Cubs eye pitching upgrades after postseason disappointment |
Anthony Pasquale
· · 3 hours ago
After a 92-win season that clinched the Cubs’ first playoff berth since 2020, Chicago won its first playoff series in eight years. However, the Cubs were sent home by their rival, the Milwaukee Brewers, primarily because the Cubs lacked the pitching to anchor their playoff run. Meanwhile, they sit at home watching the playoffs that have seen Yoshinobu Yamamoto throw complete games and Trey Yesavage strike out 12 in the World Series.
Pitching, in baseball, is the root of all successes and all problems. Heading into 2025, the Cubs thought they had plenty of depth to sustain a season. Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele looked poised to be one of baseball’s most formidable duos at the top of the rotation. Beyond that pair of lefties, veterans Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd had the experience to eat innings effectively. Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, and Colin Rea are all fixed to be in the mix, as well as rookie Cade Horton, toward the middle of the season if his development continues. Taillon and Assad both suffered early injuries that delayed their season debuts; Assad didn’t join the team until the second half. Justin Steele suffered an injury that required surgery in April, which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Both Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown were ineffective in their limited starts. Shota Imanaga battled numerous injuries and was borderline unpitchable in the postseason. Matthew Boyd was an All-Star in 2025, but his second-half ERA of 4.63 made his 10-3 start look fluky. Colin Rea, like Boyd, had a strong first half but struggled a bit in the second half if it weren’t for Cade Horton and his 1.03 ERA in the second half — which may earn him Rookie of the Year — who knows if the Cubs even make the playoffs. Come October, the Cubs’ starting rotation was the weakest asset of their game. In their four postseason wins, no starting pitcher recorded a win. Steele and Horton were both injured, Assad and Wicks did not make the team, Brown and Rea pitched out of the bullpen, and Imanaga was so ineffective the Cubs elected not to start him on regular rest in game 5 of the NLDS. That left just Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd as starters, while the Cubs leaned heavily on a bullpen that was not strong enough to carry the Cubs to the NLCS and beyond. As Chicago sets its sights to 2026, there are a plethora of question marks surrounding the starting rotation. Boyd is under contract in 2026, but can the Cubs rely on him the same way they did in 2025 when they saw the way he struggled down the stretch? The Cubs plan to get Justin Steele back before the All-Star break, but with a natural ramp-up process that occurs when recovering from a season-ending surgery, it would be foolish for the Cubs to expect a lot out of the lefty. Jameson Taillon is under contract for one more season. Cade Horton will be healthy and looking to build off his strong second half. Javier Assad will be in the mix, plus Chicago needs to figure out where youngsters Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks factor into their future plans on the mound. The Cubs can also pick up Colin Rea’s $6 million option for 2026. The Cubs could, in theory, return all nine pitchers that factored into their 2025 rotation plans for 2026. However, the fact of the matter is that unit wasn’t good enough in 2025 — so at the very least, the Cubs need to improve their rotation for 2026 if they want to go on a run in October. So, who are the pitchers that will be available for the Cubs via free agency? Pitchers like Chris Sale, Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez, and Ranger Suarez headline the class. Beyond the initial few, the free agent class is deep with pitchers like Nick Martinez, Chris Bassitt, Zac Gallen, and Merrill Kelly. Plus, pitchers like Shane Bieber, Jack Flaherty, Freddy Peralta, Michael King, Lucas Giolito, and Brandon Woodruff could be available if they opt out. The Cubs likely would need to land one or two of those pitchers in order to really shore up their rotation and give them the depth they thought they had coming into 2025. While signing a few top-end starting pitchers would, in theory, take innings away from some of the players the Cubs already have in the mix, two things are true: the Cubs need better pitchers, and you can never have enough pitching. While it is unknown exactly which route Jed Hoyer and company will take to improve the Cubs’ rotation, what is certain is that it will be a focal point for Chicago this offseason.
