CHICAGO — By the time the Cubs reached the National League Division Series, manager Craig Counsell’s options for his rotation were limited. Rookie Cade Horton was out with an injury, Shota Imanaga was struggling and a few other arms were in the bullpen. Veterans Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon were asked to do the heavy lifting.
“That’s probably the biggest takeaway for me,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said after the season. “For the marathon part of the season, I thought we were a really good team in a really good position. Obviously at the end, I think with some injuries and just the nature of the series that we played, I think there was probably some depth that we could’ve used on the pitching staff.”
In the wake of Imanaga being allowed to hit the open market, here are three questions related to Chicago’s starting pitching situation:
1. What is the path to keeping Imanaga in the fold?
The Cubs made a value-based judgement call on Tuesday, declining the three-year team option worth $57.75 million that would have kept Imanaga in Chicago through 2028. The pitcher’s camp then declined the one-year, $15.25 million player option still available, allowing Imanaga to test free agency.
The second step in that process made sense for Imanaga, because there is a path to sticking with the Cubs that comes with a built-in raise. The 32-year-old lefty is now eligible for a one-year qualifying offer for 2026 that is valued at $22.025 million. If the Cubs extend that offer by Thursday and Imanaga declines, the team would receive Draft-pick compensation if he signs with a new team.
If Imanaga declines the QO — only 14 players out of 144 have accepted the offer under the system since 2012 — he could still try to re-sign with the Cubs on a new free-agent contract. His original deal also had a $15.25 million player option for 2027, so he essentially turned down a two-year, $30.5 million guarantee on Tuesday. Imanaga’s side can now see if a better guarantee is available via free agency.
2. What does the rotation currently look like without Imanaga?
Boyd ($17 million) and Taillon ($18 million) are under contract for next season. Veteran righty Colin Rea would join them if the Cubs decide to pick up his $6 million team option for ‘26 by Thursday’s deadline after he logged the second-most innings on the team (159 1/3) last season.
Lefty Justin Steele is also in the fold and eligible for arbitration after earning $6.55 million in an injury-shortened 2025 campaign. Steele — an All-Star and NL Cy Young contender in ‘23, and Chicago’s Opening Day starter in ‘24 — was limited to four starts before requiring left elbow surgery. He resumed a throwing program in October and is aiming for an early-season return.
From there, the Cubs have NL Rookie of the Year finalist Cade Horton, along with fellow pre-arb starting options Javier Assad, Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks. Looking a rung lower in the system, top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins (No. 67 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list) looks poised to break through to the Majors at some point next season.
3. What are the top alternatives on the free-agent and trade markets?
The Cubs explored the trade front for an impact starting pitcher at last season’s Deadline, but balked at the asking prices. Some teams were asking about Horton and rookie third baseman Matt Shaw, but both were crucial to Chicago’s postseason push in 2025.
Talks held between the Cubs’ front office and teams with starting pitching to offer could be rekindled this winter. The Marlins still have a pair of intriguing trade candidates in Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera. The Twins have one of the top trade targets out there in righty Joe Ryan, while MacKenzie Gore of the Nationals also had his name floated last summer.
On the free-agent market, Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez lead the current class. Michael King also became a free agent this week, and names like Ranger Suárez, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are also among the available arms. Cease is an interesting fit as a former member of the Cubs’ farm system (traded away on July 13, 2017, in exchange for Jose Quintana).
