Chicago Cubs Willing To Pay Luxury Tax in 2026

[Rcal10]

22 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

I dont know, a small part of me still feels like Bellinger a possibility, I know the Yankees 5/160 and Mets 3-4 for either 45-50 per are coming in hot, but Belli is said to be looking for 7 years.

With Both Happ and Suzuki both in final years, they could secure an OFer for the next 6-7 years with Bellinger. 

They can keep Mo down to work on his catching.

Amaya/Kelly

Busch

Hoerner 

Swanson 

Bregman 

Happ

PCA

Bellinger 

Suzuki

 

Shaw

Austin or Andujar

Dean/Alcantara 

This would be a solid 13...

Bellinger would take them over the second tier if the LT. He isn’t coming here unless they traded Happ. And before you suggest this, Happ isn’t going to allow a trade. 

Edited January 21 by Rcal10

[Stratos]

9 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

I think so unless Jed planning on trading Taillon or Imanaga, which would surprise me a bit.

It could be typical Boras made up hot-air. So who knows. 

But honestly, Jed would be kicking tires on both Gallen and Valdez anyways IMO, doesn't mean he's as serious about them as he was Bregman, or Belly 2 years ago.

[Rcal10]

7 hours ago, Bertz said:

I would guess there's somewhere in the neighborhood of 0% chance they cross that line.  And going into the season $1M under is for all practical purposes going over.

A Gallen signing almost certainly involves a Taillon trade.  Mayyybe Hoerner + Rea?

I agree they aren’t going over the second line. I doubt they deal Hoerner. Maybe they do trade Taillon. The difference in salaries between him and and what Gallen would get is probably at most $5M. So they would have plenty of money to use at the TDL. They can probably add Andujar too and still be comfortably under the second line. Andujar would take over as right handed DH, some corner outfield and right hand hitter giving Busch a break. Basically take Austin’s spot. 

[chibears55]

Does this take Mets out of Bellinger chase

https://x.com/i/status/2013828391158391173

[NorthsideAvenger]

14 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Does this take Mets out of Bellinger chase

https://x.com/i/status/2013828391158391173

It says to me pivot by the Mets. I think Cody is nearing a decision and it won't be the Mets.

[Stratos]

On 1/18/2026 at 1:47 PM, JunkyardWalrus said:

Still feels like they are one big bat short. There still isn’t a truly dangerous bat in the lineup with Tucker gone (I’m hoping PCA/Busch/Seiya prove me wrong.)

I think they really need to focus on pitching at this point. Cubs defense and Wrigley wind has been hiding a lot of holes there the last couple years.  The hitting should be good, they don't have an obvious hole in any of the 9 lineup spots. Our worst regular hitter is still around league average, maybe better.

[Layoutman]

On 1/19/2026 at 4:09 PM, Rcal10 said:

Might be first 6 from the start. Pure 6 man rotation. Or if one of the starters is behind that would be who isn’t in the rotation. I like the idea. Keep everyone fresh through the year. 

With the off days early in the season going with 6 starters is an inefficient alignment. An extra pen arm is more optimal. You don't want starters going 7 to 8 days between starts.

[Stratos]

8 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

I agree they aren’t going over the second line. I doubt they deal Hoerner. Maybe they do trade Taillon. The difference in salaries between him and and what Gallen would get is probably at most $5M. So they would have plenty of money to use at the TDL. They can probably add Andujar too and still be comfortably under the second line. Andujar would take over as right handed DH, some corner outfield and right hand hitter giving Busch a break. Basically take Austin’s spot. 

I think Andujar would be the 4th OF and DH vs LHP, (plus an option to backup 3B).  He wouldn't take Austin's spot because Austin would likely always play 1b vs LHP.  Andujar has only started 4 games at 1b in his mlb career.

[thawv]

10 hours ago, Stratos said:

You're right I have zero statistical evidence to suggest pitchers would lose sharpness with extra rest in a 6-man rotation.

I am therefore the first person in the history of this forum to admit I was wrong, hahaha.

Five days of rest seems to be the best option.  Too little rest, and 7+ days of rest is not good for production. 

 

2023_Baseball_Pitram_PitchingRest.pdf

Edited January 21 by thawv

[Derwood]

We know that Shota is used to 6 days rest. Is there any way to work the rest of the rotation around that? 

[Geographyhater8888]

3 minutes ago, Derwood said:

We know that Shota is used to 6 days rest. Is there any way to work the rest of the rotation around that? 

Will there still be a pitch count limit with an extra day of rest?

[Rcal10]

4 hours ago, Stratos said:

I think Andujar would be the 4th OF and DH vs LHP, (plus an option to backup 3B).  He wouldn't take Austin's spot because Austin would likely always play 1b vs LHP.  Andujar has only started 4 games at 1b in his mlb career.

They can’t have Andujar and Austin both on the bench unless they are going without a utility IF or an outfielder who can play centerfield. Right now that is Shaw and Alcantara. Austin and Andujar are kind of redundant. I think Busch is going to get more time at 1st anyway. So playing either there for 15 games isn’t going to be that big a deal. But you can’t have both on the team. We would then have a team without a back up who can play centerfield or a backup who can play middle infielder, depending on if you keep Shaw or Alcantara. Austin was a $1M of the dice. Not like he has to make the roster. At this very minute I have back up catcher, Austin, Shaw and Alcantara as the bench. 

Edited January 21 by Rcal10

[craig]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

They can have Andujar and Austin both on the bench unless they are going without a utility IF or an outfielder who can play centerfield. Right now that is Shaw and Alcantara. Austin and Andujar are kind of redundant. I think Busch is going to get more time at 1st anyway. So playing either there for 15 games isn’t going to be that big a deal. But you can’t have both on the team. We would then have a team without a back up who can play centerfield or a backup who can play middle infielder, depending on if you keep Shaw or Alcantara. Austin was a $1M of the dice. Not like he has to make the roster. At this very minute I have back up catcher, Austin, Shaw and Alcantara as the bench. 

Agree.  As is, Moises, Amaya, and Shaw are three locks.  That leaves two spots. 

1. 1.  If they were to hypothetically add Andujar, there wouldn't be room for all three of Andujar, Alcantara, and Austin.  No problem. 
2. Alcantara can get optioned, get full load of AB's for developmental purposes, and be available if/when injury happens. 
3. Developmentally that might be good for him.  He's never really optimized his pull-in-air-for-HR power, and he'd not get a lot of big-league AB's.  Last year he was playing for a while with the hernia.  Probably he's not going to develop much further, and he is what he is, which isn't a starting big-leaguer.  But *IF* he showed some power development, maybe he emerges as a starter-caliber prospect.  Really valuable trade piece this summer or next winter; or maybe a guy to factor into replacing Happ or Seiya next year, assuming you don't want to extend both.  
4. Shaw woudl then be short-term CF backup.  CF is the easiest outfield position to learn.  In the few games where PCA would sit.  *IF* PCA went to DL, you can call up Alcantara then, if you don't love Shaw in center.
5. Or, if you don't want to option Alcantara, no problem to waive Austin.   Not sure his contract is actually guaranteed, if you waive him early enough.  If it is guaranteed, perhaps somebody else will claim him, and the contract.  Or if he clears, he'd like prefer keeping the salary at Iowa over giving up the contract and signing elsewhere.  Contract is so small, would be fine to carry as depth at Iowa.  

[craig]

Signing Gallen as yet another SP would be interesting.  It's been a long time since Cubs actually had real surplus at any spot.  

1. Last year, I kinda thought our depth might not be bad, and there might be some contingency guys.  For 5-11, I'd probably have had Brown 5; Rea/Assad as 6/7; Horton/Birdsell at 8/9; Pearson/Keller as 10/11.  Hard to remember talk about Pearson as being an upside-rotation possibility!  :):)
2. Obviously Assad/Birdsell camp-injured; Steele/Shota spring injured; Pearson bad; Keller never considered; Brown disappointed. 
3. Lucky that Horton proved so unexpectedly good so quickly!  And that Boyd, expected to be the most injury-risky of them all, was healthy.  
4. Heh heh, I was younger and dumber then.  Back in 2016, I thought having both Hendricks and the worthless Warren that Theo liked as possible starter from Castro trade, I thought that constituted unusual-for-Cubs rotation depth!  (Not to tangent, but while Theo was smart in many ways, I think he was kinda poor as an actual base-ball-talent scout!). 
5. 2016 (pre-DH), also thought outfield was a rare surprus:  Heyward, Schwarber, Soler, plus Zobrist.  Before Fowler unexpectedly came back, I recall thinking Heyward might play center.  Obviously Fowler did come back, which made the surplus more pronounced; but then Schwarber got injured in the first week.  Obviously with Heyward bad, Soler disappointed, and Scharber out, that ended up no true surplus after all.  Still, enough to trade Soler for one year of a rental closer.  
6. If Gallen, I think that would reflect Cubs scouting and pitching infrastructure and all that.  If they actually do pursue and sign him, I think it would reflect that Hottovy and Zombro and their analysts think they see upside there.  If so, I think it would be fun, and I'd love to give them that opportunity to see what they could pull out of him in terms of bounceback or improvement.  Plus as always, with our defense, anybody is going to look better and get significant ERA-depression with both our defense and wrigley HR-suppression. Gallen has been a solid K-guy, and something of a groundball guy, so might be a good fit.  he might have enough upside to, if everything clicked, hypothetically make the 3-man playoff rotation?  
7. 6-man rotation versus 6-day rotation is different.  A lot of off-days and some rainout-days in spring.  On a true 6-man rotation it would often be like college or Japan, with a once-a-week start.  
8. Hottovy kinda spoke against that this weekend.  But I'd be totally OK with running some version of 6-man rotation for a while.  
9. Heh heh, would never happen if Cubs are winning and wanting to keep every decent pitcher, but would be kinda fun to actually have a surplus, and to be both a contender and a trade-seller.  Given the price-inflation at deadline, what if you traded Steele to help restock the thin farm, or something?  Never would happen, but kinda fun to dream!  :):)
10. I'm a believer that while there are some differences between starting and relief, that probably majority of good starters can become good relievers.  Usually better, with more adrenaline, no pacing, higher velo, and less need to mix lesser pitches.  So I'm actually totally fine with pushing good pitchers back into the bullpen.  Short relief, long, mediuam, I think guys like Rea or Assad might be very effective in any of those roles.  

[chibears55]

Bellinger signs with Yankees 5/165 opt outs after 2027 and 2028

[Stratos]

6 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

They can’t have Andujar and Austin both on the bench unless they are going without a utility IF or an outfielder who can play centerfield. Right now that is Shaw and Alcantara. Austin and Andujar are kind of redundant. I think Busch is going to get more time at 1st anyway. So playing either there for 15 games isn’t going to be that big a deal. But you can’t have both on the team. We would then have a team without a back up who can play centerfield or a backup who can play middle infielder, depending on if you keep Shaw or Alcantara. Austin was a $1M of the dice. Not like he has to make the roster. At this very minute I have back up catcher, Austin, Shaw and Alcantara as the bench. 

True about covering CF.  But. PCA never comes out of games because of the glove, so when he's out of the game it's from injury.  Happ, or maybe Shaw or Suzuki could cover CF in a pinch for up to 1 game if they had to call up Alcantara if PCA gets hurt.

Last year Alcantara hardly ever played when he was on the bench.  Usually only as a pinch runner late.  His main role on the bench would likely be as DH (or RF and shifting Seiya to DH) to platoon with Mo vs LHP, and he really isn't the most ideal bat for that role.

I did see during an interview at the Cubs convention that Jed mentioned they're still looking for an OF bench bat after trading Caissie, and that positional versatility is very important for that role since there's hardly any platoons on the Cubs and the DH means there's much fewer pinch hit opportunities than when pitchers hit.  Andujar can play all 4 corner positions and has DH experience so he could fit.  But again the only position not really covered is CF.

[craig]

Agree.  Alcantara in Iowa is one day away.  If you both kept Austin and added Andujar, Shaw would need to be your on-roster CF for a few innings if PCA gets hurt. 

Shaw is fast, and CF is the easiest OF spot to learn.  (Easier to read balls and get jumps; less issues with balls slicing.).  He might be fine as in-game backup CF.  And maybe he'll be good enough that PCA could get a matchup day off now and then against tough lefties.