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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 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!
    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs are looking to bolster their rotation at next week's trade deadline. Yesterday, they were tied to Adrian Houser of the Chicago White Sox - an uninspiring yet solid arm.
    This morning, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic are reporting that the Chicago Cubs are "very interested" in starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore - a big impact arm. One that would require the Cubs to deal high-end assets, which they are open to doing.
    The southpaw Gore has started 21 games this season through July 26, 2025. He has pitched 117 2/3 innings with a 3.52 ERA. His FIP is 3.28, and he has a 29.3% strikeout rate and a 9.0% walk rate. Gore was named to his first All-Star Game in 2025. He is controllable through 2027 via arbitration.
    Do you think the Cubs should do what it takes to land Gore, even if it means depleting their farm system? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    Adding to the long list of targets, the Chicago Cubs are interested in Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Adrian Houser.
    Houser has enjoyed a resurgent 2025 season with the southsiiders, proving to be a valuable addition after signing a minor league deal and eventually joining their rotation in mid-May. Through 11 starts and 68 2/3 innings pitched, he boasts a remarkable 2.10 ERA. While his FIP of 3.01 is nearly a full run higher, it still indicates strong performance, particularly given his ability to induce weak contact and generate groundballs (48.4% GB%). Houser's strikeout and walk rates are mediocre at 17.7% and 7.7%, leading to a lowly K-BB% of 10.0%. Houser will be a free agent at seasons end.
    How much would adding Adrian Houser improve the Cubs' rotations? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs are willing to go all-in on in 2025. Though their farm system isn't deep, their top-end prospects are very close to the big leagues, which provides an intriguing option for any team that is looking to retool in the short term rather than rebuild over a longer timeframe.
    Mike Rodriguez is reporting "the front office is ready to consider offers for any young player, including top prospects, such as Moisés Ballesteros [sic], Jefferson Rojas, Kelvin Alcántara, and Cristian Hernández." Rodriguez doesn't mention Owen Caissie, but that's likely just an oversight rather than having a deeper meaning.
    In Baseball America's latest prospect rankings, Ballesteros, Caissie, and Rojas all make the top 100 prospects in all of baseball. Alcantara, who fell out of their top 100 in May, didn't flash in his cup of coffee with the club and has been an average producer for Triple-A Iowa. Hernandez, their one top prospect who isn't near the big leagues, has also been an average producer at High-A South Bend.
    As one of the best teams in baseball, are you open to the idea of the Cubs depleting their farm system in an effort to add at the deadline? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    The Chicago Cubs are looking to bolster their bullpen and have been tied to multiple names on the market. Adding to the list of potential additions, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score is reporting that the Chicago Cubs have "discussed Baltimore Orioles' Seranthony Dominguez and Tampa Bay Rays Pete Fairbanks." It's worth noting that the Rays aren't sent on moving Fairbanks at the deadline.
    Dominguez is having a solid 2025 season, with Through 39 2/3 innings pitched across 41 appearances, he holds a 3.63 ERA. Dominguez continues to be a high-strikeout pitcher with a K% of 30.7%, however his walk rate has been a bit elevated, with a BB% of 14.5%, leading to a K-BB% of 16.2%. Despite the walks, he has been a reliable option in late-inning situations for the Orioles.
    Fairbanks has made 39 appearances and pitched 38 innings, He's posted a solid 2.84 ERA and has racked up 17 saves. While his strikeout rate (K% of 20.3%) is not as dominant as some top-tier relievers, his control remains decent with a BB% of 9.5%, leading to an 10.8% K-BB%. Despite some battles with consistency early in the season, Fairbanks has settled in to be a dependable back-end bullpen arm for the Rays.
    Do either of these players interest you? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    Amid all the trade deadline buzz, it's being widely reported that the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field will host the 2027 MLB All-Star Game. The official announcement is expected the day following the trade deadline, August 1st.
    Wrigley Field last hosted the event in 1990. Prior to 1990, Wrigley Field hosted the All-Star Game in 1947 and 1962 (note that there were two All-Star Games played in 1962, with the other held in Washington, D.C.).
    In the 1947 MLB All-Star Game, the American League defeated the National League 2-1 in a pitcher's duel. Johnny Mize hit a home run for the National League, but the American League scored the tying and winning runs in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.
    In the second All-Star Game played in 1962. The American League broke a five-game losing streak, defeating the National League 9-4. Leon Wagner was named MVP. The game was marked by four National League errors and three American League home runs.
    Finally, in the 1990 MLB All-Star Game, the American League shut out the National League 2-0. Julio Franco hit a two-run double in the seventh inning, providing all the scoring, and was named the game's MVP. The National League only managed two hits, the fewest in All-Star Game history.
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