last outing was on April 7 in a 7-0 win over the Texas Rangers.

Justin Steele shares a couple of strong opinions

On Wednesday, Steele shared his thoughts on the most impressive piece of the Cubs’ offense. He asked fans if Chicago’s base running was the best feature on the team. He also thinks center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong would deserve the MVP if the voting stopped today.

“Is this Cubs team the best base running team baseball has ever seen? Not just just the swiping of the bags… the double plays that aren’t being turned against us because of how we are running.. the taking of the extra bag on singles and turning them into doubles.. the whole 9 yards,” Steele posted on X.

“It’s been one of my favorite parts to watch this year with this cubs team. (This claim has zero analytical backing. Straight up an observation from my eyeballs.) Also; season ends today, PCA is your MVP. Get over it.”

Is this Cubs team the best base running team baseball has ever seen? Not just just the swiping of the bags… the double plays that aren’t being turned against us because of how we are running.. the taking of the extra bag on singles and turning them into doubles.. the whole 9…

— Justin Steele (@J_Steele21) June 4, 2025

The Chicago Cubs are one of the MLB’s best on the bases

While this metric doesn’t include double plays not being turned, the base running run value leaderboard by baseballsavant.mlb.com ranks the Cubs as having the No. 4 ranking for baserunning runs (5), measured by how many runs were created or lost by stealing bases or taking extra bases on basepaths.

The Milwaukee Brewers are No. 1 with 10 baserunning runs.

Still, the Cubs are one of the best teams in the league on the bases. And the bats of Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker continue to power base runners to put numbers in the win column for Chicago.

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 lost their ace Justin Steele on April 8, one day after a brilliant 7-inning shutout performance against the Texas Rangers.

It took a few days to confirm that the 29-year-old lefty would be lost for the 2025 season and beyond, but the news hit hard when it did become official.

Surgery to repair his flexor tendon and ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow would put an end to a season where Steele’s top-of-rotation presence was expected to be crucial to postseason aspirations.

As things would turn out (so far), however, the Cubs team has excelled anyway, powered by an explosive offense and a never-say-die attitude. The team has continued its surprising run, even while losing co-ace Shota Imanaga for an extended period of time.

Still, who wouldn’t want to have Steele, the team’s most reliably excellent starter over the last few years, atop a rotation headed for a playoff run?

Justin Steele At Wrigley, For Update And To Provide Morale Support

The recovering all-star southpaw was recently at Wrigley Field to cheer on his teammates, taking in Tuesday’s thrilling 4-3 11-inning victory over the Colorado Rockies. There, he also met with media to give them somewhat of a timeline for his return and an update on his general state of mind.

“Obviously, it sucks,” Steele told reporters. “But as soon as you find out the news, you start processing it, trying to figure out what the next steps are, what’s the best plan of action for me and my family and the team.”

As of right now, per Steele, the target date for his return to the Cubs rotation is the first half of the 2026 campaign, ideally in May or June, although much depends on his recovery from the surgical procedure.

Steele’s Second Major Elbow Surgery

This isn’t Steele’s first time dealing with major surgery to his throwing arm. In 2017, as a minor league prospect, he underwent full Tommy John surgery. That experience, he insists, will help him this time around, stripping away much of the uncertainty regarding recovery and his return to the mound.

“There’s a different mentality once you’ve been through it,” Steele told media. “You kind of know what the tunnel looks like. I remember when I was going through TJ, it was like: ‘Am I going to throw the same? Is the ball going to come out different?’ There are so many thoughts that are running through your mind. With this one, I can tell already it’s going to be the same when I get back. If anything, it’s going to be better.”

For now, Steele is doing his part as a fan, cheering his teammates on from afar and coming to visit whenever possible. He’s also been vocal about his appreciation to the Cubs fans for their support.

Chicago Cubs Must Make Trade Deadline Plans

Meanwhile, the Cubs have been forced to deal with the loss of their ace, as well as the absence of rotation pieces Imanaga, temporarily lost due to a hamstring injury, and Javier Assaad, sidelined by oblique issues.

With about two months until trade deadline, the team has a long way to go before being able to make a stab at bringing in a high-end starter. And, even then, with nearly every contender looking to add pitching, the Cubs will be in a tough spot when it comes to bringing someone impactful aboard. The front office may have to get creative in making use of what’s on the lower end of availability.

“Ultimately, it is going to be somewhat sellers’ market dependent,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer recently told Marquee Sports Network. “If there’s none of one of those things available, you have to zag a little bit, and you have to be prepared to do that. And that could be the nature of this market.”

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The Chicago Cubs are hoping that they have found a solution at third base so all of their attention at the trade deadline this summer can go toward pitching. Matt Shaw had an impressive series to begin the week in Miami after being called up from Triple-A. The organization’s top prospect began the campaign as Chicago’s third baseman, but got sent down to Iowa after struggling at the plate in his first 18 games at the big league level.

Fans instantly began to to worry that the front office would need to address the hot corner well before the trade deadline, but Shaw is hoping that won’t be necessary. If he can stay somewhat consistent moving forward, there is a good chance that management won’t need to make any significant changes from a position player standpoint, barring any injuries.

If this can hold true for the Cubs, all of their focus can be locked in on improving their pitching staff with the resources that they are alright cutting ties with. They have dealt with some injuries in the rotation already this spring, and the bullpen hasn’t held up their end of the bargain on select nights. If an AL Central squad falls off in the standings and decides to sell at the deadline, one of their big time arms could be a fit for the Cubs.

Joe Ryan is exactly what the Chicago Cubs need

Joe Ryan has been a key cog in the Minnesota Twins rotation over the past few years. The right-hander has pitched in 10 games and has made nine starts in 2025. Ryan has posted a 2.68 ERA with an eye-popping 0.81 WHIP in 57.0 innings tossed. The 28-year-old has a 4-2 record and is striking out 8.4 batters per nine innings, which is a huge improvement from the 6.4 mark he posted in 2024.

Ryan would help Chicago as a front-of-the-rotation arm after it was announced in April that Justin Steele would miss the rest of the season due to an elbow injury. Shota Imanaga hitting the IL until June with a hamstring strain doesn’t help either, but the current staff has been able to piece things together for the time being. The current veterans that have shouldered the load will need help soon enough, which is where someone like Ryan would come into play.

It would take a lot for the Chicago Cubs to land Joe Ryan

If Minnesota is even in a position to move off players toward the end of the summer, Ryan will not come cheap. It’s worth noting that the right-hander has two more years of club control before hitting the open market, which will only drive up his price more. Chicago has the resources to facilitate a deal for someone of Ryan’s caliber, but it all depends on how much Jed Hoyer is willing to give up in certain trades. Ryan has spent his entire career with the Twins and will be seen as a big trade chip next to fellow starter Pablo Lopez at the deadline if they plan to sell.

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Injuries have hit the Chicago Cubs’ pitching staff hard so far this season after the front office did their best to bolster it in the offseason. Shota Imanaga is currently on the IL with a hamstring strain, and he won’t be back on the hill until June. Justin Steele was ruled out for the season in April and underwent elbow surgery, leaving the team without their two best starters for a decent period.

Following Monday’s tough series-opening loss to the Miami Marlins, manager Craig Counsell revealed that another important arm for this Cubs team will miss some time moving forward.

Chicago Cubs closer Porter Hodge to hit the IL

Counsell told the media after Monday’s loss that Hodge will head to the IL with an oblique injury. The right-hander was not able to work the ninth frame in the series opener that Chicago did not close out. They held a 7-6 lead entering the ninth, and Daniel Palencia couldn’t slam the door shut.

Hodge has worked in 21 games for the Cubs this season and has a 5.12 ERA in 19.1 innings tossed. He was promoted to the closer role after Ryan Pressly struggled mightily in the position to begin the campaign. Hodge has a 2-1 record and a 1.50 WHIP so far in 2025.

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In their last homestand, the Chicago Cubs got consistently strong outings from their starting rotation against the Marlins and White Sox. Their 5-1 record on the week speaks volumes to how well the staff did, as their one loss came in the series finale against Miami last Wednesday. The 3-1 defeat saw veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon give up three solo home runs, but still getting through six frames of work.

Last year’s rotation was by far the strongest part of the team, as the bullpen had their fair share of implosions and the offense fell flat pretty frequently. It was unreasonable to put this much pressure on the rotation again in 2025, so Jed Hoyer went out and made moves to try and make the rest of the roster stronger. The team’s offense is now one of the best in baseball, but the bullpen still needs some work done to it.

One of the front office’s free agent signings this offseason has been massive as a member of the rotation. He has needed to step up with injuries being prevalent in the staff so far.

Matthew Boyd is putting himself in Chicago Cubs history

Boyd went six innings and allowed three runs on four hits in the Cubs’ 7-3 win over the White Sox on Saturday. The veteran now has four consecutive appearances on the hill at Wrigley Field with a victory, which puts him in second all-time in franchise history in that category. Boyd sits behind Rick Sutcliffe, who had eight straight home outings with a victory.

The southpaw has been overpowering batters so far in his three starts in May. Boyd punched out eight against the White Sox on Saturday, and did the same thing on May 11 on the road when the team took on the Mets. His first start of the month came against San Francisco at home on May 5, where he struck out seven in the 9-2 win.

The Chicago Cubs investment in Matthew Boyd has paid off so far

Boyd was given a two-year deal in December worth just under $30 million total following a strong 2024 campaign with the Guardians where he tossed under 40.0 innings in the regular season while working back from injury. The signing was a pure upside decision from the front office, and it has paid off big time so far. Boyd has been an anchor in the Cubs’ rotation, and has answered the bell while Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele have been on the shelf.

Fortunately, Imanaga should be back at some point in June, where Steele will miss the rest of the campaign. Boyd has a 4-2 record in nine starts in this season. The lefty has a 2.98 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in 51.1 innings tossed in an important role with the club’s starting group. He is slated to throw again in the series opener against the Reds on Friday.

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The Chicago Cubs are teetering on the brink of disaster.

That’s not exactly the expected opening line of an article about a first place team not far removed from a gloriously one-sided victory and riding high on a wave of excitement.

It’s the truth, though.

The disaster in question refers to the Cubs’ starting rotation, which is holding up remarkably well, despite currently missing it’s top two arms and a solid back-of-rotation piece.

With Justin Steele out for the season after elbow surgery, Shota Imanaga out with a tricky hamstring injury, and Javier Assad gone until mid-season with his ongoing oblique issues, the team is missing 60% of its projected rotation.

Tough Days Ahead, A Trade Must Be Made

While Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea have stepped up to assume the ace roles of Steele and Imanaga– for now– and the offense has helped to overcome uneven performances from the rest of the rotation, eventually the team will feel the strain of not having a full starting five.

The season is long and grueling and the Cubs will need to add at least one full-time, front-of-rotation arm for what they hope to be a playoff run. So, it’ll be necessary to make some sort of trade by the deadline to shore things up.

That’s why the Cubs should be looking at this current White Sox series, almost as if they were browsing a catalog for shopping ideas.

Shopping For Sox?

The last place White Sox bring with them a bevy of talented young arms and a significantly less impressive crew of position players. As a matter of fact, at the moment, their entire starting rotation is made up of 20-something talent.

And not only are the White Sox stacked with young arms at the major league level, they are also packed with pitching prospects in the minors, with four of their top ten prospects listed as pitchers.

It might be wise for the Cubs front office to give the Sox front office a jingle and have some conversations about a swap of young assets.

The Cubs organization is top-heavy with talented position players, but not so much with high-end pitching prospects, other than Cade Horton, who’s currently struggling to get acclimated in the majors.

Jed Hoyer and the Cubs crew could target Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon, Davis Martin, or, to a much lesser degree, the more well-weathered free agent Bryse Wilson. Free agent acquisition Martin Perez had been mentioned previously as a potential Cubs trade target, but he’s currently dealing with elbow issues on the 60-day injured list.

The Chicago Cubs And Chicago Whites Sox: Ideal Trade Partners?

In the past, deals between the crosstown rivals were considered difficult to make because of their rivalry. That’s just not the case anymore. The two Chicago teams are in very different situations right now and in possession of a good quantity of trade capital to help push them where they need to be.

The Cubs need majors-ready pitching. They need someone who can step into the starting rotation right now and deliver solid results every fifth game.

Given their frugal, budget-conscious mindset, they’d also really, really enjoy getting someone on the cheap with several controllable years ahead of them. Throwing trade capital around for names such as Sandy Alcantara and Tyler Anderson may be showier and generate a greater splash, but that’s not generally the “Cubs way” of doing things.

The White Sox, meanwhile, are in full rebuild mode and are stockpiling talent for a complete franchise turnaround in the not-too-distant future. They are also overloaded with pitching, not only sporting a good crew of young arms in the majors, but also in the minors, where they currently have, per MLB.com, the top two left-handed pitching prospects in all of baseball, Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith.

Could the Cubs entice the Sox with prospects such as Moises Ballesteros, Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcantara, and/or James Triantos?

Honestly, it’s possible that the Sox feel themselves so deep in prospects that they wouldn’t really want anyone from the Cubs.

But it certainly would make a lot of sense for the Cubs to try and grab at a South Side arm or two.

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The Chicago Cubs front office has been hard at work trying to figure out their pitching staff before summer is in full swing this season. Last month, the organization suffered a tough blow when Justin Steele was lost for the entire season due to an elbow injury. The left-hander had looked off in Spring Training, but the team has missed his top-of-the-rotation presence over the past month. Shota Imanaga straining his hamstring against the Brewers a couple of weeks ago only made matters worse, but he should be back at some point in June.

Between the rotation injuries and the struggling bullpen, the front office is willing to try any combination possible for their staff before they determine what they need to add at the trade deadline. They went out and brought in a veteran arm off the open market prior to Friday’s series opener at Wrigley Field against the White Sox.

Chicago Cubs sign Kenta Maeda to a minor league deal

Per reports, the Cubs officially signed Maeda to a minor league deal on Thursday. The veteran appeared in seven games and possessed a 7.88 ERA to pair with his 1.88 WHIP in 8.0 innings tossed. Maeda signed a two-year deal with the Tigers prior to last season, and he pitched in 29 games for the club in 2024. Out of the 29 appearances he made, 17 of them were starts, and he logged 112.1 innings on the hill.

Maeda finished last year with a 6.09 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP along with his 3-7 record. The now 37-year-old had a rough go at it in Detroit, and he might not have much left in the tank in his big league career. However, the Cubs have been able to revive a few careers on the mound in recent seasons, so Maeda is worth taking a chance on to help their depth issues.

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The Chicago Cubs did not complete the sweep against Miami at home on Wednesday night, but still claimed another series at Wrigley Field this season. They put together a comeback in game two of the set where Justin Turner walked it off with a two-run double in the ninth inning. Even though the Cubs claimed this series thanks to those late-inning heroics, their bats fell quiet against a relatively poor pitching staff.

Miami has a couple of solid arms in their bullpen like Anthony Bender, but Chicago has done better against much strong units so far this season. They scored just one run on four hits in their 3-1 to conclude the series on Wednesday, with Seiya Suzuki launching his 11th home run of the season in the fourth frame to give the Cubs their lone run.

Jameson Taillon got the ball for the Cubs on Wednesday and he has been solid so far in his third season with the organization. The veteran right-hander has stacked together quality starts to begin the campaign, but one thing has held him back in his last two outings.

Jameson Taillon has allowed seven homers in his last two starts

Despite giving the Cubs a chance to win in his last two times on the hill, Taillon has allowed seven home runs in that stretch. The veteran gave up four solo shots against the Mets last Friday at Citi Field, and followed it up by having three more solo homers hit against him on Wednesday. Taillon hasn’t had the strongest May, as he has allowed 10 earned runs in three starts. However, none of the two losses that he has picked up were out of hand when he was taken out of the game.

Taillon was extremely sharp in April across five starts. The right-hander finished the month with a 2.76 ERA in 29.1 innings tossed, but the Cubs only won two of his five starts that month. Dating back to Chicago’s 10-4 loss on the road against San Diego where Taillon got the nod, they have only won one of his last six starts.

The Chicago Cubs still have a reliable starter in Jameson Taillon

Even though things haven’t been in Taillon’s favor as of late, Chicago still has a quality starter in the 33-year-old. He has a 2-3 record so far this season in nine starts and he has a 4.53 ERA. His 1.11 WHIP is 30th among all starters in baseball, and he looks much more like he did in a solid 2024 campaign with the Cubs rather than his hard-to-watch 2023 season with the club.

With Chicago’s pitching staff losing it’s depth due to injuries to Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele, they will need to lean on veterans like Taillon and Matthew Boyd to carry them until the trade deadline. Taillon will get another shot at the Marlins when the Cubs travel to Miami to begin a three-game series next Monday.

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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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Despite having a three-game lead of first place in the NL Central entering their weekend series against the Mets, the Chicago Cubs will need to add pitching depth at some point this summer. Losing Justin Steele for the entire season with an elbow injury that he sustained last month was not ideal, as the left-hander was looking continue his solid stretch as a top-of-the-line guy in the Cubs’ rotation over the past couple of seasons.

Things went from bad to worse when Shota Imanaga joined Steele on he shelf following his start against Milwaukee last weekend. While Imanaga won’t miss the entire season, he will likely be out four-to-six weeks as he recovers from a hamstring strain.

The front office was already put on notice to potentially go out and acquiring starting pitching help after Steele’s season came to a close. That has since been bumped up a few notches with Imanaga set to miss a handful of starts coming up.

Sandy Alcantara was the original top target on the pitching trade market for most teams across the league, but his rough start to the season could impact his trade value. If Miami elects to hold onto him due to lack of interest or poor value, Chicago could look within the NL Central for another veteran right-hander to join the rotation.

The Chicago Cubs could target Mitch Keller

Mitch Keller has been a consistent part of the Pirates rotation since 2021 and he has kept a clean bill of health in the process. The right-hander’s numbers have been relatively similar in each of the last four seasons on a Pittsburgh squad that has yet to turn a corner in their current rebuild.

Keller made 31 starts a year ago and posted an 11-12 record in 178.0 innings tossed. He finished the season with a 4.25 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP while opponents hit .261 against him. In eight starts this year, Keller has a 4.40 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP in 45.0 innings pitched. His numbers are a bit inflated after he allowed seven runs in his 3.2 innings of work against the Yankees in hi second start of the campaign.

While he won’t win a World Series on his own, Keller has proven to be healthy and consistent over the past few years. The Cubs need depth badly and purely from a performance standpoint, the right-hander would improve their rotation immediately.

Mitch Keller’s contract could prevent the Cubs from making this trade

Keller is under contract for three more seasons after 2025 and is owed $16 million next year, $18 million in 2026 and $20 million in 2027. That is a hefty price to pay for a Chicago front office that should be looking to extend Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong this offseason.

While this price on Keller is the going rate for quality arms in today’s game, the Cubs might be better off trying to use that money on a different pitcher. However, beggars can’t be choosers and Keller should still 100% be in consideration at the deadline if Pittsburgh is willing to part ways with him.

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The Chicago Cubs dropping two of three games at home against the San Francisco Giants to begin this week was certainly not ideal after how Monday’s game went. The offense plated nine runs in the series opener with Matthew Boyd on the mound. The veteran left-hander went six strong innings and allowed two runs on five hits while not walking a batter and collecting seven strikeouts. Boyd has been a solid addition to this Chicago rotation that has needed him to step up with injuries to fellow southpaws Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga early in the season.

Ian Happ led the way offensively for the Cubs in the series opener with three runs driven in. His two-run homer in the third frame got the scoring started in the contest and was his third long ball of the campaign. Chicago fell flat in the final two games of the series, with the offense not having much to say. They still have won most of their sets so far in 2025 while dealing with one of the hardest schedules in baseball. Because of this, any fan that is worried about the team moving forward might be an overreaction on their part.

Chicago Cubs fans don’t need to panic

Despite the Cubs dropping the series to San Francisco at home this week, fans should not be freaking out on the state of the team whatsoever. The Giants are 10 games above .500 and Chicago’s offense was able to have a big showing against their pitching staff on Monday. San Francisco has a dominant big three in their bullpen for the final three innings of close games and the Cubs forced extra frames in game two of the set on their closer, Ryan Walker.

The expectation of Chicago’s offense coming out every game and scoring six or more runs is unrealistic. There will be stretches throughout the summer where the bats go cold and it will be up to a hopefully revamped pitching staff to make up for that. It’s also worth noting that the Cubs have not played a team under .500 through their first 38 games of the season with the exception of the three-game series that they had at PNC Park against the Pirates last week. Better times are ahead scheduling wise, and this team is in a good spot to make a run at claiming the division crown in 2025.

Nico Hoerner was fantastic for the Chicago Cubs in the series

Nico Hoerner collected a hit in each game of the Giants series and appears to be getting into a nice groove after getting a later start to the season than normal due to surgery he had in the offseason. In the final game of the series on Wednesday, Hoerner had half of the Cubs’ hits by collecting two doubles in the 3-1 loss.

Hoerner is still searching for his first home run of the season, but he has been mostly known as a contact hitter throughout his career. After having a rougher 2024 season, his approach in the box has clearly changed and he looks much more like he did in 2023 when he finished the season hitting .283 in 150 games.

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Even though they have a three-game first-place lead in the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen has held them back from winning a few games so far this season. They have taken most of the series the have played in, which has been great sight for fans to see after their rough start in the Tokyo series against the Dodgers in mid-March had people worried early about what this season could look like.

The starting rotation has been hit hard, with a season-ending injury to Justin Steele and a hamstring strain for Shota Imanaga depleting their depth early in the campaign. Imanaga’s loss will sting for the next month or so, as he was dealing once again at the top of the team’s staff in their strong start to the year. This will require other arms in the rotation to step up in the meantime, while potentially grabbing a big time prospect like Cade Horton from Triple-A to help the club out.

The bullpen needs all of the consistent help it can get as the team is getting ready to hit their stride into the summer. These late-game collapses cannot keep happening and the front office will need to take action on the trade market at summer point to address their broken stable. One right-hander who has only made a couple of big league appearances in relief this season for the Cubs has been impressive, and he could work himself into the fold throughout 2025.

Gavin Hollowell is making his case to stay with the Chicago Cubs

Hollowell was first called up prior to Chicago’s series opener on April 22 at home against the Dodgers. The veteran went two frames in that game and didn’t allow a hit or run in the Cubs’ most exciting comeback victory of the season. The highlight of Hollowell’s club debut came when he struck out Shohei Ohtani in a rocking Wrigley Field environment that felt like a playoff atmosphere.

The former Colorado Rockie was called back up for his second stint with the team in 2025 after Imanaga was officially placed on the IL. Hollowell tossed two more scoreless innings against the Giants in Monday’s win, where he allowed just one hit and struck out one batter as well. The 27-year-old pitched in one big league game with Chicago last season after he appeared in 26 contests with the Rockies in 2023.

The Chicago Cubs might need Gavin Hollowell down the stretch

Hollowell’s funky delivery and mid-90s fastball has led to his early success with the Cubs in 2025. While this has been a small sample size, the veteran has thrown well against some of the game’s best bats and the front office might start taking his push to be a full-time arm in the bullpen seriously depending on how his next couple of outings go.

With a rough ending to Tuesday night’s game against San Francisco where closer Ryan Pressly allowed eight earned runs without recording an out in the 11th inning, Chicago will need to look at every possible option in the organization to help out in the stable to avoid the issues that the team had in relief last summer.

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Despite the Chicago Cubs leading the NL Central by three games entering play against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night, their pitching health has been a concern this year. Losing Justin Steele for the entire season in a few weeks ago was not news that the organization was thrilled to hear. The left-hander seemed off from the beginning of Spring Training, as his fastball velocity was down and he left plenty of breaking balls up in the zone.

Along with injuries, the bullpen having inconsistent moments have hurt the club as well. While things have gotten much better for the stable over the past few weeks, keeping things as locked in as possible with the unit entering the summer is preferred for the coaching staff. The biggest downfall for the last two years with this organization has stemmed from poor bullpen performances, and the front office does not want that to be the case in 2025.

Shota Imanaga leaving his second consecutive start on Sunday was a major concern for Cubs fans everywhere. The team’s new ace had to leave his start last Tuesday against the Pirates due to leg cramps and was lifted on Sunday on the road against Milwaukee with a hamstring strain. Based on Steele’s strained hamstring a season ago, Chicago has to be prepared to lose Imanaga for a brief period of time.

Shota Imanaga has a similar injury to Justin Steele’s last year

Steele strained his hamstring on Opening Day against the Rangers last season and missed over a month because of the injury. His strain was considered Grade One, which is the most mild strain possible. Despite this, Steele was out from March 28 to May 6 and missed his turn in the rotation numerous times.

If this is the best case scenario for Imanaga, the Cubs front office and coaching staff needs to be prepared to be without him for the time being. The second year pro 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. Imanaga has tossed in 44.2 innings so far this season and has a 3-2 record.

The Chicago Cubs have to overcome losing Imanaga and Steele

One obvious option for the Cubs to go to when addressing the help that their rotation needs is currently sitting in Triple-A. Cade Horton has been on fire so far this season with the Iowa Cubs and the 2022 first-round draft choice could be making his big league debut any day now based on how thin the organization is with starting pitching.

If the front office wants Horton to get more time in Triple-A to prepare him for life in the big leagues, Chris Flexen would be the arm to move from the bullpen to the rotation. Similar to Horton, the veteran right-hander dominated Triple-A in five starts before earning a promotion last week. Flexen made his Cub debut in the 10-0 rout of the Brewers last Friday at American Family Field where he tossed three innings in relief to end the contest.

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The Chicago Cubs have taken on some reclamation projects from a pitching standpoint over the past few seasons at the big league level. Most of these arms have stood out in the bullpen for pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, as the starting rotation has been the strongest unit on the team in recent memory entering the 2025 campaign. Julian Merryweather and Tyson Miller are two relief arms in each of the last couple of seasons that have turned their careers around in the Windy City.

Even though the Cubs are currently in control of the NL Central, there is still plenty of ball to be played this season. Their bullpen has faltered on occasion and the depth of their starting rotation has been depleted, especially after Shota Imanaga had to leave his start on Sunday in Milwaukee due to a strained hamstring.

The front office will need to rely on guys from Triple-A and the trade market if they want their pitching staff to make it through the entire regular season. They have an opportunity to make an addition through a different avenue after a veteran was placed on waivers by the Tigers last week.

The Chicago Cubs could take a chance on Kenta Maeda

Maeda was officially designated for assignment by Detroit last week and the Tigers are responsible for eating the $10 million remaining on his contract this year. The right hander struggled mightily in his time with Detroit this year. Maeda appeared in seven games and possessed a 7.88 ERA to pair with his 1.88 WHIP in 8.0 innings tossed. The veteran signed a two-year deal with the Tigers prior to last season and he pitched in 29 games for the club in 2024. Out of the 29 appearances he made, 17 of them were starts and he logged 112.1 innings on the hill.

Maeda finished last year with a 6.09 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP along with his 3-7 record. The now 37-year-old had a rough go at it in Detroit and he might not have much left in the tank in his big league career. If there is a pitching coach that can turn around a veteran’s outlook in the game, it’s Hottovy and he might be able to help Maeda overcome his struggles if given the opportunity to work with him.

Kenta Maeda would provide more depth for the Chicago Cubs

With injuries to Imanaga and Justin Steele, the Cubs may have to lean on top pitching prospect, Cade Horton to come up to the big leagues and take on a major role from the jump. Chris Flexen was called up from Triple-A last week and after making his team debut in relief against Milwaukee on Friday, he might need to jump into the rotation at some point as well.

Even though he has primarily worked out of the bullpen as of late, an addition of Maeda could be for him to get a crack with the starters. However, the coaching staff could be confident in their starting plan moving forward and Maeda be another throw at the dart board as a veteran reliever. With the exception of a couple of arms in the stable, nobody’s role in the group should be safe.

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Regardless of if the current starting rotation remains healthy over the summer, the Chicago Cubs front office will likely add another arm to bolster the staff at the trade deadline. Losing Justin Steele for the season just a few weeks into the campaign pushed this narrative forward for the organization, but it will have to be at the right price.

With Chicago having a loaded farm system with plenty of talent that could help them out down the road, it will have to be the perfect situation to move on from a few pieces of their future to add strength to the 2025 rotation. While everyone knows that prospects are never a guarantee and that acquiring the known sometimes works out better at the end of the day, the Cubs front office still needs to be smart with how they spread out their resources.

One of the top pitching targets at the trade deadline this season has had a rough start to the year, and Chicago should be fully aware of the situation.

Sandy Alcantara has had a rough start to the year

Sandy Alcantara was viewed as one of the top trade chips in the league entering the season. With the Marlins not expected to do much this year and with Alcantara coming fresh off surgery that had him miss the entire 2024 campaign, he instantly became the topic of conversation across the trade market this spring.

Alcantara won the National League CY Young award in 2022 and although he wasn’t as dominant the following year, he kept a clean bill of health. The right-hander made 28 starts following his CY Young year and was still relatively consistent for the Marlins until he missed all of the 2024 campaign.

So far this year, Alcantara has a 8.31 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP in six starts. He has a 2-3 record and has worked in 26.0 innings for a Marlins squad that is already 8.5 games out of first place in the NL East. Alcantara’s last start came against the Dodgers on Tuesday where he allowed seven runs in 2.2 innings tossed.

The Chicago Cubs could look elsewhere for rotation help

If Alcantara can’t be consistent throughout the summer, the Cubs might not be in the position to use some of their valuable assets to acquire him. Even though they need the rotation help, it is completely within reason for the front office to be picky when looking at the market.

From an internal standpoint, top pitching prospect Cade Horton has been lights out so far this season. The 2022 first round draft choice has a 1.17 ERA in 23.0 innings pitched and five starts at the Triple-A level. Horton has dealt with injury issues in the past, and Chicago’s front office has made it known that they want to take their time getting him to the big leagues.

There aren’t many early trade candidates on the pitching market at the moment, with certain teams not knowing whether they are for real yet or not. These options for the Chicago Cubs will make themselves known more throughout the summer, and it will then be up to Jed Hoyer to determine what he is willing to part ways with to get this team as ready as possible for a potential postseason push.

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Seeing how the Chicago Cubs coaching staff and front office has navigated their up-and-down pitching unit so far in 2025 has been interesting. The bullpen has been in flux for most of the campaign, but the team holds a 1.5 game lead in the NL Central with an 18-12 record in their first 30 games.

Losing Justin Steele for the season a couple of weeks ago made things much more difficult on the starting rotation, and it could lead to a bigger trade made by the front office to fill his shoes later on this season. The bullpen has had their moments of coming through big but also not being a huge help in important moments, which is on par for what the unit was like a season ago.

The front office made the decision to call up a veteran arm for the current Pittsburgh series who has been thriving at the Triple-A level so far this year.

Chicago Cubs to select Chris Flexen from Triple-A

Per reports, the Cubs are selecting Flexen’s contract from Triple-A and he will be added to the roster on Wednesday or Thursday morning prior to the series finale in Pittsburgh. Flexen has been dominant in Iowa so far in his five starts this season. The right-hander has a 1.16 ERA and a 3-0 record in 23.1 innings tossed thus far in 2025.

Flexen spent the 2024 campaign with the White Sox where he made 30 starts in 33 total appearances. He finished the season 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.

It is unclear what Flexen’s role will be when he officially joins the Cubs on this road trip. He has the flexibility to pitch in long relief and as a starter, so it gives the club options. After Shota Imanaga exited Tuesday night’s game at PNC Park with leg cramps, he shouldn’t need to go on the IL. This instead could be a move to shake up the rotation and move a young arm like Ben Brown to the bullpen after he had another rough start against the Phillies at home over the weekend.

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The Chicago Cubs bullpen has already been a roller coaster to begin the 2025 season, but there are some positives to take away from certain individuals in the stable. Relief pitching has been Chicago’s Achilles heel over the past few years and some have made the argument that it has kept them out of the playoff picture in a couple of seasons down the stretch.

The 2024 Cubs had an extremely solid and consistent starting rotation. It was the strongest aspect of their squad and they even finished the campaign with one of the better units in the National League. The front office entered this past offseason knowing that while they have a great rotation, they can’t rely on it being the best part of their team again this year.

Justin Steele going down for the year a couple of weeks ago was a tough pill for the organization to swallow. It places even more pressure on the rest of the rotation and especially the bullpen moving forward until the front office makes some moves closer to the trade deadline.

A few arms have come through so far in 2025 and have been more consistent than others. This includes a certain area of the bullpen that has struggled mightily over the past few seasons.

The Chicago Cubs signing Caleb Theilbar look solid so far

The Chicago Cubs added Caleb Thielbar on New Years eve as the lone left-handed reliever to the squad. He had spent parts of eight seasons in his career with the Twins prior to coming to Chicago and made his return to the big leagues after a five-year absence. Theilbar made a comeback to the Twins in 2020 and posted a 5.32 ERA last season in 39 appearances.

Despite having a rocky start to the year in Chicago, Thielbar has settled in nicely over the past few weeks. The veteran has been put in high leverage situations out of necessity and has come through big time. On April 15 against San Diego, he entered the game in the 10th frame with a one-run lead and held the 2-1 score for his first save as a Cub.

It’s Thielbar’s curveball that has worked out extremely well for him this season and has earned him more opportunities. He has a 3.48 ERA in his 12 outings and 10.1 innings tossed and could very well be the consistent veteran presence from the left side that the Cubs have been looking for in relief since Andrew Chafin was traded in 2021.

Acquiring Drew Pomeranz could be a sneaky move for the front office

The Cubs snagged Pomeranz in a trade with the Mariners last week in an attempt to have more left-handed options at their disposal down the road. The 36-year-old hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2021, so him and Thielbar have something in common along with being the only two lefties the Cubs have in relief.

Pomeranz has tossed in just two games for Chicago so far, but has looked sharp while doing so. He has yet to allow an earned run in 2.1 innings of work and has a pair of strikeouts early on in his time with the Cubs. Even though it is way too early to tell with the Pomeranz, he could be another solid find by the front office who might play an important role in relief throughout the season.

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The 2025 Chicago Cubs have already proven to be a scrappy ball club that can win games in various ways. The team had playoff expectations entering the campaign and they have fought hard against one of the toughest April schedules that they could have been handed. Before playing a single game against a divisional opponent, the Cubs will have played the Padres six times and the Dodgers on seven occasions.

One way to know if this Cubs squad is legit from the jump is how they handle the other strong teams in the National League. With the exception of a rough start to the year in Japan over a month ago against Los Angeles, they have played some of the league’s best clubs well. This includes winning sets against the Dodgers on the road, the Padres at Wrigley, and the Rangers at home as well.

Even though the Cubs haven’t made things easy on themselves, they are above .500 through 25 games this season with a 15-10 record. This current homestand alone has given fans enough reason to be out on the team while also being more optimistic than they have been over the past few seasons. Tuesday night’s series opener against the Dodgers was no exception.

Craig Counsell had a message for Chicago Cubs fans on Tuesday

The Cubs had their backs against the wall on Tuesday night after the couldn’t hold onto a 7-5 lead in the seventh inning. Once again, it was the bullpen that struggled in a game that at one point had all the momentum in favor of the Cubs. The injury to ace Justin Steele doesn’t help with the organization’s pitching depth, but the relief unit has been an issue for more than two years now.

Despite dealing with adversity against the best roster in baseball, the Cubs found a way to comeback and win the ballgame. Down to their final out in the ninth frame, Miguel Amaya tied the contest up with a solo home run to make it 10-10 before Ian Happ walked it off with a base hit in the tenth. After the game, Craig Counsell had a message for the fans when speaking to the media.

“It’s a fun team to watch play…that’s what I’d tell you,” Counsell said. “Come out to the park and watch the team play. This homestand, they’ve done some amazing things and some resilient things.”

Along with the seesaw 13-11 victory on Saturday against the Diamondbacks, this club has proven that they can overcome some tough spots by hitting their way out of things. They won’t be able to consistently post 10 or more runs every game, so the pressure is on the front office now more than ever to get the bullpen straightened out as soon as possible.

There are still holes in this Chicago Cubs roster that need to be fixed

Along with the bullpen, the third base position has been a glaring hole in Chicago this season. Highly touted prospect Matt Shaw did not have much success in his first big league stint and is currently back in Iowa working out his swing at the Triple-A level. Because of this, the coaching staff has a trio of players to work into this spot.

Gage Workman, Vidal Brujan and Jon Berti are the options that the team has at the hot corner right now, and Workman struggled mightily on Tuesday night. The 27-year-old made both Chicago errors which led to multiple Dodger runs coming across in the series opener. It’s apparent that Shaw needs to be back up sooner rather than later, or the front office needs to make a trade to address the position if they want to be serious about competing in October.

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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 recently suffered the most devastating pitching-related blow possible when they lost lefty ace Justin Steele for the season due to an elbow injury.

Although rumored to be in for Tommy John surgery, Steele, instead, had a left ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) revision repair operation this past Friday. Although it was less invasive and complicated of a procedure than the full-on UCL reconstruction, the surgery will still keep the Cubs’ most consistent pitcher over the last several years out of the picture for the rest of 2025 and a good chunk of 2026.

“We’re looking at kind of about a year time frame,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told media on Saturday. “Obviously, he’s got a long rehab ahead of him, and he’ll get started soon and he’ll put all the work in, and we’ll see where that gets us.”

A post-surgery Steele, apparently in good spirits, will be headed down to the team’s complex in Mesa, Arizona to begin rehab work.

But while the Steele drama has been playing out, another Cubs pitcher may be headed in a similar season-ending direction as the team’s shutdown front-of-rotation starter.

Chicago Cubs Place Reliever On IL, Signs Are Not Good

On April 15, right-handed reliever Eli Morgan was placed on the 15-day injured list, suffering from “right elbow impingement.”

On Saturday, Counsell also revealed that the 28-year-old Morgan underwent an MRI to assess the damage to his arm and is currently getting a second opinion.

For those who followed the Steele injury saga as it played out, that’s almost the exact series of events that lead to Steele eventually being lost for the season. Very generally speaking, second opinions are not pursued for good news.

Of course, the big difference between Morgan and Steele is that Steele had established himself as a true asset over the course of several years and was coming off his best performance so far this season when he got the unfortunate news of his injury. Morgan, meanwhile, wasn’t exactly killing it as a middle reliever.

Morgan Had Been Struggling

At the time of his injury, he was riding a brutal ERA of 12.27 through 7.1 innings and 7 appearances. In his last game before being sent to the IL, Morgan gave up 4 earned runs in two-thirds of an inning, allowing 3 hits and walking one versus the San Diego Padres on April 14.

This past offseason, Morgan was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians for minor leaguer Alfonsin Rosario. At the time, he was thought to be a key acquisition for a Cubs bullpen in full rebuild mode. In 2024, he performed well in the Guardians’ pen, finishing the season with a 1.93 ERA in 42 innings pitched over 32 games.

Morgan, however, failed to make the big league squad out of spring training and didn’t get the call-up until their domestic opening day against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix amid a series of other roster moves.

No Info Yet

No information has been released yet regarding his injury status, but it wouldn’t be too surprising if the injury was a significant one.

The loss of Morgan won’t be as deeply felt as that of Steele, obviously. The Chicago front office did a very good job in the offseason of building depth in the Cubs’ bullpen and, at most, Morgan was considered to be solid building block of a much larger construction.

Still, one player down is one player down and every single arm counts.

For now, the Cubs wait and see regarding the extent of Morgan’s injury.

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Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell issued an update on ace lefty Justin Steele and his rehab plans, as well as a general idea of when the team could see him take the mound again.

The 29-year-old Steele, as revealed to media, did not undergo Tommy John Surgery as was widely reported.

Per Marquee Sports Network:

“Steele had a left ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) revision repair operation under Dr. Keith Meister. It wasn’t Tommy John surgery – a reconstruction of the UCL – but Steele will still be out through 2025.”

An Update On Justin Steele

Prior to Saturday’s game with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Counsell met with media to share details of the procedure and give a general idea of how long the Cubs’ pitcher will be out of commission.

“We’re looking at kind of about a year time frame,” Counsell said. “Obviously, he’s got a long rehab ahead of him, and he’ll get started soon and he’ll put all the work in, and we’ll see where that gets us.”

Steele, who had the season-ending surgery on Friday, will soon be headed down to Mesa, Arizona to begin the rehab process at the team’s complex.

In a social media post, shared on Twitter/X shortly following his surgery, the Cubs standout starter shared a hospital bed photo of himself, giving the thumbs up sign with his right and, as his left arm wrested in a brace.

“Appreciate the prayers and thoughts,” Steele wrote. “God is good.”

Appreciate the prayers and thoughts.. God is good pic.twitter.com/7ovr23GEtT

— Justin Steele (@J_Steele21) April 18, 2025

Details On Steele’s Surgery

Steele’s UCL surgery was less invasive and complicated than a full-on Tommy John reconstruction of the UCL. According to EW Motion Therapy, basic recovery time could take from four to six months for a return to normal activities and up to a year “to fully heal and regain its original strength.” Full Tommy John surgery, however, would’ve required from 12 to 18 months for a return to original strength.

Per Marquee Sports Network, Cubs reliever Ethan Roberts underwent the same surgical procedure as Steele in late 2022, missed all of 2023, but was able to pitch again early in the 2024 season.

The Chicago Cubs’ Big Dilemma

The Cubs’ task is now to fill Steele’s big spot atop the starting rotation. For now, so early into the season and so far away from the trade deadline, the team will have to find a replacement internally until teams begin to make their top pitching talent available for trade.

As of right now, veteran swing man Colin Rea is taking Steele’s spot in the rotation and has accounted well for himself in two starts. Over the long haul, however, Chicago will have to pursue a true elite-level starter if they intend to be a playoff team working deep into the postseason.

In a recent appearance on MLB Network radio, former New York Mets GM Steve Phillips talked about just how hard it will be to replace Steele.

“He was 5th in Cy Young voting in 2023. 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.” Phillips said. “You can have as much depth as you want, you can build depth to replace the numbers of pitchers but not the impact of pitcher. 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.”

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The Chicago Cubs and their fans had a collective bittersweet moment Friday morning as they read through their early baseball news.

Cubs ace Justin Steele took to social media to address the fans as he prepared himself for elbow surgery.

Justin Steel Sends Heartfelt Message To Chicago Cubs Fans

Per Steele, via Instagram:

“Surgery today. Just wanted to take some time to say thank you to everyone who has sent their thoughts and prayers. Truly means the world to me at the number of people who have reached out to my family and me. It’s appreciated beyond belief. I’ll be back soon and better than ever.”

While it’s still unclear as to which specific surgery he’ll be having to repair his ailing left elbow (most believe it to be Tommy John surgery), the fact remains that it’ll be a season-ender and possibly keep him from pitching early next season as well.

And, of course, that loss will be felt.

Steele has a 3.30 ERA over his 5-year major league run with the Cubs and has been the team’s most consistently excellent starter during that run. From 2022 on, he’s also been one of the top starters in all of major league baseball.

Replacing Steele

For now, however, the Cubs’ focus is on replacing him internally, mostly because there’s virtually no trade market fight now, just past the halfway mark in April.

“Of course, we’re going to make phone calls on trades,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer recently told The Athletic. “Of course, we’re going to be open. But it’s also April, and those (deals) are unusual. Right now, our biggest focus is internally, just making sure that guys are throwing well and that we can withstand (things) from within.

“Is there anyone actually truly available? For the most part, teams are just going to say: ‘We’ll wait until July, at least, when we have a bigger market and more teams involved.’ It’s just hard this time of year to get (deals done). I would also say there’s just not that many sellers right now.”

Cubs manager Craig Counsell was realistic, but optimistic about how his team will adapt without their southpaw linchpin.

“You don’t replace people like Justin Steele,” Counsell told MLB.com. “The next guy has to step up, but it’s very difficult to replace that level of play. You hope you have some options to do so, and we think we do.”

For now, the Cubs are going with swing man Colin Rea to fill Steele’s rotation spot. The veteran, signed to a one-year, $5 million deal this offseason, pitched well in his first start of the season, allowing one earned run in 3.2 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 13.

The Impact Of The Loss

The loss of Steele hit the team hard when the news broke and some are still feeling the impact.

“You feel for Justin, just the competitor he is. He wants to be out there,” Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said, voice breaking with emotion, shortly after the team knew Steele’s injury was season-ending. “He wanted me to know from him and talk through it a little bit, and kind of talk through what options he had and what plans he had. That’s the kind of guy he is. He wants to respect the work we’ve all put in together. We’ve known each other for a long time now.”

For now, at least, the Cubs will do the best they can with what they have.

And Justin Steele will go about the business of resting, recovering, and coming back for a hopeful pennant push in 2026.

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The Chicago Cubs were expected to do well this season and work their way into postseason play. So far, they’ve been living up to those expectations.

For the most part, the team had been riding feel-good waves of momentum, until they got hit with some true buzzkill news– ace Justin Steele would have to undergo season-ending elbow surgery.

The news hit Cubs fans hard and it has sent the team scrambling to find a starting rotation replacement for their most consistently excellent starter.

Although the team is still doing well, recently going .500 on a tough West Coast road trip against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, it’s only a matter of time before the weight of losing Steele begins to bog them down.

The Chicago Cubs Will Need To Make A Big Trade

The consensus feeling is that the Cubs will pursue some sort of trade between now and the July 31 trade deadline to replace their lefty ace at the top of the rotation. There’s also some support for the idea of picking up a more steady hand at third base as a full-time replacement for the recently demoted Matt Shaw.

In a recent appearance on 670 The Score, MLB Insider Bruce Levine expressed his belief that the team would indeed be “all-in” when it comes to acquiring the talent they need to push their way into (and hopefully through) the playoffs.

Per Levine:

“I think everything’s pointing in the right direction. Injury-wise, obviously, you lose one of your top pitchers, they’re out there looking at probably four or five of what they consider to be the best pitchers available…It’s not going to be any surprise if they make a move for it, it just depends on how much of their minor league system are they willing to trade to win this year. They’re “all-in,” you know?

I think they’re playing a game of Texes Hold’em and the Cubs are “all-in” this year. So, I expect Hoyer to do everything he can to bring in some top pitching…and maybe even a third baseman along the way. Who knows? By the time August rolls around, we’ll see how that position shakes out with the three or four guys vying for time right now.”

With that in mind, the question shifts to who the Cubs will target and who they will have to give up to get them.

Targeting Pitchers

With the loss of Steele, the main target for Chicago has to be starting pitching– specifically, high-end, top-of-rotation arms.

There are a number of potential trade targets out there. The Miami Marlins’ rehabbed Sandy Alcantara, with a proven track record and two or three years of team control, is obviously the biggest dream catch potentially on the market.

The Seattle Mariners’ Luis Castillo was briefly tied to a Cubs trade in the offseason and will be a potential target if he’s put on the market by the deadline. He’s under team control through the 2027 season, with a vesting option for 2028.

The Minnesota Twins’ Joe Ryan could also be an appealing addition as a 28-year-old, seemingly entering into his pitching prime and with years of team control left.

Tyler Anderson of the Los Angeles Angels should also be a target, even though he’ll hit the free agent market at the end of this 2025 season.

There will be other names out there, but as Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer recently pointed out, most teams will not be entertaining deals until closer to the deadline when the market drives up potential asking prices.

What About A Third Baseman?

It seems less likely that the Cubs will go all-out in pursuing a third baseman. Between Gage Workman, Vidal Brujan, Jon Berti, Justin Turner, and the hope of a returning, retooled Matt Shaw, the team has options.

Unless someone unexpected is suddenly put on the trade market, there’s just not a lot out there better than what the team already has internally. In some fantasy worlds, the St. Louis Cardinals may consider a trade with their NL Central rivals for Nolan Arenado, but that’s highly unlikely.

And what will a trade deadline deal cost the Cubs?

Expect at least one, and maybe two, of the organization’s top 5 prospects to be traded away, as well as some other well-regarded farm system assets.

But if the Cubs are “all-in” when it comes to winning this year, they’ll have to give away a chunk of their future now.

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The Chicago Cubs are in a tough spot, even if a quick look at their won-loss record doesn’t immediately scream it.

The last several days have been filled with buzz regarding the loss of left-handed ace Justin Steele, who will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his ailing left elbow.

The team losing its most consistent top-of-rotation arm will have a trickle down affected for not only the rest of the rotation, but for an already-inconsistent bullpen, which will likely have to pick up the slack for innings lost from Steele’s absence. The pressure will also be felt by the offense, which will have to account for higher run production to offset Justin Steele’s absence.

Over the long haul, the Cubs WILL feel the loss.

That’s why Chicago will have to make a trade for a true ace-level replacement for Steele, absolutely as soon as possible.

The Chicago Cubs Must Trade For An Ace

But with the entire league knowing the Cubs’ dire predicament and at least two-thirds of the league believing, at this early stage of the season, that they still could contend for a playoff spot, it’s very much a seller’s market for starting pitching right now.

And the already out of contention Miami Marlins, blessed with the most attractive trade fodder this season, will be demanding a prodigious haul for their rehabbed righty Sandy Alcantara.

The 2022 Cy Young award winner is coming back from Tommy John surgery, after missing all of the 2024 season, but everything has looked good for him during spring training and through his first few starts of this 2025 campaign. Velocity, control, and confidence all seem there.

The 29-year-old Alcantara is also under team control this season and next, at just over $17 million, with a $21 million team option for 2027.

The talent, the track record, and the friendly business terms make him a wildly attractive trade target whose value will only go up as the trade deadline approaches and contenders feel a greater pinch for a top shelf starter.

The Asking Price

That’s why the Cubs, likely competing with several other historically more business-aggressive teams, will have to brace themselves for a tremendous asking price when it comes to the star with the lifetime 3.34 ERA.

Mike Ostrowski of Athlon Sports took a stab at what that asking price may be for the in-demand Alcantara.

Per Ostrowski:

“The cost involved would be high, as Alcantara was widely considered the top trade target available even before the Steele injury. The Marlins got two of the Philadelphia Phillies Top-30 prospects for Jesús Luzardo in the offseason, so the Cubs will have to cough up even more for a shot at Alcantara.

This idea has Chicago offering Cade Horton (No. 2 prospect), Cristian Hernandez (No. 11), Brody McCullough (No. 23), and recent Rule 5 selection Gage Workman in exchange for Sandy.”

Four Top 30-level prospects for Alcantara actually sounds about right. And while the names of the prospects may be different, it seems reasonable (and maybe likely) that the Marlins would ask for an ace-level pitching prospect in the package for their ace-level starter.

Does It Make Sense?

So, would giving up Cade Horton for Alcantara be wise?

It has to be noted that every prospect is a gamble until proven otherwise. Horton has his own history of arm issues and there’s no guarantee that he’ll pan out as a top-of-rotation presence for the Cubs.

Plus, Chicago won’t be getting a one-year rental with Alcantara, as they would be with the majority of the other high-end pitching trade targets tied to them. They’ll be getting two and maybe three years of a pitcher who has a track record of success at what amounts to a bargain price for a staff ace.

It may be smart to go after Sandy Alcantara right now, and pay that king’s ransom for a star who could not only help the Chicago Cubs win this year, but also for the next couple seasons. Horton’s loss would be felt, but if they could hold on to the rest of their top 10 prospects and still get Alcantara, well, that seems like an acceptable loss if the goal is to win now.

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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 series victory on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend has been the highlight of their season so far. They couldn’t plate a run against the Dodger pitching staff in the series opener where left-hander Matthew Boyd pitched very well in the 3-0 loss.

The tabled were flipped in a big way for the Saturday night tilt, where the Cubs handled Los Angeles their worst home shutout loss in franchise history with 16-0 being the final score. Young right-hander Ben Brown was sharp in the win, as he tossed six innings and punched out five batters.

The rubber match on Sunday night was the tightest of the series and the only game in the set where both teams scored. Pete Crow-Armstrong stole the show for Chicago, as the young centerfield had two homers and a triple in the 4-2 win to give the Cubs a huge series victory.

Chicago received some tough news on Sunday prior to first pitch with the announcement of Justin Steele needing season-ending surgery on his left elbow. Due to this, the front office still needs to figure out how they want to replace Steele’s spot in the rotation to give them the best chance at competing in October. Crow-Armstrong’s breakout game on Sunday made up for the sour news of the day and has him above two elite players in a specific statistical category.

Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong has a higher WAR than 2 greats

Entering play on Monday, Crow-Armstrong has a 0.7 WAR this season. Per Cubs broadcaster Alex Cohen, he ranks above Shohei Ohtani (0.6) and Mike Trout (0.5) in that metric so far this season.

Current 2025 WAR rankings per @espn and @baseball_ref.

Pete Crow-Armstrong: 0.7 WAR
Shohei Ohtani: 0.6 WAR
Mookie Betts: 0.5 WAR

— Alex Cohen (@voiceofcohen2) April 14, 2025

The big news around Crow-Armstrong over the weekend came in regards to him turning down an extension worth $75 million to stick around the Cubs organization for the long haul. While he is supposedly still more than interesting in negotiating his new deal, he proved his worth on Sunday.

Crow-Armstrong made his big league debut with the Cubs at the end of the 2023 season and played in 123 games last year after spending the beginning of the campaign in Triple-A. The 23-year-old has posted a .229/.289/.400 slash line so far this season in 18 games. Crow-Armstrong’s two homers on Sunday were his first round-trippers of the year and he has also driven in seven runs in 70 at-bats.

The Chicago Cubs need Pete Crow-Armstrong to be reliable

Crow-Armstrong’s glove, arm and speed have always been the more consistent parts of his game. He can cover an insane amount of ground in centerfield and is a weapon on the bases when he can find himself aboard the bags. His glove was the second tool in the minors to show itself, as he took home multiple honors for his defensive play in the Cubs’ farm system.

The only aspect of Crow-Armstrong’s game that isn’t there on a daily basis is his bat. Nobody is expecting him to hit 20 home runs a season, but if he can get to the point in his career where he hits 10-12 in a season and has an average around the .275 mark, the organization would be more than happy with that.

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The Chicago Cubs recently pulled off a trade for left-handed reliever Tom Cosgrove as the team looks to strengthen the bullpen. On Sunday, the Cubs found out they needed another starting pitcher after losing Justin Steele for the season.

Steele dealt with tendinitis last season. He’s set to have season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair his left elbow. Steele’s absence undermines a rotation that was already feeling stretched before they named Ben Brown as the fifth starting pitcher.

Per multiple reports, the Cubs are looking for help to replace Steele. Two different pitchers were named as possible solutions, including a two-time All-Star.

The Chicago Cubs are looking inside and out for a SP

According to George Ofman, the Cubs aren’t expected to make an immediate move to trade or sign a player. Ofman named Colorado Rockies pitcher German Marquez as a potential trade option.

“Steele’s season ending injury already has the Cubs seeking a pitcher from outside the organization,” Ofman posted on X. “Here is one to consider…German Marquez of the Rockies. Not expecting the Cubs to make a move just yet as they weigh organizational options.”

Steele’s season ending injury already has the Cubs seeking a pitcher from outside the organization. Here is one to consider…German Marquez of the Rockies. Not expecting the Cubs to make a move just yet as they weigh organizational options.

— George Ofman (@georgeofman) April 13, 2025

At 30, Marquez has a career ERA of 4.42. The right-handed pitcher has a 0-2 record in three games started this season with an ERA of 4.60.

Cubs linked to Sandy Alcantara

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Cubs are looking for a front-line starter ASAP. He linked Chicago to two-time All-Star pitcher Sandy Alcantara.

“The Cubs’ search for a front-line starter begins immediately with the Miami Marlins having the pitcher every team wants in Sandy Alcantara,” Nightengale posted.

The Cubs' search for a front-line starter begins immediately with the Miami Marlins having the pitcher every team wants in Sandy Alcantara. https://t.co/2kvvLJfAx4

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 13, 2025

At 29, Alcantara has a career ERA of 3.34. He has a 4.70 ERA in 2025, with a 2-0 record in three starts. In 15.1 innings pitched, Alcantara has earned 12 strikeouts.

For More Chicago Sports:

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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 began the regular season with a worry about thier rotation’s fifth starting pitcher. The Cubs handed that role to Ben Brown, but the team has a new worry with Justin Steele.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Friday night that an MRI showed Steele has the same issue he dealt with last season in his left elbow. Chicago is awaiting a second opinion before they decide what to do with Steele.

Justin Steele might be headed toward surgery

Per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Counsell said Steele wants more information before deciding on Tommy John surgery.

“There’s no decisions right now,” Counsell said. “Justin wants to get all the information. He wants to get another opinion. So until we do that, I think we got to wait for that and let him use all the information to decide what’s next.”

Steele dealt with tendinitis in September and previously had Tommy John surgery in 2017.

With Steele likely to miss significant time in a year they’re in the running to win the NL Central, the Cubs need to find another starting pitcher.

The Chicago Cubs might inquire on Lance Lynn’s new asking price

Earlier this year, Chicago was linked to a player who recently retired. At 37, Lance Lynn chose to call it quits after teams balked at his asking price for 2025.

“Update: baseball season is upon us, ” Lynn said during an appearance on “Dymin In The Rough.” “And I’m right here on the couch. And that is where I’m going to stay. So, there’s the update. I am officially retiring from baseball right here, right now.”

The Cubs reportedly started negotiations with Lynn before their trip to Japan in March. Lynn said the “money didn’t work out” with the teams he talked to in the offseason.

“Well, there’s a couple of different things,” Lynn said of why he chose to retire at 37. “You start looking around free agency. Obviously, there were some interests from the teams here and there. Money didn’t work out. Now you’re looking at the season started. I’ve really enjoyed not being there.”

The Cubs might be desperate enough to pay the money necessary to get the Indianapolis, Indiana native off the couch if Steele has to have surgery. Lynn has a 143-99 record in the MLB and a career ERA of 3.74. He went 7-4 with the Cardinals in 2024, recording an ERA of 3.84 in 117.1 innings pitched.

Lance has more to give Chicago than being another face in the crowd to bash the White Sox.

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 got a serving of bad news in the midst of a feel-good run of victories when it was announced on Wednesday that lefty ace Justin Steele would be headed to the 15-day injured list with left elbow tendonitis.

The rattling report was even more disappointing since it came following a masterful Steele performance on Monday, where he threw seven scoreless innings and allowed just three hits in a 7-0 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Things got worse for the Cubs and their faithful fans when buzz began circulating Friday morning that the injury to their top starter was possibly more severe than initially believed.

Cubs beat writer Jesse Rogers, in a Friday morning appearance on ESPN 1000, expressed his informed, but as of yet unconfirmed, belief that Steele’s stay on the injured list will be longer than the current minimum.

Justin Steele’s Injury Has Dire Implications

In a worst case scenario, the Cubs face the reality that they could lose their most consistent starter for an extended period of time. Even in a best case scenario, though, the team will have to work around Steele’s limitations for fear of aggravating the sensitive injury to his throwing arm.

And all of that means that the Cubs absolutely, positively need to bring in a new starting pitcher who can deliver quality innings every fifth day.

A returning Javier Assad is not the answer to that need. Bringing someone like Jordan Wicks back from the minors is not the answer. Working swing men like Colin Rea and Brad Keller into the rotation also isn’t a long-term answer.

As Brian Kelder of North Side Baseball recently pointed out, when assessing the “what if” implications of losing either Steele of Shota Imanaga for an extended period of time:

“I guess the answer to that will come quickly! Colin Rea was signed precisely for these moments as a swing arm. Jordan Wicks is struggling with a 1.76 WHIP in his first two starts in Iowa, Cade Horton isn’t stretched out, and Chris Flexen also sports a WHIP over 1.70. There is not a pitcher in the system that can be expected to come near to Justin Steele’s projected line.

The Cubs gambled a lot of their season on Imanaga and Steele maintaining their elite level while, in Steele’s case, increasing his workload. Matthew Boyd has been outstanding, also, which lessens the blow of Steele missing time. Even so, the team cannot afford to lose Steele for an extended period of time. They just weren’t built to withstand his loss.”

There are also legitimate question marks when it comes to the oft-injured and surgically repaired Boyd’s durability and Jameson Taillon’s consistency.

The Chicago Cubs Must Make A Trade

So, at this point, there’s no other option than a trade.

The problem is that most teams won’t be up for such a big trade, involving a valuable starting pitching asset, this early in the season. Even the no-hope teams already considering themselves out of contention would prefer to make their deals closer to the trade deadline, when market demand allows them to ask more for their trade-fodder pitchers.

So, if the Cubs do make a trade for starting pitching now, it’ll probably have to be for a stopgap budget mid-to-back-of-rotation starter, with the idea of making a bigger acquisition at the trade deadline.

With that in mind, here are two realistic potential trade targets who fit the Cubs needs, at least for right now.

Two Realistic Cubs Trade Targets

Veteran right-hander Zack Littell has struggled for the Tampa Bay Rays so far this year and is currently playing through the last year of his contract with the team, which is projected by most to be a .500 club.

It’s quite likely that the Rays would be willing to deal him right now for a smallish asking price and to remove his $5.7 million salary from their books.

Littell has mostly been a starter in recent years, but he’s had his best seasons as a quality swing man who can start as well as serve as long relief.

Another trade target could be the Miami Marlins’ Cal Quantrill.

The 30-year-old, 7-year veteran was a bargain bin $3.5 million free agent pickup for the Marlins late this offseason, but could easily be flipped via trade for the right minor league asset.

Sporting a lifetime 4.09 ERA, Quantrill could be tacked on to the end of the Cubs’ rotation.

Picking up someone like Littell or Quantrill would purely be to eat innings and bide time until Chicago can pull off a bigger starting pitching acquisition at the deadline. Moves like this will be essential if Steele is lost for any extended period of time.

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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 have been playing great baseball lately, winning eight of their last ten ballgames and taking two of three games from the Texas Rangers where they’ve outscored them 17 to six.

The Cubs have been getting great production from their starting pitching and their offense with their bullpenslowly starting to figure things out.

The Cubs got a great outing in the first game of the series from lefty Justin Steele who threw seven innings of shutout baseball before landing on the injured list with tendinitis in his elbow.

Chicago Cubs call up reliever after Steele’s injury

Since Steele was placed on the injured list a spot on the 26-man roster opened up and the Cubs filled it by calling up reliever Ethan Roberts from Triple-A Iowa.

Today’s roster update: pic.twitter.com/nTsNdGtMPD

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 9, 2025

The 27-year-old Roberts has spent parts of two seasons in the big leagues with the Cubs once in 2022, where he appeared in nine games where he had an 8.22 ERA, and the other time last season, when he appeared in 21 games and had a 3.21 ERA in 26.2 innings.

Steele won’t be on the IL for long

Steele, if all goes well and no setbacks occur, shouldn’t be on the injured list for too long as this tendinitis should clear up with rest and icing.

Roberts should get opportunities to showcase if he’s worth keeping around, as the bullpen could use someone who can have clean innings.

Once Steele returns though, Roberts could be sent back down so the Cubs won’t have to designate anyone for assignment or waste another option on someone else.

The Cubs will be looking for the sweep this afternoon against the Rangers, sending their Ace Shota Imanaga to the mound to face off against Rangers right-hander Tyler Mahle.

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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 playing great baseball as they’re 7-3 in their last ten games and outscoring their opponents 70 to 40.

The Cubs’ offensive successes can be attributed to their rightfielder Kyle Tucker who has been on a tear to start the season and won the National Leagues Player of the Week award for how great he has played.

The Cubs have also gotten great productions from both catchers Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, who have also been hot and are helping to generate the Cub’s runs.

The Cubs have also gotten solid outings from their starting pitchers, which has helped them maintain leads late into games and shut down opposing teams early, so the bullpen doesn’t struggle too much.

The Cubs got another strong outing from another one of their starters last night, as Justin Steele had a perfect outing against the first-place in the American League West Texas Rangers.

Chicago Cubs lefty dominates the Rangers

The Cubs are coming off another great win where they’ve proven yet again they’re capable of playing with the big boys, shutting out the Rangers 7-0.

The Cub’s top four in the lineup came through to produce six of the Cubs’ seven runs, with Ian Happ having three RBIs of his own, going 1-5 at the dish.

The lead set by the Cubs was maintained by Steele’s great outing, where he went 7.0 innings, gave up three hits, two walks, and struck out eight. Steele’s strong outing helped to halt the Ranger’s five-game winning streak.

“Justin Steele twirls seven shutout frames, @Cubs snap Rangers’ 5-game win streak.”

Justin Steele twirls seven shutout frames, @Cubs snap Rangers' 5-game win streak. pic.twitter.com/JiH1dUy4VS

— MLB (@MLB) April 8, 2025

Steele’s third outing of the season is far better than his previous two starts, where he allowed seven earned runs in 11.2 innings and struggled with his command.

Steele has shown early signs of success, with his fastball run value ranking in the 89th percentile and ranks in the 81st percentile for chase percentage.

That tracks as his out-of-zone swing percentage is up 5.6% from last season, going from 29.2% to 34.8%.

Maintaining this success

The Cubs need to maintain this level of success from their starters to keep up this run of good baseball they’re playing.

The Cubs will especially need Steele to look like the guy they saw last night to do so, as they’re counting on him and Shota Imanaga to be the anchors of this rotation.

The Cubs are back at it today against the Rangers as right-hander Jameson Taillon will toe the slab for the Cubs and square off against the Ranger’s left-hander Patrick Corbin, who is making his season debut.

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It took a little while, but the Chicago Cubs are over .500 following a series sweep of the Athletics on Wednesday. The Cubs started the regular season 0-2 when they were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Dome on March 18-19.

Chicago split their domestic series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs had a chance to win the series, but bullpen issues cost them Sunday night’s game after they gave up eight runs to the Diamondbacks in the eighth inning.

The Chicago Cubs were disrespected by ESPN

Chicago came out furious against the A’s, winning Monday night’s game 18-3, Tuesday night’s game 7-4, and completing the sweep 10-2. The Cubs will face a serious test in their home opener this weekend when they take on the 7-0 San Diego Padres on Friday.

In thier MLB power rankings published Thursday, ESPN gave the Cubs a ridiculous ranking. They put Chicago at 14, two spots higher than their last ranking.

However, they placed the Cubs three sports below the 0-7 Atlanta Braves (11). Chicago is behind two other sub-.500 teams, the No. 13 Boston Red Sox (2-4) and No. 10 Houston Astros (2-4).

Justin Steele needs to pitch better

Alden Gonzalez of ESPN critiqued starting pitcher Justin Steele’s early performance this season in the power rankings, claiming he’s lukewarm.

“Justin Steele has acted as a steadying presence in the Cubs’ rotation over the past three years, winning 25 games, posting a 3.10 ERA and accumulating 427 innings,” Gonzelez. “But the early part of this season has been a struggle. Through three starts, Steele leads the majors in hits (18), earned runs (12) and homers allowed (five).

“But that’s not entirely fair. He began his season before almost everyone else, on March 18 in Japan. None of his three starts — against the Dodgers, D-backs and A’s — have been terrible. It’s just that none of them have been all that good, either.”

The Cubs have a chance to climb up the power ranking if they can win games in a tough month. Following their series against the Padres this weekend, Chicago has series against the Texas Rangers, Dodgers, Padres again, Diamondbacks, Dodgers again, Philadelphia Philles, and Pittsburgh Pirates in April.

The Padres, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, and Phillies have a combined record of 28-5.

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The 2023 season marked a breakout year for Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele, which gave the organization hope for the future. He made 30 starts and posted a 16-5 record two years ago in 173.1 innings pitched. Steele closed out 2023 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP for a Cubs team that just missed out on a Wild Card spot in the final weeks of the season. Steele’s 3.8 WAR in 2023 was by far the best mark in his career.

Steele was in the running for the CY Young Award two years ago but took a step back in 2024 despite posting similar numbers to the year prior. The southpaw made 24 starts last season and had a 5-5 record to go with his 3.07 ERA. Steele tossed in 134.2 frames as an injury on Opening Day against the Rangers kept him off the mound for about a month. He finished the season with a 1.10 WHIP and a 1.9 WAR.

Plenty is riding on Steele returning to form in 2025 to lead the Cubs rotation alongside Shota Imanaga. The organization desperately needs them to be horses for a pitching staff that is looking to lead the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Unfortunately for Steele, things have not started out the way he would have liked to this year.

Justin Steele doesn’t look like himself

Steele has allowed at least three earned runs in each of his three starts so far this year. His most recent outing against the Athletics on Tuesday was his longest of the year at 6.2 innings, where he gave up four runs on seven hits in the Cubs 7-4 victory. While Steele was a pure gamer in his third start and gave Chicago a chance to win the game despite not having his best stuff, something is clearly off with him.

The left-hander is leaving plenty of his sliders up in the zone, which has led to balls in the gap and over the wall. Athletics’ catcher Shea Langeliers got the best of Steele for a two-run homer on Tuesday, but those were the last runs that he allowed in the game. The Athletics game was the second that the Cubs had won with Steele on the bump this season.

Steele can’t rely on the Chicago offense to score seven or more runs in every game that he starts this season, so something needs to change if the Cubs are hoping to get ace-stuff out of the former 2014 fifth-round draft pick. There is no denying that Steele can be great for the organization when he is on, but the inconsistencies over the past year or so leave room to worry about how much longer he can be relied on as a top-two starter in the rotation.

The Chicago Cubs might need to lean more on the other rotation arms

It will be up to the entire rotation to shoulder the load out of the gate this season. Ben Brown looked sharp in his first start of the campaign against the Athletics on Monday in an 18-3 rout, and he could be called upon in bigger spots down the road if he puts together a solid first full season in the big leagues.

Jameson Taillon had a rough go at it against the Diamondbacks on Friday, and he’ll look to get right against the Athletics on Wednesday. The right-hander is coming off his best season as a Cub, where he had a 3.27 ERA in 28 starts.

Matthew Boyd looked good in his official Cub debut over the weekend against Arizona, but the team couldn’t hold the lead for him as the bullpen imploded in the eighth inning. He and Taillon are in a similar boat as members of the middle of the rotation, and as veterans, they will need to step up.

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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 are heading into the 2025 season as the favorites to win the NL Central Division. They’re also projected by some to win as many as 92 games this year.

That’s a tall order for a team that finished 83-79 in 2024 and 10 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers.

But the Cubs have made a lot of eye-catching moves this offseason and, overall, they just seem to be in a much better position than they were last year at this time.

The big move was the addition of Houston Astros multi-tool right fielder Kyle Tucker, who is legitimately regarded as one of the best position players in all of baseball.

They added rehabbed lefty Matthew Boyd to an already solid starting rotation. In an under-regarded move, they picked up Carson Kelly to fortify a depleted catching corps made up entirely of 26-year-old Miguel Amaya.

Chicago also shored up a bullpen that experienced a full-on collapse in the first half of 2024, pretty much putting the team into a hole from which it could never quite emerge. Adding former Astros closer Ryan Pressly could be a key acquisition, although his success as a once-again closer is by no means guaranteed. Aside from Pressly, though, the additions of Ryan Brasier, Caleb Theilbar, Colin Rea, and Eli Morgan should go a long way in stabilizing the bullpen.

People also forget that the team, actually, had a pretty solid core before all of these other pickups.

But how talented are the Cubs? How do they fare against other teams in the area of talent?

Well, Dayn Perry of CBS Sports seems to think quite highly of them.

In a piece ranking the top 100 players in major league baseball, Perry includes seven Cubs, a number second only to the nine ranked players representing the Los Angeles Dodgers and tied with the Atlanta Braves’ seven.

As a side note, the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays had zero ranked players. The Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, and Colorado Rockies, meanwhile, had just one each.

And, the no. 1 player in baseball, per Perry? Shohei Ohtani, of course.

But, back to the Cubs.

Who were the highest ranked Cubs?

The Chicago Cubs Outfield

It should come as no surprise that Kyle Tucker was the highest ranked Cub, with a no. 18 placement. Some believe that the 28-year-old is on the verge of an MVP-level season in this final year before hitting free agency.

Seiya Suzuki ranked no. 49 overall and many people also feel that he could be headed towards a career year as the Cubs’ full-time designated hitter.

Left fielder Ian Happ, placed at no. 69, has been consistently solid for the Cubs, averaging 25 home runs for every 162 games played over the course of eight seasons with the team. He’s also a three-time Gold Glover.

The Cubs’ Infield

Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner comes in at no 70 on the top 100 list. The 27-year-old has been one of the most consistent contact hitters in the game, as well as a plus-base stealer and a Gold Glove defensive asset.

Hoerner’s middle infield partner Dansby Swanson comes in at no. 74. Despite back-to-back injury-affected down years, the 31-year-old plays elite-level Gold Glove defense and can still deliver offensively.

Cubs Pitching

Cubs ace Justin Steele is the highest ranked Cubs pitcher on the list, coming in at no. 72. The placement seems a bit low, given his three-year run as one of the best starting pitchers in the league. A career 3.30 ERA in 99 games confirms his status as an elite-level arm.

Shota Imanaga also comes in with a bit of a surprisingly low no. 82 placement, although his status as a sophomore headed into the 2025 season may be the reason for that. He had a heck of a rookie season, though, posting a 2.91 ERA in 29 games started.

Were there any Cubs missing from this list? A case could be made for first baseman Michael Busch and starting pitcher Jameson Taillon, who put up some very solid numbers last season. But, honestly, not everyone can make the top 100. Maybe next year, we’ll see Matt Shaw and Pete Crwo-Armstrong up there.

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The Chicago Cubs will begin their season on March 27 when they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks for their second Opening Day in one month.

The Cubs will face perennial Cy Young candidate Zac Gallen, who got the nod from manager Torey Lovullo that he would be their guy to start on Opening Day.

It appears that the Diamondbacks have had a change of plans and altered their rotation before the start of the series, which benefits the Cubs.

The Chicago Cubs catch a break

The Cubs look to be catching a break for the fourth game of their season, with the Diamondbacks deciding to move right-handed pitcher and Cy Young winner (2021) Corbin Burnes’s first start for when the Diamondbacks play the New York Yankees in New York.

Per Baseball Insider Bob Nightengale:

“The Chicago Cubs catch a nice break with Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes now making his Arizona Diamondbacks debut against the Yankees on the road and not in their 4-game home-opening series against the Cubs.”

The Chicago Cubs catch a nice break with Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes now making his Arizona Diamondbacks debut against the Yankees on the road and not in their 4-game home-opening series against the Cubs.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 23, 2025

Only facing one Cy Young candidate

Thankfully, the Cubs will only face one Cy Young candidate instead of two.

Burnes was the Diamondback’s biggest signing this offseason, signing him to a six-year $210 million deal with an opt-out for 2027.

This was well deserved after Burnes went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA in 194.1 innings with the Baltimore Orioles. Burnes, for his efforts on the mound, was named an All-Star and finished fifth in the American League Cy Young voting.

The Cubs will send Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon to start games one & two while saving their Ace Shota Imanaga for game three.

This move by the Cubs is so Iamanaga can start the Cub’s home opener on April 4.

The Cubs will look to have more success against the Diamondbacks than they did against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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The Chicago Cubs have already begun their regular season, having opened up in Japan against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Overseas, Shota Imanaga got the nod in game one and Justin Steele game two.

In those contests, Imanaga delivered four no-hit innings.  On the other hand, Steele got roughed up as he gave up five earned runs over as many innings.

Until recently, it was assumed that Imanaga and Steele would run things back during the “domestic” opening series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  That will not be the case, as Chicago has revealed some shocking news as towards their starting pitching plans for this four game series.

Chicago Cubs unveil surprising starting rotation for domestic opening series

Instead of keeping the same starting pitching order, consisting of Imanaga followed by Steele, the Cubs have elected to have Steele start on domestic opening day.  He will square off against Zac Gallen.  In game two, Chicago will send forth Jameson Taillon and the Diamondbacks Corbin Burnes.  Chicago’s game three and game four starters are listed as to be determined.

Justin Steele will start the re-opener in Arizona on Thursday, followed by Taillon. Shota’s start is TBA.

— Paul Sullivan (@PWSullivan) March 21, 2025

Why is this decision shocking?

The Cubs decision to mix up the starting rotation order comes as a surprise for a few reasons.  One being that Imanaga pitched better than Steele did in Japan.  Another is that Steele was dealing with an illness before his start against the Dodgers, so if either of these pitchers was going to have a start pushed back one would have speculated that it would have been Steele and not Imanaga.

There could be an argument that Chicago doesn’t want the Diamondbacks to face southpaws on consecutive days, but given the fact the three out of the Cubs five projected starters are lefties, having lefties pitch back to back at some point is unavoidable.

Lastly, it’s hard to discern if the Cubs not announcing Imanaga’s next start is due to an issue/injury, or if it’s more strategy as from a scouting, preparation, and game plan stand point.  Teams generally like to wait until as late as possible before announcing starting pitchers.

Regardless of the reasoning behind this decision, it adds intrigue to the Cubs’ domestic opening series. Whether this move is strategic or due to an underlying issue remains to be seen, but all eyes will be on Steele, Taillon, and the yet-to-be-named starters as Chicago looks to get their first win of the year against the Diamondbacks

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The 2025 season has not started on the right foot for the Chicago Cubs as the team dropped both games in Tokyo against the Dodgers. Tuesday’s 4-1 loss saw them struggle to get anything going at the plate and a three-run fifth inning from the Dodgers that didn’t give Chicago a fighting chance to comeback.

The offensive output from the Cubs on Wednesday was much better than on Opening Day, but Los Angeles matched their energy and then some. Justin Steele faltered in his first start of the season as he gave up five runs on five hits in 4.0 innings tossed.

The 6-3 final score in game two wrapped up a rather disappointing trip, as the Cubs split their exhibition matchups prior to facing the Dodgers. Despite the poor outcomes, a few important things were learned about the early looks of the 2025 squad both on the mound and at the plate. One interesting factor to keep an eye one with the batting order when the team returns back home is if two infielders will swap places for next Thursday’s game against the Diamondbacks.

Matt Shaw and Dansby Swanson could swap spots in the order

Matt Shaw collected his first big league hit on Wednesday in what should be the first of plenty as a professional. The rookie won the starting third baseman job out of Spring Training after it was made known that he would get the first crack at the spot. Shaw went 0-4 in his debut on Tuesday, but was still slotted in the five-hole for Wednesday’s contest.

Dansby Swanson collected a knock in each game against the Dodgers, as he doubled for the first time this season in the fifth inning on Wednesday. The two-bagger scored Shaw to close out the scoring from both teams. There is no doubt that Swanson is seeing the ball well against strong pitcher, and Jesse Rodgers of ESPN believes that manager Craig Counsell needs to switch the two in the lineup moving forward.

“Small thing but good time to wonder why a rookie is hitting ahead of a $177 million player who has 25 home run seasons on his resume,” Rodgers posted on X. Managers/execs often wave off batting order questions. ‘Put your best hitters up top, they say. Its simple.’ You do that for this exact scenario.”

Rodgers brings up a solid point that Swanson’s career resume speaks for itself, but Shaw’s potential to be a middle-of-the-order guy for years to come is worth noting too. It all comes down to what Counsell values more from the jump. If these results continue throughout the first couple of weeks and a change is not made, one could potentially argue that something would need to be different.

The Chicago Cubs offense is already looking like how they did last year

Tuesday’s offensive showing was similar to what Cubs fans saw in all of 2024. They did not execute with runners in scoring position as they posted a 1-7 mark when those chances were there. Kyle Tucker has not exactly looked comfortable at the plate throughout Spring Training and that carried over into the season opener.

Despite plating three runs on Wednesday, the Cubs fell behind 5-1 at one point and they simply did not have enough fire power to will their way back into the contest. The power bats need to be better and capitalizing with runners in scoring position is essential for this team to have any success in 2025. They can’t lean on the starting pitching as much as they did last season, otherwise they’ll hover around the 83-win mark for a third straight year.

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The Chicago Cubs got swept in the Tokyo Series, dropping the second game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, losing 6-3.

The Cubs in this series were outscored 10-4, with the Dodgers offense exploding for 14 hits and launching three home runs in the second game.

The series did have one bright spot to it, with the Cubs’ top prospect, Matt Shaw, getting his first big league hit on an infield single.

The second game was a disaster for the Cubs, which started from pitch one with Justin Steele not looking great in his first start of the season.

Chicago Cubs left-hander struggles in his debut

Steele was not sharp in his first start of the season, allowing five runs on five hits, with five strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work. The bugaboo for Steele was the walks, which he allowed five.

The other issue for Steele in the game was he left too many pitches over the heart of the plate, which led him to give up two home runs. Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernádez was one of those two home runs, tattooing a hanging slider to leftfield that fell right into his bat path.

“Kiké Hernández CRUSHES this pitch! #TokyoSeries”

Kiké Hernández CRUSHES this pitch! #TokyoSeries pic.twitter.com/XWfcSKh02Y

— MLB (@MLB) March 19, 2025

A bounce back for his next outing

Even though Steele struggled in his first start, he has stuff to build off of and work on for his next start, which should come in Arizona when the Cubs play the Diamondbacks.

The good part of Steele’s outing was that his fastball was sharp, and he located it well. That’s a good sign and something he can build off to have more success in his next outing.

Steele has to utilize his changeup more in his next start. If he does, hitters won’t just sit on his fastball and slider, which the Dodgers did today.

The Cubs will return to the States, where they’ll finish up camp and wait to begin the domestic leg of their season, which starts on March 27.

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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 enter Tuesday’s matchup against the defending World Series champions with high expectations of their own for 2025. The Cubs will play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Dome to begin a regular season that should end with an NL Central championship and a spot in the playoffs.

The Cubs traded with the Houston Astros for right fielder Kyle Tucker and added bullpen help to aggressively pursue a division title. However, Chicago could improve their starting rotation.

Chicago has been eyeing veteran help for their rotation. They’ve been linked to Miami Marlins star Sandy Alcantara. The Cubs could promote Ben Brown to the fifth spot in the rotation.

The Chicago Cubs need Justin Steele to be the anchor

With questions about the starting rotation being the Cubs’ biggest issue this spring, Jeff Passan of ESPN suggested Justin Steele will have to be the team’s “anchor” in 2025.

“The real answer to this is that it hinges on Chicago’s rotation, which Steele happens to anchor,” Passan wrote. “The Cubs are confident they’re going to score runs this season. They also might have the best defense in all of baseball. Their bullpen, with Ryan Pressly closing and a full year of Porter Hodge, could be a real problem for hitters.

“If Steele does his thing — his ERA over the past three seasons: 3.18, 3.06, 3.07 — and Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon are as good as they were last year, and Matthew Boyd carries his stuff year-over-year and the fifth rotation spot stabilizes, Chicago will solidify its status as NL Central favorite.”

Steele is a good source for a ship’s anchor. At 29, the lefty has a career ERA of 3.24 and 496 strikeouts through his first four seasons. He earned an All-Star appearance in 2023.

Steele started in 24 games in 2024, earning a 5-5 record and an ERA of 3.07 through 134.2 innings pitched.

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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 made a lot of moves this offseason to back up their assertion of being “all in” when it comes to making the playoffs for the first time since the abbreviated 2020 season.

Their biggest move, of course, was trading for multi-tool all-star right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. They picked up closer Ryan Pressly in a separate trade with the Astros. They also acquired rehabbed lefty starter Matthew Boyd, a co-starting catcher in Carson Kelly, and several bullpen and infield pieces.

Chicago Cubs Missing One Key Ingredient?

As things stand right now, they are favored to win the NL Central division and expected to make their first deep-ish playoff run since 2017.

But they may be missing one key ingredient needed to go from postseason-likely to postseason-successful.

Alexander Patt of Cubbies Crib believes that missing piece of the puzzle is postseason experience, especially when it comes to the starting rotation.

Patt points out that neither of the team’s aces, Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga, have MLB playoff experience. James Taillon has just 4.1 career innings of after-regular season play. Newcomer Boyd will head into 2025 as the most experienced of the lot with 12 career playoff innings (11.1 coming last season with the Cleveland Guardians).

The Importance Of High-Stakes Experience

The lack of such high-stakes experience leaves some uncertainty when it comes to how well the all-important starting pitching corps handles the stress of postseason play when/if the Cubs make it there.

In Chicago’s 2016 World Series-winning team and the successful 2015 squad the year prior, playoff-seasoned veterans played key roles.

Per Patt:

“To put this in perspective, compare this to 2015-2016. When they rose to legitimacy in 2015, their key move was bringing in an all-time postseason great in Jon Lester who won two rings in Boston and boasted 84 career postseason innings pitched. Jason Hammel also had 15 innings under his belt entering 2015. Come 2016, they brought in John Lackey, who had 127.1 postseason innings, and like Lester, also won two World Series championships; he notably pitched in the World Series clinchers for both of them (2002 with the Angels and 2013 with the Red Sox). There was value in having “postseason masters” in the rotation during those runs.”

Cubs Front Office Sees It Too

The Cubs front office has, apparently, seen the need for veteran leadership with postseason experience and has added some in other spots this offseason. Justin Turner, Ryan Brasier, Kyle Tucker, and Ryan Pressly all have World Series rings. Utility man Jon Berti has postseason experience, as do incoming pitchers Matthew Boyd, Eli Morgan, and Caleb Thielbar.

However, except for Boyd, the starting rotation will be relative babes in the woods when it comes to postseason play.

But will that matter all that much?

Well, the Cubs won’t know until they know. Steele, Imanaga, and the rest of the rotation could very well prove themselves to be clutch playoff assets, leading the team to next-level success….or not.

It’s very possible that Chicago, if they are in the thick of a pennant race in the middle of the summer, could trade for a veteran starter who would bring added leadership and experience to that run for postseason glory.

As is always the case in baseball, time will reveal all.

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The Chicago Cubs are watching starting pitchers drop like flies all around them and are reportedly making contingency plans to cover their own bases.

Notably, the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and Seattle Mariners have all recently felt the sting of injury to prominent starters.

The Cubs, with an earlier than usual opening day series in Japan against the Los Angeles Dodgers, may be concerned about the change affecting the health and general preparedness of their players, especially the all-important pieces of their starting rotation.

Chicago Cubs Have Veteran Starters “On Their Radar”

That’s why a recent report from Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic shouldn’t really be all that surprising.

According to sources, the Cubs have a pair of so far unsigned free agent veteran starters– Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn– “on their radar.”

Per The Athletic:

“Even the Chicago Cubs, relatively healthy at the moment, are among the clubs seeking potential rotation help, a search that might intensify depending on how they fare in their season-opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo on March 18-19…

The Cubs are keeping Gibson and Lynn on their radar in case issues arise after the team’s early ramp-up for spring training and long trip to Japan, sources say…

At the moment, the Cubs aren’t in a position to promise Gibson or Lynn a spot in their rotation, much less guarantee that either pitcher would make the major-league club by a certain date. But the seemingly nonstop injury news coming out of Arizona and Florida means all 30 clubs will continue looking for pitching. Even ones that appear to be set.”

A Pair of Workhorses On The Market

Gibson and Lynn, both 37 and coming off one-year stints with the St. Louis Cardinals, have built reputations as workhorses over the course of their careers. Gibson has averaged more than 30 starts per season in ten full seasons (excluding rookie year and abbreviated 2020 season) while Lynn has averaged about 29.5 starts in eleven full seasons (also excluding rookie year and 2020).

Last year, Gibson finished with a 4.24 ERA in 30 starts/169.2 innings while Lynn posted a 3.84 ERA in 23 starts/117.1 innings.

The two veterans should find contracts before the start of the regular season, given the rash of starting pitching injuries and just the general need for major league-level arms with proven track records.

The State Of The Cubs’ Starting Rotation

On the surface, the Cubs seem fine when it comes to starting pitching depth with a front four consisting of Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Matthew Boyd. Chicago’s fifth rotation slot has been the subject of debate since it was announced that Javier Assad would begin the season on the injured list due to oblique issues.

Assad, however, appears to be progressing nicely and there’s considerable depth behind the young pitcher in the persons of Colin Rea, Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and Brad Keller.

Still, starting pitching depth will be important in what the Cubs hope to be a playoff-bound 2025. Aside from the natural unpredictability of a long 162-game season, where fluke injuries abound, there’s also some legitimate concern over the durability of key rotation pieces.

Boyd, for example, is just about a year-and-half removed from Tommy John surgery and only pitched a total of 51.1 innings, between regular season and postseason, with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024. Assad’s current impairment and Brown’s neck injury of last season, which led to the team shutting him down in June, are also points of concern.

It should be interesting how the market opens up for pitchers like Gibson and Lynn and which teams grab at them out of either necessity or for insurance. Whatever the case, the Cubs are apparently in the picture.

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The Chicago Cubs stand to have a pretty strong starting rotation.

Even with Javier Assad’s left oblique strain sidelining him and forcing him to start the season on the injured list, the team still looks deep when it comes to starting pitching.

The current front four of the rotation consists of Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Matthew Boyd. Competition for that fifth slot will consist of Colin Rea, Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, and Assad, when he’s healthy.

Brown, especially, may play a significant role in the Cubs’ starting rotation plans in the immediate future. The question is whether that immediate future is within the coming weeks, later in the year, or next season.

The Value of Ben Brown

The 6-foot-6 right-hander impressed last year and overpowered at times before having his season shut down with a persistent neck injury that hobbled his work.

Up until that injury, Brown had delivered a 3.58 ERA in 55.1 innings, including a 3.23 ERA in eight starts. His brilliant 7-inning, no-hit, 10-strikeout performance against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 28 showcased the kind of plus-plus potential the young talent possesses in his lanky frame.

This year, however, he’s back to competing for a spot on the team after being given full medical clearance to pitch at 100% capacity. So far this spring, he’s pitched eight innings in three appearances.

Chicago Cubs, Tasked With Finding The Right Place For Brown

There’s no doubt that the 25-year-old has a place on the team. The question is whether he’s going to find that place in the bullpen or as a starter. And, if the answer is the latter, whether he might start the season in Triple-A Iowa.

Per Patrick Mooney of The Athletic:

“Ben Brown will continue to be stretched out as a starter because the Cubs know he could be a big X-factor for their rotation and they don’t want to foreclose that possibility right now. Rather than tapering his innings in March and immediately turning him into a high-leverage reliever, it makes more sense for Brown to increase his workload and be available if the Cubs need another starter. Moving to the bullpen later would be easier than trying to ramp back up toward 100 pitches again.

At this stage of his career, Brown, 25, expects this to be a fluid situation and understands things. He’s a 6-foot-6 right-hander with swing-and-miss stuff, an analytical approach to pitching and a minor-league option this year.”

Brown Has A Preference, But Just Wants To Win

Brown, himself, says that he prefers starting, although he’ll play any role that helps the Cubs win.

“I do want to be a starter in this league,” Brown told The Athletic. “And I do want to be a starter for a very long time. Obviously, we have a very good team, a very deep team. I want to have a role. I’m preparing to go out there and get outs. I think that my stuff plays out of the bullpen. I think it plays as a starter. I don’t think my approach changes at all.”

There’s no doubt that the future is bright for Brown. But will he shine now or later…and in what role, exactly, will he shine? All of that remains to be seen.

In the meantime, everybody, including current Cubs, sees his value.

“Ben Brown…that dude’s a horse,” Cubs ace Justin Steele said on the North Side Territory podcast, prior to the official start of spring training. “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.”

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The Chicago Cubs are poised to be one of the better teams in the National League this year and give the Milwaukee Brewers a run for their money for the National League Central.

The Cubs had a great offseason where they acquired talented players like Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly to help get them over the hump and make the playoffs.

Since the Cubs have high expectations, MLB The Show gave five of their players high ratings for this year’s game.

Five Chicago Cubs receive high ratings

MLB The Show is one of the best baseball video games on the market and will launch on March 18. The makers of the respected franchise have been making the rounds in the baseball world to list the highest-rated players on each team.

The Cubbies #MLBTheShow Top 5 are set to bear this season's challenges for the @Cubs! pic.twitter.com/vsuk6bzoTj

— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) March 5, 2025

In this year’s version of the Show, the Cubs have five players receiving high ratings. Kyle Tucker is rated the highest with a 93 overall. Tucker’s rating could have been higher if his season wasn’t cut short due to a broken shin.

Following Tucker on the list are Seiya Suzuki, Justin Steele, and Dansby Swanson, who all received 86 overalls. The lowest-rated Cub on the list is Shota Imanaga, who received an 85 overall, which to me feels low.

Imanaga is coming off a stellar season in his first season in Major League Baseball after coming over from Japan. In his first year, Imanaga made 29 starts where he pitched to a 15-3 record with a 2.91 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 173.1 innings pitched.

This overall stat line landed Imanaga his first All-Star appearance and finished in the top five for both the Cy Young and the Rookie of the Year voting. Given those accolades on top of his stats, Imanaga should be around 87-88 overall since he’s the Cub’s second-best player.

A respectable group of players

All five of these guys listed are supposed to be key parts of the Cub’s success this season, and all have “big” years.

Tucker, Suzuki, and Swanson will be key cogs in the Cubs lineup this season, while Imanaga and Steele will be two pillars in the Cubs rotation this season.

These ratings could change depending on how their seasons go, but to start with five players with high ratings is a good sign for the Cub’s season.

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Justin Steele has arguably been the Chicago Cubs ace over each of the past three seasons.  Since 2022, he has posted ERA’s of 3.18, 3.06, and 3.07 while making at least 24 starts in each of those years.  A heavy fastball-slider combination has been his bread and butter, but this year he is striving to elevate his game by gaining confidence in his changeup.

How frequently has Justin Steele thrown a changeup in the past? 

In regular season contests, Steele has thrown just 157 changeups since 2021.  All but three of those instances have come when facing right-handed hitters.  Last year, he used the changeup 3.3% of the time, which was the highest usage rate of his career (67 pitches).

Chicago Cubs catchers are calling for the changeup this spring

During Steele’s most recent spring training outing, he threw three changeups in total.  He got two check swings on the pitch and the third was thrown in the dirt.  Steele told the Marquee Network that, “It’s something I’m definitely striving for results with. I want to get good results so that way I build the confidence going into the season.”

What would be the impact of successfully adding a changeup? 

Generally speaking, left-handed pitchers use changeups in match ups against right-handed batters.  Having this off-speed pitch resemble a low and outside fastball, but then come in much slower speed and drop, is one of the most effective pitches in the game.  This pitch is usually avoided in lefty-lefty match ups because if the pitch is left hanging, it is an easier pitch for hitters to turn the bat head on and get good results.

With the fast majority of hitters that Steele faces in a season being right-handed, even elevating this usage to 5% or so would give hitters another thing to think about.  This would potentially elevate his game even further, which is saying something because he already has been one of the best.

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The Chicago Cubs brought lefty Japanese pitching ace Shota Imanaga to the team last season, making the calculated gamble that his mound prowess would translate to the American game.

Their gamble was a wild success.

The Chicago Cubs Gambled– And Won– On Shota Imanaga

The former top asset of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in the Japanese league, who signed with the Cubs on a 4-year, $53 million deal, turned heads and made an impact in hist first season, earning some attention as a Rookie of the Year candidate.

He also won the hearts of Cubs fans with a hefty dose of charm and humor that continues through this spring. He’s quickly become one of the most fan-favorite members of the squad.

Imanaga finished 2024 with a 15-3 record and a stellar 2.91 ERA in 173.1 innings pitched over 29 starts. All told, he was the Cubs’ most effective starter and will get the starting day nod in the team’s historic season opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Japan.

Wrigley Field Benefited Imanaga Greatly In 2024

But, by some estimations, he shouldn’t have been able to be such a shutdown starter with those kinds of numbers. As a fly ball pitcher– with a longstanding reputation for giving up home runs– working in Wrigley Field, he should’ve been touched up a lot more than he was.

Swirling 2024 winds at Wrigley were mostly blowing in, however, turning the park into one of the most pitcher-friendly homes in all of baseball. Statistical analysis reveals that it registered the second-lowest batting average and slugging percentage among MLB parks. These numbers were bolstered by the fact that it had the lowest home run rate in all of major league baseball. The Cubs pitching staff reaped the benefits of the weather turn, posting a 3.08 ERA at home (compared to a 4.53 ERA on the road).

Imanaga surely benefited greatly from the swirling Wrigley winds blowing in last season, with some guaranteed home runs knocked down into deep fly balls. He would finish the 2024 campaign with a 2.72 ERA at home, compared to a 3.14 ERA on the road.

There’s no guarantee that those same pitcher-friendly winds will be blowing in 2025.

There’s also no guarantee that the league won’t adapt to the 31-year-old Imanaga’s off-putting pitching style and pitch arsenal.

Experts Predict Regression in 2025

As a matter of fact, experts and analysts are pretty much unanimous in their belief that Imanaga’s numbers will be down considerably from his rookie year.

Steamer projects Imanaga to post a 3.66 ERA. ZiPS sees him delivering a 3.49 ERA. RotoChamp estimates a 3.74 ERA.

Those are all, still, respectable ERAs and, even in a near-worst case scenario, Imanaga is a really good pitcher and an asset to a starting rotation that also boasts Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, and Javier Assad.

Aside from being a fly ball pitcher, he’s also a pitcher who makes bats miss balls. That attribute should provide some insurance against massive slippage.

But the Cubs’ reported pursuit of a front-of-rotation starter this offseason seems to speak to the fact that the front office is also acknowledging the possibility of some regression from Imanaga. If the left-hander is too generous in giving up the long ball, there will be considerable strain on those around him, who are counting on his ability to replicate, at least to a degree, his successes of last season.

Imanaga has been touched up a bit this spring training, but that really doesn’t tell one much. The real test will be when the season begins and the Wrigley flags start blowing.

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The Chicago Cubs have made a lot of moves this offseason, but the only real pickups for the starting rotation have been rehabbed lefty Matthew Boyd and swing man/potential fifth starter Colin Rea.

Arguably, more needs to be done– especially in this modern baseball world where pitching depth is an increasingly precious commodity for playoff-possible teams. Chicago had actually recognized that reality earlier in the offseason, as they reportedly explored trading for a high-end starter.

The Cubs do have a solid front five in Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Boyd, and Javier Assad. Last season, the starting staff managed a 3.78 ERA, which was tenth best in the league. There’s also some security in having Rea, Ben Brown, and Jordan Wicks just a half-step behind and top pitching prospect Cade Horton not far from being big league-ready. On the surface, the temptation would be to stand pat with what they have right now, at this stage of spring training.

Insurance For The Chicago Cubs Starting Rotation?

But an experienced back-of-rotation presence with World Series experience might be an asset down the stretch of a long season where injury and inconsistent performance could mean the difference between a deep playoff run or no playoff run at all.

Scott Conrad of Da Windy City believes that the still-available free agent lefty Patrick Corbin might be the right man to serve in that capacity for the Cubs.

Per Conrad:

“Since the Cubs already have Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon, they are not in dire need of an ace. However, a former ace who can be a reliable option at the back of the starting rotation would increase Chicago’s chances of returning to the postseason…

Patrick Corbin is still unsigned. Just like Turner, he has won a World Series, too. Corbin was a strong contributor to the champions that season in 2019. The Clay, New York native has started in at least 30 games and racked up at least 120 strikeouts in each of his last four seasons.

Bringing him on board adds depth and could be a low cost, minimal pressure for both parties. A one-year ‘prove it’ type deal provides a benefit to both the team and the player. Adding an option for a second season may entice 6’3” pitcher to sign with the Cubs.”

Patrick Corbin Has Dazzled, But Mostly Frustrated

Granted, the 35-year-old Corbin’s stats don’t scream “elite” at this point in his 12-year major league career. He hasn’t posted an ERA below 5.20 since the abbreviated 2020 season when he managed a 4.66 ERA. As a 6-year, $140 million signee of the Washington Nationals, he drove their fans and, presumably, their front office, mad with years of inconsistent performance.

He has, however, managed to be somewhat of a workhorse as a starter and has legit strikeout stuff– something lacking within the current Cubs rotation.

Possibilities And Realities

There’s also the distant possibility of tweaking and adjusting his game to get him back somewhere near his 2018 and 2019 form, where he was putting up ace numbers, compiling a combined 484 strikeouts and delivering 3.15 and 3.25 ERAs, respectively.

Even in a worst case scenario, though, bringing Corbin aboard gives the Cubs a durable arm with postseason experience and it would add a left-handed long reliever to a bullpen in need of left-handed depth.

And, most likely, he would come on a really affordable one-year deal.

There are just as many arguments against signing Corbin, though. There’s definitely a reason he’s still looking for a new team as spring training kicks off.

But with Assad likely to start the season on the injured list and uncertainty surrounding Wicks, Brown, and the oft-injured Boyd, insurance might not be the worst thing for the Cubs to acquire.

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The Chicago Cubs are off to a great start this spring, having a 3-0 record so far. The Cubs recently beat their crosstown rival, the Chicago White Sox by a score of 7-3 on Saturday. So far, the White Sox have scored 26 runs combined this spring to their opponent’s 10 runs.

The Cubs come into camp determined to make the postseason after a five-year hiatus. The Northsiders have been building a roster suitable to take on the better teams in the National League.

The Cubs have a few players on their roster who look to have a breakout season and help the Cubs accomplish their goal of getting back in the playoffs. Cubs lefty Justin Steele looks to help achieve that goal and has set high expectations for himself this season.

Chicago Cubs left-hander has lofty expectations for himself

Steele enters his fifth season in both Major League Baseball and has a stellar career so far. In his four seasons, Steele has a career record of 29-21, with an ERA of 3.24 in 484.0 career innings pitched. The 29-year-olds best season to date came in 2023, when he had a 16-5 record, with a 3.06 ERA, and tallied 176 strikeouts in 173.1 innings.

Steele also led the league in HR9 at 0.7. For his efforts, Steele finished fifth in the Cy Young voting and was named to his first All-Star team.

In a recent interview with Marquee Sports Network, Steele laid out some expectations for himself for the season. They include hitting two important pitching milestones, making 30 starts on the season, and throwing 180.0 innings.

Both would be accomplishments for Steele, with Steele hitting the 30-start plateau once in his career (2023) and having not surpassed the 180.0 innings mark yet. According to Steele, he and manager Craig Counsell are on the “same page” for these feats.

“We’re definitely on the same page as far as getting 30-plus starts, 180-plus innings,” Steele said. “We both kind of have the same goals and mindset going into the season.”

Entering his 5th big league season, Justin Steele wants to reach new limits

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) February 23, 2025

Steele can certainly accomplish both feats but may have an uphill battle in reaching them, with the Cubs possibly implementing a six-man rotation for this season. FanGraphs projects the 6-2 left-hander to make 26 starts and record a record of 8-5 with a 3.34 ERA in 145.3 innings pitched.

An impressive first showing for Steele

The Georgia County High School product, in his first start of the spring, was impressive, pitching in 2.0 inning, where he allowed two hits and struck out five.

Justin Steele was dealing in 2 innings of work pic.twitter.com/IRKNx8YkJm

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) February 22, 2025

Steele, based on this first outing has all the potential to be a front-runner for the Cy Young Award once again. The 205-lb lefty enters this spring looking to add more velocity to his fastball to become more of a strikeout pitcher.

Steele also looks to have a better mix between his curveball and changeup to stay ahead of hitters. Last season, Steele was primarily a two-pitch pitcher, mainly using a four-seamer (59.6%) and a slider (29.7%). Adding in more pitches will help give hitters more to think about and help Steele become more of a strikeout pitcher.

The potential Cy Young Award winner for 2025

Given how great Steele says he feels coming into this season, having these expectations should allow Steele to be an early front-runner for the Cy Young.

If Steele’s first outing shows anything, Steele is ready to take a major step forward this season.

Steele will get his first chance to show his worth when he starts game two of the Tokyo Series. The Cubs take on the reigning World Series Champions the Los Angeles Dodgers in that series on March 18.

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The Chicago Cubs started the offseason with the goal of targeting a front-of-rotation starting pitcher. As the offseason progressed, though, that goal seemed to fade.

Instead, the team focused on adding an impact player (Kyle Tucker), a co-starting catcher (Carson Kelly), and increased bullpen depth.

They DID pick up a noteworthy starting pitcher in rehabbed lefty free agent Matthew Boyd, but the oft-injured 34-year-old is really more of a mid-to-low-rotation roll of the dice at this point. They also acquired veteran Colin Rea as a swing man option.

That top-of-rotation impact starter, however, never materialized.

Cubs Rotation Not Potent Enough?

Some will argue that the Cubs will be just fine with the starting crew they have and with Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga atop the rotation.

Eno Sarris of The Athletic, however, may beg to differ.

Sarris recently compiled his ranking of 151 major league starting pitchers and the Cubs’ starters didn’t rate all that well. Mind you, this was for fantasy league purposes, but the ability and perceived worth of the ranked pitchers does directly correlate to their actual real world performance.

Per Sarris, here is the ranking of the six Cubs listed:

35. Justin Steele
36. Shōta Imanaga
98. Matthew Boyd
122. Jameson Taillon
133. Ben Brown
140. Javier Assad

Averaged out, the Cubs starters sport a no. 94 ranking. That’s not very good for a team with deep postseason aspirations. By comparison, the starting crew of the NL Central Division rival Milwaukee Brewers averaged a 89.8 ranking.

Quantity over Quality?

The Cubs certainly have the horses for the race. There are a number of capable starting pitchers on the roster who can take the ball and do a fine job every fifth day. The operative word in that statement, though, may be “fine.” There’s a case to be made that the Cubs don’t really have a proven shutdown ace, other than Steele– and some may even dispute Steele’s “elite” status.

Hope Springs Internal?

Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation seems to share some of that skepticism regarding the Cubs rotation.

Per Cerami:

“For the starting rotation, the group has depth. There’s no doubt about that. Running down the list, you could reasonably go 9-10 guys deep before you’re just truly rolling the dice: Steele, Imanaga, Taillon, Boyd, Javier Assad, Collin Rea, Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, Cade Horton, Brandon Birdsell. But at the top? And in the middle? They’re missing something – impact, velocity, top of the rotation upside.

Steele and Imanaga are legitimate, playoff-caliber starters. But after that, there is a whooooole lot of hoping. Hoping that Jameson Taillon is more like the guy he was last year than the guy he was in 2023. Hoping that Matthew Boyd’s eight starts in 2024 are a good sign of what he’ll do in 2025. Hoping that the prospects step up or that Craig Counsell can help this roster gobble up innings with a collection of middling arms the way he often did in Milwaukee.

That’s (partly) why they tried to sign Roki Sasaki or trade for Jesus Luzardo.”

At this point, it seems most likely that the Cubs will go with the starting pitchers they have and hope that a young player, like Brown or Horton, surprises with a breakthrough season. They’ll simultaneously be hoping that none of their established starters have an “off” season.

Time will tell if the Cubs’ inability to land a top-of-rotation starter will haunt them this season.

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Similar to a year ago, plenty of pressure will be on the Chicago Cubs starting rotation as they enter the 2025 season. The starting staff finished the campaign with a 3.77 ERA altogether and a 3.07 ERA at home, one of the best marks in all of baseball.

A big key to the team’s success this year will be on how they can start games. The biggest issue a season ago was the bullpen and that there was not much consistency to be found in the late innings of games. Porter Hodge stepped up in a big way for Chicago by collecting nine saves and having a 1.88 ERA in 39 appearances.

Hodge will have some help in the back end of the stable this season. The front office went out and acquired Ryan Pressly from the Astros and Ryan Brasier from the Dodgers in hopes of a having a more stable trio to lock down games in 2025.

Despite the improved bullpen help, it will still be up to the rotation to set the tone every single day. One of the key contributors from the Cubs starting group a year ago has already locked in on one thing to work on during Spring Training.

Chicago Cubs’ Jameson Taillon is working on his velocity

Taillon made it known early on at Spring Training that the dip in his fastball velocity from 2023 to 2024 is something that he has noticed and is looking to correct this year.

“I want to throw harder again. Last year I found a way to get things done but I’m aware my velo was down. I’ve been working hard behind the scenes,” Taillon said. 

Taillon’s heater went down from an average of 93.7 miles per hour per pitch in 2023 to 92.4 miles per hour per pitch in 2024. The veteran goes to his four-seam fastball more than any other pitch in his arsenal. After the heater, Taillon goes to his cutter most frequently, followed by his sweeper, curveball, sinker and changeup.

The six pitch mix from the right hander is what helps him keep hitters off balance due to his fastball velocity using sitting in the lower-90s. If Taillon is able to up his fastball from 92 to 94-95 miles per hour, things could get pretty scary for the rest of the National League.

The Chicago Cubs need another big season from Jameson Taillon

Last year was Taillon’s second season in Chicago and it was a major step forward compared to where he was in year one. He finished the year with a 12-8 record and a 3.27 ERA in 28 starts. Taillon staying mostly healthy last season was also another huge positive point for a team that just missed out on a Wild Card spot.

He tossed 165.1 innings and closed out the campaign with a 1.13 WHIP which was a similar mark to his final season with the Yankees in 2022.  Taillon’s 2.2 WAR was the best number he put up since his 2.3 mark in 2021, showing that he is getting back to his old self.

The right hander will need to be a staple in the Cubs rotation again after not much was added to the starting group this offseason. It will be up to him, Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga to recreate what they had as a trio last year with the team looking to chase down their first division title since 2020.

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The Chicago Cubs’ start to the 2025 season will be a bit different than in years past. On March 18 and 19, they will square off against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the next edition of the Tokoyo Series. The Dodgers played in the series a season ago when they took on the San Diego Padres, and their international following made them an easy choice to return for 2025.

Due to their season starting earlier, pitchers and catchers officially reported for the Cubs on Sunday. Manager Craig Counsell was the first person to check in to the team facility to get the ball rolling and the workouts took up most of the day.

Plenty of decisions need to be made by Counsell’s staff in Spring Training this year, and some more help could be on the way depending on how the free agent market shakes out. An early verdict from the skipper on one of his starters for the Japan series was announced on Monday, and it truly was a no-brainer.

Shota Imanaga will start a game in Japan for the Chicago Cubs

On Monday, Counsell told the media that Shota Imanaga will start one of the two games in Tokoyo against the Dodgers. With Imanaga dominating in his first MLB season a year ago, this announcement isn’t a shocking decision. However, a strong confirmation from Counsell this early into Spring Training is a good sign for the pitching staff moving forward.

Shota Imanaga will start one of the #TokyoSeries games per @Cubs manager Craig Counsell. pic.twitter.com/lLBSN5gzLE

— MLB (@MLB) February 10, 2025

For Imanaga, this is an opportunity to pitch in his home country which is surely a massive honor. Seiya Suzuki is the other rostered Cub who will be returning to his home country to begin the 2025 season, with Los Angeles having three countrymen (Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki) who will be doing the same.

Based on how the rotation should shape out to begin the year, Justin Steele is the likely candidate to join Imanaga as the other Chicago starter overseas barring any injury problems. The Cubs will have their backs against the wall in this series dealing with baseball’s juggernaut, but the series will be extremely exciting for the league as a whole.

This is another big year with the Chicago Cubs for Shota Imanaga

The first year of big league action for Imanaga was one for fans to remember for a long time. The left-hander made 29 starts and put the baseball world on notice with his numbers. Imanaga finished the season with a 15-3 record and a 2.91 ERA.

His WHIP hovered just above one at a 1.02 mark in 173.1 innings tossed. If it wasn’t for Paul Skenes and Jackson Merrill having unreal rookie seasons, Imanaga would have been a very suitable candidate for National League Rookie of the Year.

With his second season in the show approaching, the pressure in Chicago remains on Imanaga to be as impressive as he was last season. With the exception of Matthew Boyd, the team has put most of their focus on the bullpen this offseason when adding arms.

Steele and Imanaga will have to be the horses in this rotation because of the bullpen focus, but the starting staff being last year’s strong suit should be a confidence builder entering the 2025 campaign. If the bullpen can be more consistent late in games this season, the rotation won’t need to do as much and go as late into games as in the past.

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The Chicago Cubs had a fantastic offseason, and have added players, who will have a huge their roster.

The most notable players the Cubs have added this offseason were the Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker and closer Ryan Pressly. Tucker, will help add power to the heart of the lineup, and Pressly will bring experience in closing out games.

The Cubs could add another impact player in Alex Bergman if and when he decides to sign with a team, but that remains to be seen.

One impact player the Cubs already have on their roster is Justin Steele, who can help lift the Cubs into possibly being a playoff-caliber team.

Steele loves the Cub’s new additions

Marquee Sports Network caught up with Steele, and Steele was asked about his thoughts on the Cubs acquisitions, who he felt the Cubs added ‘impact players’ who can ‘increase chances of succeeding’.

“When you add impact players to the roster … it increases your chances of succeeding.”

Justin Steele on the Cubs’ offseason additions.”

“When you add impact players to the roster … it definitely increases your chances of succeeding.”

Justin Steele on the Cubs’ offseason additions. pic.twitter.com/2usIgJkxHo

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) February 9, 2025

The Chicago Cubs mainstay in the rotation

Steele has been in the Cubs rotation since he debuted with the team in 2021. Since then, Steele has a career 3.24 ERA, a record of 29-21, and was named an All-Star and finished in the top 5 for the Cy Young in 2022.

Last season, the now 29-year-old had a 5-5 record with a 3.07 ERA and had a 1.9 WAR. Baseball-Reference has Steele projected to go 8-6 with a 3.29 ERA in 145.0 innings, which is a solid season with the Cubs projected to use a six-man rotation.

With the addition of Tucker to the lineup, the Cubs will certainly have the potential to score more runs and help Steele get a few more wins than 8. Being he’s the number two option behind Imanaga, Steele will be a key part of the Cubs rotation and help lead them to a potential playoff berth.

Steele’s primed to be great this season

Steele is entering his prime, and he certainly has the potential to be a Cy Young candidate again this season. Having a first pitch strike percentage of 68.1% which was up 2.6% from 2023 certainly will help Steeles chances. 

The Cubs have a good mix of veterans and young prospects, all of whom can potentially end their playoff drought.

Having a Cy Young-caliber season from Steele certainly will boost the Cub’s chances at making the playoffs. Along with adding the other ‘impact players’ as Steele says, the Cub’s chances certainly have been raised.

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