Matthew Lenz

It sounds like the back-and-forth between the Chicago Cubs and starting pitcher Shota Imanaga will continue. After the team declined their option to extend Imanaga for a fifth year, he declined the player's option that was triggered afterward. While most thought that was the end of it, it was somewhat surprising to learn that the Cubs then tendered him a qualifying offer. Now, Jon Heyman of the NY Post is reporting that Shota Imanaga is expected to decline that qualifying offer. However, all is not lost, according to 670 The Score's Bruce Levine. Despite the back-and-forth that has resulted in Imanaga becoming a free agent, he cites the president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, in saying that there is no disconnect between the two sides. He adds that "a two-year deal of some kind could be worked out." 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. His fastball accrued a Run Value (RV) of -10 in 2025, after an RV of +4 in 2024. 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. MLBTR predicts Imanaga to get $45 million over three years. Do you think the Cubs should look to bring him back or pursue a higher-end starter? Let us know your comments! View full rumor

The Chicago Cubs finished a once-promising 2025 season below expectations. While the team has mostly disappointed fans in previous offseasons, that may not be the case this year. In a recent column, Bob Nightengale of USA Today named the Chicago Cubs the "hot stove's biggest sleeper" this offseason. Nightengale goes on to say, "They want another corner outfielder [after losing Kyle Tucker to free agency], and will be shopping in the expensive aisle for starting pitching, with fellow GMs predicting they could land Framber Valdez and/or Dylan Cease." It's worth noting that they have tendered a qualifying offer to Shota Imanaga, as well. While Nightengale didn't name any potential outfield fits, top names include Tucker, Cody Bellinger, Kyle Schwarber (who's primarily a DH at this point and was tendered a qualifying offer), Teoscar Hernandez, and Michael Conforto. They could look at making a trade as rumors swirl around the Boston Red Sox Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu, as well as the Los Angeles Angels Taylor Ward and Jo Adell, though none of those names would really be considered "expensive". Looking at the pitching market, Cease, a free-agent modern-day iron man making 32 starts in five consecutive seasons, is predicted to get a seven-year, $189 million contract by MLBTR. His productivity has alternated each season he's been with the club, receiving Cy Young votes in 2022 and 2024 while sporting ERAs north of 4.00 in 2023 and 2025. The San Diego Padres tendered him a qualifying offer. Valdez, another durable pitcher, made 31 starts for the Houston Astros in 2025. Across 192 innings, he posted a FIP of 3.37, supported by a so-so 14.8% K-BB rate. His high groundball rate (58.6%) would fit well within the windy confines of Wrigley Field. Valdez was tendered a qualifying offer and is predicted to net $150 million over five years by MLBTR. Do you think the Cubs will be aggressive this offseason after landing Tucker last year? Let us know what you think in the comments! View full rumor

Major League Baseball announced the National League Silver Slugger winners, and one Chicago Cubs player will need to make room in his trophy case. Outfielder Kyle Tucker won his first career Silver Slugger in his first (and maybe only) season with the Cubs. He joins his outfield counterparts in bringing home some hardware (Ian Happ and Pete Crow-Armstrong won Gold Gloves). Tucker slashed .266/.377/.464 (.841 OPS) with 22 home runs and 22 stolen bases. It was his third 20-20 season in four years. He was most effective with runners on base, posting a .908 OPS, including a .865 OPS with runners in scoring position and 28 extra base hits. On another note, the Cubs tendered a qualifying offer to Tucker, and he could return if he agrees to a one-year, $22.025 million pact. The Silver Slugger Award is an award that recognizes the best offensive player at each position in both leagues. It is voted on by managers and coaches around baseball. Will he be back with the club in 2026? Let us know what you think in the comments! View full rumor

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! View full rumor

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! View full rumor

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! View full rumor

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! View full rumor

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! View full rumor

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! View full rumor

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! View full rumor

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! View full rumor

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! View full rumor