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  • Chicago Cubs Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

    The latest Chicago Cubs free agent and trade rumors, along with notes and tidbits about the team.
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    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs have been busy in the first four-plus days of the offseason, with moves painting a picture of what might come over the next four months. They declined Shota Imanaga's option, extended Colin Rea, and now have lost an infielder.
    Via an official announcement from the MLBPA, Justin Turner has become a free agent. It's unclear which side declined the option, though it was nearly a given that the Cubs would be the party to do so. They will pay him a $2 million buyout instead of a $10 million salary in 2026.
    The 41-year-old struggled mightily in 2025, posting a .602 OPS with three home runs and two stolen bases. That production, or lack thereof, resulted in a .268 wOBA and 71 wRC+ across 191 plate appearances. Given his age and the 2025 season, he will likely hope for a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training if he doesn't choose to retire.
    Between this move and Imanaga's, the Cubs are opening up the budget for this offseason. Do you anticipate them spending? If so, where? Let us know in the comments!
     
     
    Matthew Lenz
    Days after declining Shota Imanaga's option, opening a spot in the Chicago Cubs rotation, they have extended a different starter for one year with a team option in 2027.
    Steve Adams of MLBTR is reporting that the Chicago Cubs and Colin Rea have agreed to a one-year contract extension. Rea had a $6 million club option (with a $750K buyout) for 2026; however, this deal gives him a $500K raise next year, with a $6.5 million club option in 2027. A buyout, if that option is declined, was not reported.
    Rea, who spent the first month of the season as a swingman, was thrust into the rotation due to injuries. He handled the transition relatively well across 27 starts, posting a 4.29 FIP and 12.6% K-BB rate. The 35-year-old's under-the-hood metrics weren't great, but his deep arsenal helped mitigate his lack of "stuff". In particular, his off-speed offerings held opposing hitters to a sub-.260 batting and sub-.400 slugging percentage. Simply put, he did a serviceable job in the back end of the Cubs' rotation, eating innings.
    The loss of Imanaga hopefully forces the Cubs' hand in pursuing a higher-end starting option in free agency, especially after it was reported they wouldn't be pursuing top-end relievers.
    How do you feel about Rea as a back-end rotation/swing man arm for the 2026 season? Let us know in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs enter the offseason needing to add weapons to their bullpen, so surely they'll be aggressive in the free agent market, right? Right!? Not so fast.
    In an article posted to The Athletic, Sahadev Sharma was told by league sources "not to expect the Cubs to jump in on big-name free agent relievers, at least not early on." In other words, Cubs fans might feel like they're in the twilight zone, reliving last offseason.
    Though it shouldn't be a surprise, it's not the update Cubs were hoping to hear as the team has lost four bullpen arms four days into the offseason. Yesterday, they traded Andrew Kittredge to the Orioles, and Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, and Caleb Thielbar entered free agency at season's end. In short, the Cubs will need to replace more than 170 innings of sub-3 ERA - a tall task when you're not going after the big fish. However, those names weren't towards the top of the pool last year, and it turned out all right for the Cubs.
    Once again, the Cubs will be operating on the margins, looking to sign cost-effective arms to rebuild a bullpen. As a whole, the 2025 bullpen was roughly league average, posting a 4.03 FIP (16th) and accumulating 3.1 fWAR (19th).
    Do you think the Cubs should be more open to adding a top-end relief arm in free agency? Let us know in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs will have some work to do to rebuild their rotation for the 2026 season after the announcement of an option decision on one of their top starting pitchers.
    Jesse Rogers of MLB.com is reporting that  "the [Cubs] rejected their option to extend [Shota Imanaga's] contract out to a fifth year. That triggered his ability to exercise a $15 million player option for 2026. He declined that as well." He will now become a free agent after two seasons with the club, though they could make a $22 million qualifying offer in the lefty.
    Limited to 25 starts in 2025, Imanaga posted a 3.73 ERA (4.86 FIP) and a 16.% K-BB rate due to a low strikeout rate. He walked opposing hitters at an impressive 4.6% clip. These numbers were all down from an impressive rookie season that earned him an All-Star appearance, as well as Rookie of the Year and Cy Young votes.
    The biggest difference in his two seasons was the effectiveness of his fastball. A pitch that accrued a Run Value (RV) of +4 in 2024, accumulated an RV of -10 last season. While opponents hit just .227 off the pitch, they slugged .567 and had a .356 wOBA against the offering, including an astonishing 24 home runs. This was coupled with less effective secondary offerings, particularly his split finger, whose RV was cut in half from 2024 to 2025.
    Despite his struggles, this announcement strengthens the otherwise weak upcoming free-agent starting pitcher class a bit. Do you think the Cubs should try to bring Imanaga back? Let us know in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    While the Chicago Cubs as a team didn't bring home any postseason hardware, one of their players may need to make room on their mantles for an individual award.
    The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWA) announced its award finalists on Monday, including Case Horton as a Rookie of the Year finalist.
    Horton, who debuted on May 10th against the New York Mets at Citi Field, threw 118 innings across 23 appearances (22 starts). His 2.67 ERA was truly elite, though a still solid 3.58 FIP suggests maybe some regression in the future. He posted a lowly 13.4% with a respectable 6.9% walk rate but a low 20.4% strikeout rate. While his fastball had a Run Value of 7 in 2025, his secondary offerings were some of the most effective in baseball. Opponents batted .176, .115, and .196 against his sweeper, change up, and curve ball, respectively. Moreover, only four extra base hits were hit off of his change-up and curve - none of which were long balls.
    Do you think he will win the award? Let us know in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    The New York Mets have poached a Minor League Hitting Coach from the Chicago Cubs organization to fill the same role in their organization.
    Mike Puma of the NY Post is reporting that the Mets have hired Rachel Folden, who was the Iowa Cubs Hitting Coach in 2025, as their Double-A Binghamton Hitting Coach.
    Folden, a four-time All-American softball player at Marshall University and a five-year professional catcher in National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), was with the Cubs organization for six seasons. She was the first female coach in the organization's history when hired in 2019. Folden coached three different levels in her tenure with the Cubs, as well as serving as the organization's Minor League Hitting Coordinator in 2023.
    In an article by Jordan Bastian of MLB.com before the 2025 season, multiple top prospects had glowing remarks about Folden. Owen Caissie was quoted as saying, "She knows her stuff...and there’s no nonsense with her. She just calls it the way it is..." Moises Ballesteros had similarly positive remarks, saying, "She’s really good. I liked to hear she’ll be together with me at Triple-A. She’ll be working with me every single day. That made me happy."
    Now, she'll be looking to help one of baseball's best farm systems develop its top prospects. The New York Mets are expected to have multiple top-20 organizational hitting prospects at Double-A Binghamton in 2026. She is the first female coach in the history of the Mets organization.
    How do you think this will impact the Cubs' minor league hitting development at Iowa? Let us know in the comments!
     
    Brock Beauchamp
    It's hard to predict how this offseason will unfold, as there is an increasing chance of (yet another) MLB lockout following the 2026 season. Will teams spend big this offseason, hoping to create surety in the face of an unknown collective bargaining agreement? Or will they be hesitant in hopes of a favorable outcome for ownership groups?
    No matter how it shakes out, teams will need to compete in the 2026 season, and they'll need to sign free agents this winter. DiamondCentric has compiled a complete list of free agents, sortable and searchable by pretty much any metric you need. Looking for a first baseman? A catcher? We have you covered. We offer two pages for your reference: one for position players, the other for pitchers.
    Free Agent Hitters In the 2025-2026 MLB Offseason
    Complete List Of 2025-2026 MLB Free Agent Hitters
    DiamondCentric.net Here is a complete list of free agent hitters in the 2025-2026 MLB offseason. Free Agent Pitchers In the 2025-2026 MLB Offseason
    Complete List Of 2025-2026 MLB Free Agent Pitchers
    DiamondCentric.net Here is a complete list of free agent pitchers in the 2025-2026 MLB offseason.
    Bertz
    It's no secret that heading into the playoffs, starting pitching was the Chicago Cubs' biggest area of concern.  Initial indications from the local writers are that impact pitching will be the biggest focus this offseason, with Dylan Cease the first specific name to hit the rumor mill via Bruce Levine.
    Cease is generally considered to be one of the "Big 3" free agent starters this winter, along with Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez.  Cease's career has been marred by a good deal of inconsistency, but he's been a model of health (leads MLB in games started the past 5 years) and is one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in the league (one of only 10 pitchers in 2025 to throw 100 IP and average more than 97 MPH on his fastball).  Most days, he looks the part of a prototypical ace.
    While a starting pitcher set to get north of $150M is not usually what we think of for a Jed Hoyer target, the team enters 2026 with relatively few roster holes.  The Cubs also have an extensive history with Cease.  They initially drafted Dylan in 2014 (along with Kyle Schwarber and Justin Steele), and based on reporting from NorthsideBaseball's own Matt Trueblood the team had extensive conversations with the Padres around reacquiring Cease last spring.
    Expect the Cubs to be tied to a wide variety of arms this winter.  But given the team's roster heading into the winter and their history with Dylan Cease, it is notable that this is the first rumor out of the chute this offseason.
    Andrew Wright
    The National League Gold Glove finalists have been announced and unsurprisingly, the Chicago Cubs lead the pack with six finalists. On the surprising side, Dansby Swanson is not one of those six.
    Nico Hoerner, 2B Matt Shaw, 3B Ian Happ, LF Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF Carson Kelly, C Matthew Boyd, SP Hoerner will be looking for his second Gold Glove Award in the last three seasons. He led second basemen in nearly every single defensive category, and he is the resounding favorite to win the hardware.
    Happ has won the award each of the previous three seasons and that is unlikely to change again this season. Happ would become the first Cubs left fielder to ever win four straight Gold Glove Awards at the position.
    The remainder of the group will all be looking for their first ever Gold Glove. We all know the defensive brilliance shown from Shaw and Crow-Armstrong this season. Kelly was excellent behind the plate this season and Boyd leading MLB in pickoffs certainly put him in position to win the award for the first time in his career.
    As things stand, Hoerner, Happ, Crow-Armstrong, and potentially Boyd appear to be favorites at their respective positions. Patrick Bailey (catcher) and Ke'Bryan Hayes (3B) will make it virtually impossible for Kelly and Shaw to win, however.
    The winners at each position will be announced Sunday, Nov. 2 on ESPN.
    Brandon Glick
    The Padres are in town, and the Cubs are looking to get their first playoff win at Wrigley Field since 2017.
    The team has officially released its playoff roster, and there's not a ton of surprises, save for the presence of rookies Kevin Alcantara and Moises Ballesteros.
    Catchers (2): Carson Kelly, Reese McGuire
    First base (1): Michael Busch
    Second base (1): Nico Hoerner
    Shortstop (1): Dansby Swanson
    Third base (1): Matt Shaw
    Designated hitter (1): Moisés Ballesteros
    Outfielders (5): Kevin Alcántara, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Kyle Tucker
    Utility (2): Willi Castro, Justin Turner
    Starters (3): Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon
    Relievers (9): Aaron Civale, Brad Keller, Andrew Kittredge, Daniel Palencia, Drew Pomeranz, Colin Rea, Taylor Rogers, Michael Soroka, Caleb Thielbar
    Ballesteros should get some playing time against right-handers, though don't expect Alcantara to do much other than potentially sub in as a defensive replacement late in games.
    What do you think of the Cubs' playoff roster? Are you surprised by any decisions made by Craig Counsell and the front office?
    Brandon Glick
    A quiet trade deadline doesn't mean you can't still upgrade your team.
    Earlier today, the Cubs brought in veteran first baseman Carlos Santana to round out their bench. Now, they're adding two more players to their roster just as rosters expand in September.
    Civale has been with the White Sox since he was traded for Andrew Vaughn a few months ago. He hasn't been great in either Chicago or Milwaukee this season (5.26 ERA on the season), but he was quite good in July, authoring a 3.86 ERA in 25 2/3 innings prior to the trade deadline. The Cubs now benefit from the White Sox's inability to trade him.
    Alcantara, meanwhile, gets his second crack at the majors after getting a brief cup of coffee at the end of last season. He's slashing .266/.349/.470 through 102 games in Iowa this year, and he appears ready to make a case for a long-term spot on the roster.
    Brandon Glick
    The one thing the Cubs successfully did at the trade deadline was address their porous bench, adding utility man Willi Castro just before the final buzzer sounded. Now, Castro hasn't been great in Chicago (.433 OPS), but his defensive versatility has been huge for a lineup that was overplaying its regulars.
    Now, the team is adding more depth to the bench, as they appear close to signing Carlos Santana, just days after the Guardians released him:
    I did a full write-up of Santana a few weeks ago prior to the trade deadline (in regard to his fit with the Red Sox, but the analysis still applies), so to paraphrase myself: he's a 39-year-old former catcher playing in his 16th MLB season. Offensively, Santana isn't quite the voracious slugger he once was, but he's still capable of producing when it counts. Through 116 games (455 plate appearances this season), the veteran is slashing .225/.316/.333, good for an 86 wRC+. His ISO (.109) is down at career-low levels, but his walk (11.4%) and strikeout rates (18.9%) remain positively elite.
    Santana has become a great defender at first base in recent years, and he's on pace for perhaps his best season with the glove yet. His seven Outs Above Average are in line with the 14 he gave Minnesota in 2024, and his 11 DRS tie his best mark (set in 2023).
    Cubs fans will remember him best from the 2016 World Series, when he tormented Cubs pitching to the tune of a .771 OPS. Hopefully, he can provide the kind of veteran leadership this club needs to make a deep run in the playoffs.
    Matthew Trueblood
    The Cubs haven't made Moisés Ballesteros untouchable. But they're only going to trade him if one of their potential partners on a deal is willing to accept him as the centerpiece of a trade for a controllable, high-end talent. To this point, according to at least one report, those would-be traders haven't put a fair value on Ballesteros, at least from Chicago's perspective.
    Ballesteros is still very young, and he's thrived as a hitter at Triple A over an extended sample. The Cubs are right to be open to trading him only if the agreed-upon deal reflects the fact that he could easily be an impact player in the majors as soon as the end of this year. If that's not happening, neither Jed Hoyer nor Carter Hawkins can really force it to.
    On the other hand, as the deadline creeps nearer, it's fair to wonder just how value-conscious the team intends to be. That's one of their hallmarks; it's part of the organizational DNA. At a moment when they need some high-octane help to keep pace with the streaking Brewers in the NL Central, that resolve is about to be tested in a way that it hasn't been since Hoyer took over as the main guy when Theo Epstein departed the organization. Passing that test might not mean showing the willpower not to make a move; it might have to mean showing the courage and conviction to take a bold chance.
    Brian Kelder
    ESPN posted a trade deadline piece, with many options and savvy moves posited. Cub fans can skip ahead to the juicy part: Could the Cubs be interested in Shane Bieber?
    Bieber, for all intents and purposes, missed the 2024 season (2 starts) with Tommy John surgery. After tearing up the lower levels to the tune of 14 strikeouts in seven innings, he threw 57 pitches in four innings, no walks, seven strikeouts, and eight whiffs in his latest appearance.
    His stuff seems ready,
    Bieber would be a flier similar to Matthew Boyd for Cleveland last season. He would not be an innings eater, but could be a lightning bolt similar to Rich Harden in 2008. Keep an eye on this possibility.
    Brian Kelder
    According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Cubs continue to be in pursuit of Arizona star 3B Eugenio Suarez. He won’t come cheap, but no good player does. So, what would land Suarez?
    Bowden floats two names: Kevin Alcántara and Jaxon Wiggins. Alcántara, who has battled injuries and middling results in 2025, would be a part of a package deal. Bowden argues that Wiggins alone, however, could get Suarez. The newly minted top 100 prospect would be a steep price for a rental bat.
    The Cubs will have to balance this year's needs with the future in this specific trade discussion. Matt Shaw may be making the question moot; he’s hitting .444 with four home runs in the past two weeks. Wiggins, with his 99 MPH fastball, could also be a key part in keeping any contention window open.
    But Suarez is a 40-home run bat! We shall see. Going to be a fascinating decision. 
    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs will stop at nothing to improve their chances of winning the 2025 World Series. Currently in a battle with the Milwaukee Brewers for both the NL Central crown and best record in baseball, the Cubs reportedly are not leaving any prospect untouchable.
    While they've been tied heavily to various bats and starting pitchers, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic is reporting that Atlanta Braves closer Raisel Iglesias “is one of several options under consideration” to improve the team's bullpen.
    Iglesias has appeared in 43 games, pitching 40 2/3 innings with an ERA of 5.09, though his 4.23 FIP suggests the potential for some positive regression. This is backed by a strong 21.2% strikeout-minus-walk rate. He has recorded 11 saves this season. He would be a very good high-leverage option out of the bullpen that lacks top-end arm talent. Iglesias is set to be a free agent at season's end.
    Given his struggles this year, do you think the Cubs should add Iglesias? Join the conversation in the comments!
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