Four arms who could fix the Cubs’ rotation in 2026 |
Dustin Riese
· · 5 hours ago
As the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline came and went, one of the biggest disappointments was the Chicago Cubs and their lack of effort to improve their team. At the time, the Cubs were a first-place club in a fight for the division lead with the Milwaukee Brewers and were doing all that without having a true Ace atop their rotation.
Sure, Matthew Boyd may have pitched like an Ace for four months, but as you saw the final two months of the season, the workload caught up to him, and he was only a shell of himself over his final eight starts. Their lack of effort to add to their rotation was one of the biggest reasons the Cubs saw the Brewers race past them in the NL Central before coming up short by five games. Knowing the question marks surrounding this rotation in 2026, including the uncertain future of Shota Imanaga, it's going to be imperative for the Cubs to make some moves to put their rotation in a better spot this season than the past few years. Sure, guys like Dylan Cease and Zac Gallen are just two of the many free agent arms on the market, but knowing how the Cubs operate, it seems unlikely that they will dish out the asking prices for either one of those guys. That is where the trade market could play a role for Chicago, as it could be the best possible way for them to make the rotation additions they need. Who the trade targets could be will be much clearer as the offseason progresses, but as of now, look for many of their trade deadline targets to be offseason targets, as the Cubs are going to play around with ways to improve their rotation.
Of all the names we are about to mention, Joe Ryan could be the most intriguing name of the bunch for several reasons. The 29-year-old has been the Ace of the Twins staff for the past three seasons, and with two years of control would instantly make the Cubs' rotation better. What stands out most about Ryan is that he is expected to make less than six million in 2026, which alone plays into the Cubs' financial hands. Joe Ryan turned in an incredible performance before the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline, earning his 2.82 ERA over 20 starts (121.1 IP) primarily on the strength of excellent strikeout (28.9%) and walk (5.1%) rates. He did allow more contact than you would like to see at times, but with a 96 MPH heater and an elite slider, that does tend to happen on occasion. Dating back to 2022, Ryan has made at least 23 starts in each of those seasons, while his ERA tends to sit in the 3.4 range. That may not be considered an Ace, but as a middle of the rotation or even top three arm, Ryan would give the Cubs a nice arm to pair with Cade Horton atop the rotation the next few seasons.
As the trade deadline unfolded this past season, Cabrera was arguably the most sought-after arm, and despite nothing happening on the trade front last season, don't expect that to remain the same this offseason. The 27-year-old righty has emerged as the Ace of the Marlins' staff after the recent struggles of Sandy Alcantara, and with a $ 3.7 million salary for 2026 and three years of control, how can you not want to add him to your staff? Another hard thrower, Cabrera has consistently averaged 97-98 MPH with his heater, mixing in a slider and an elite changeup. As is the case with many pitchers, command has always been his biggest issue, as Cabrera has had trouble locating the ball. That was again the case over his first four starts of 2025, but after that, you started to see the Cabrera the Marlins were waiting for as he posted insane numbers over his final 23 starts, posting a 2.95 ERA over 22 starts (119.0 IP) with a 26.5% strikeout rate and a 7.5% walk rate. He also kept the ball on the ground really well (47.9 GB%). All those numbers would play for any team, but they would especially play well in Wrigley.
Of all the possible trade candidate starters, Alcantara seems the most likely to be dealt this offseason, and had he not struggled last season, he would have been almost a shoo-in to be dealt at the past deadline. Fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery, the 29-year-old righty is looking to round back into his former Ace form, as he will be by far the most costly option to acquire. Over the next two seasons, Alcantara is set to make 38 million, including 17 million in 2026. Considering what Ace pitchers make nowadays, $17 million would be a steal, but if his performance mirrors 2025, he may not be worth the risk. When he is on, you are still getting a guy with a heater capable of touching triple digits, while his 90 Mph slider still ranks among the better strikeout pitches in the game. When you look at his 2025 season as a whole, you started to see the version of Alcantara that people were waiting for as the season went on, as he posted a 2.68 ERA over his last eight starts and a 3.12 ERA over his final 12. That came after posting an ERA north of 7.00 up to that point, which is why his stock went downhill. If the Alcantara over those final 12 starts is the guy you are getting, he becomes the instant Ace for almost every rotation, including the Cubs.
For whatever reason, the Cubs have been infatuated with left-handed starters the past few seasons. Take this season, for example, as they entered the year with three lefties in the rotation and had Justin Steele not gotten hurt, those three very easily could've been the Cubs' top three arms most of the season. Entering 2026, not only is the health of Steele in question as to whether or not he will be ready before June, but Imanaga's future is also in question when you look at how much he is owed the next two seasons. That could mean Matthew Boyd enters the season as the lone lefty, and knowing the Cubs, they will look to add another lefty anyway possible. Enter the MacKenzie Gore conversation as the Cubs were rumored to be in on him at the deadline until they found out how high the asking price was going to be. When it comes to all that comes with Gore, he is the youngest of the proposed targets at 26, and with two years of control and an estimated 4.7 million owed to him in 2026, this is a logical move for the Cubs to make. Not only has Goore been an innings eater more often than not, but at one point this season, he held the highest strikeout per nine innings rate among starters before fading down the stretch. Whether the Cubs look to trade for one of these arms or go a different route remains to be seen, but they know they need to upgrade their rotation sooner rather than later.Joe Ryan
Edward Cabrera
Sandy Alcantara
MacKenzie Gore
