Why Kris Bubic makes sense for the Cubs

Peter Aiken - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 6 hours ago

To no one's surprise, the offseason frenzy has quieted down to the point where things are at a standstill in Chicago. Sure, the Cubs have made a couple of bullpen moves in an effort to rebuild their pen, but their biggest move of the offseason thus far was adding Phil Maton on a multi-year deal. That isn't a great spot to be in for a team with some holes to address, as time is running out if they want to add to their roster.

As slow as things have been, there could be some moves in the near future with the Cubs being listed as one of the favorites to land Tatsuya Imai from Japan. Whether or not they land him is another topic, but to hear them as one of the finalists for his services has to be a positive for what has otherwise been another quiet offseason.

As good as Imai is expected to be, the Cubs have to be very careful not to put all their eggs in one basket, as too much focus on one player could come back to bite them. Sure, Zac Gallen and Framber Valdez are two more free agent targets this team could pursue, but the longer they are linked to Imai, the less likely it will be for them to add one of the prized free agent arms.

That is where the trade market could come into play, as that seemed like the only way the Cubs were going to add to their staff this offseason. Whether it be Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, Joe Ryan, or Pablo Lopez, the trade market for starting pitching is about as robust as it has ever been, leaving the Cubs with plenty of options.

While those are the four names most talked about, Nick Pivetta is another to target as the Padres are trying to cut payroll. Why stop there? Could the Cubs actually inquire about other guys with other teams? Maybe, and one name that could be brought up again is Royals left-hander Kris Bubic, who was one of the Cubs' most coveted targets at the deadline last season.

A former first-round pick in 2018 (40th overall), Bubic attended Stanford University and was a teammate of Nico Hoerner at the time. Always seen as one of the higher upside pitchers since he was drafted, Bubic has had a career filled with ups and downs, with most of his downs stemming from a series of arm injuries.

His most notable injury came in 2023 when he missed the entire season with Tommy John before returning to the mound in 2024, where the Royals slotted him as a reliever that season to help build back his arm strength. It was a move that raised questions, but it did work in their favor: Bubic made 27 relief appearances that year with no starts and did reasonably well, with a 2.67 ERA and 1.022 WHIP.

That type of performance caught the entire Royals organization's attention, which is why they allowed him to step into the starting rotation in 2025. Not only was that a great decision, but Bubic was one of the best starters in baseball for a large chunk of the season, finishing the year with a 2.55 ERA and allowing just six home runs.

The downside was the durability issues yet again, as Bubic appeared in just 20 games, pitching 119 innings that season. Still, allowing six homers in nearly 120 innings is an impressive feat no matter how you look at it, and that type of production would play well at Wrigley or any other park, for that matter.

As highly coveted as he was at the deadline, his season came to a screeching halt as he missed the final two months of the season with a rotator cuff strain, but has since been cleared to resume throwing and will be ready for Spring. Primarily, someone who sits in the 92-93 MPH range with his heater. You did see an uptick last season, as he was consistently around 94 MPH.

With that comes a steady dose of secondary pitches, including his 86 MPH change and 83 MPH sweeper, which are the two best pitches in his arsenal. Bubic can also back those up by dropping in an 86 MPH slider and a 92 MPH sinker, as he has five pitches to choose from at any point in the count. Looking at his production and everything that comes with it, Bubic is an ideal trade target for the Cubs for a variety of reasons.

He's 28, meaning he will have plenty left in the tank while also being under control for one more season. With an expected salary at or close to six million in arbitration, Bubic would give the Cubs another middle or front of the line starter for a fraction of the price, and that is how the Cubs try to do business nowadays.

As always, there are risks involved, and Bubic is no exception. The most significant risk, as expected, is his health, as he has had difficulty staying healthy. Secondly, the Cubs, along with anyone else, need to determine whether last season was a career year or whether the production he showed then will be sustainable going forward. Either way, the Cubs need to consider all options, and Bubic should be one of them.