Cubs linked to Dylan Cease, Bo Bichette, and several high-profile free agents |
Dustin Riese
· · 1 day ago
As mentioned earlier in the week, the Cubs have already been linked to plenty of free agents, as Dylan Cease, Kyle Schwarber, Zac Gallen, Alex Bregman, and Eugenio Suarez have all been linked to the Cubs as potential fits. Given the Cubs' unwillingness to spend money, neither of these names makes sense in Chicago, but you could make the case that Cease is the one name out of this group that fits this team the best.
Not only have the Cubs landed as fits for some of the top free agent names, but they are also mentioned as ideal trade targets for some of the best starting pitchers on the market. That shouldn't surprise you, as several of the available starters were linked to the Cubs this past deadline. If you like following the rumor mill, you will really like the recent report from The Athletic, which links the Cubs to 14 of the top 50 free agents set to hit the market in 2025. Five of those targets were discussed earlier this week, but even with those names out of the equation, the Cubs are starting to hear their name mentioned to some of the top names across the board. When discussing the Cubs and their offseason plans, starting pitching remains one of the biggest topics, as the uncertainty around Shota Imanaga and his contract will linger, potentially leaving an opening in the rotation. That is where Framber Valdez, Christopher Sanchez, Michael King, and Tatsuya Imai come into play as more starters are being discussed as fits for the Cubs. When it comes to Valdez and Sanchez, both are left-handers, which is something the Cubs have grown accustomed to loving, and both have been the Ace of their staff for several years. Valdez is coming off a down season that saw him and his catchers have plenty of drama, but with 13 wins and a 3.66 ERA, you will take that any day of the week if that is a down season. Sanchez, on the other hand, is a budding star who is coming off a 13-win season himself this past year and logging 212 strikeouts across 202 innings. He was the definition of a workhorse this season, and when you add a 2.50 ERA into the mix, you can make the case that Sanchez could be the most coveted free agent arm of the offseason. Hearing the Cubs linked to King shouldn't shock you, as you heard the Cubs kicking around the tires last offseason as a possible trade chip for King. Coming off a breakout 2024, King signed a lucrative one-year deal to remain with the Padres this past season and then endured an injury-riddled campaign that limited his production on the mound. Injuries aside, King was still an effective arm on the mound, posting a 5-3 record and a 3.44 ERA, which translates well into any rotation. The biggest mystery among the free-agent starters would be Imai, who will be posted from NPB this offseason. The 27-year-old right-hander has been trending toward an MLB posting fee over the last few seasons, and coming off a 10-5 showing in 2025 with a 1.92 ERA, now is as good a time as ever to test the MLB waters. We have already seen the Cubs succeed in going after Imanaga, so there is a chance they replace one Japanese-born arm with another, as Imai is coming off an 178-strikeout season in 165 innings. While starting pitching remains the focus for the Cubs, they can't ignore the bullpen, which was one of this team's strengths last season but will have plenty of holes to fill. That is where Drew Pomeranz, Caleb Thielbar, and Brad Keller come into play as the Cubs have been linked to all three for possible reunions. When the Cubs elected to bring these guys in this past season, the goal was to sign them to a one-year deal with the hope of using them as reclamation projects. Not only did they return to form, but they were also the three best arms in the Cubs' pen for most of the season, which alone will make their market interesting. Considering how the Cubs operate, Keller makes the most sense to bring back, especially since he has already expressed a desire to return to the Cubs. Even if pitching will be the top priority most of the offseason, the Cubs can't ignore the rest of their roster as they still have questions at third base and what to do at that position. While Matt Shaw may be the future at the hot corner, he still has plenty of work to do on the offensive end, which is why you have heard Suarez and Bregman linked to the Cubs. You can add Bo Bichette to that list as the Cubs are expected to make a run at him this offseason after trying to trade for him last offseason. Bichette has been dealing with a knee injury late in the season, but prior to that, he was by far the Blue Jays' best overall hitter, which is saying something when you look at their lineup. Granted, his power wasn't what you expected or wanted it to be, with 18 homers. However, he was productive in other ways, leading the Blue Jays with 181 hits and hitting a .311 average. He also added 94 RBIs to the 18 homers, as he was well on his way to a 100-RBI season had he not gotten hurt. Bichette may be a shortstop by trade, but he is athletic enough to make the move to third, and you could see the Cubs get creative on that front to test the waters to see if that would be something he would be interested in.
