Right now, the Chicago Cubs employ enough quality position players to put together a competitive lineup this season. With good health and fortune, the rotation should have enough options to cover a 162-game schedule, and using methods that have worked before, the bullpen is already mostly rebuilt.
That’s not what Cubs fans want to hear.
They’ve seen the remaining rotation options dwindle after Dylan Cease, Michael King and Tatsuya Imai chose elsewhere, cashing in as free agents. The collection of relievers the club assembled this offseason does not include a surefire closer. Replacing Kyle Tucker in the middle of the order will not be easy.
This is not how a big-market franchise typically operates after winning 92 games and a postseason round. The encouraging part, however, is the big offseason transaction should still be out there.
Several top free agents are still unsigned, and the trade market hasn’t quite heated up. While waiting for the Cubs to make their move, here are your questions, which have been edited for length and clarity.
I know every Cubs player is considered expendable, according to the club’s leadership. But why on earth does the topic of trading Nico Hoerner keep percolating? – Brandon M.
Sahadev: This is likely the response that every player in the clubhouse and fan has had upon hearing these rumors. The answer is simple: Hoerner’s contract expires after this season. This is a front office that is all about value, and talented pre-arbitration players are like gold.
Any five-plus veteran or player on an expiring deal, no matter how valuable to the team on or off the field, will be considered expendable if the right offer comes along. The arguments for keeping Hoerner are obvious; he’s an elite defender at second who can handle shortstop, a great base-runner and a contact-oriented bat who hits for a high average and rarely strikes out.
Hoerner carded a 109 wRC+ in 2025 to go along with his typical standout defense. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
The ding on him, of course, is his lack of power. It’s what keeps him from truly being considered a star. That lowers his ultimate value a bit. But he’s still an incredibly important part of this Cubs team and brings an intangible quality that shouldn’t be underestimated.
Still, he’s coming off a career-high in WAR (4.8 fWAR), and that could mean the Cubs would move him at his highest value. It’s highly unlikely it happens — though the chances do increase should the Cubs make that big splash and bring Alex Bregman to the North Side — but this is a front office that won’t be afraid to make unpopular decisions if they think it’s best for the health of the organization.
As displayed by what they’ve done this winter, they don’t make moves to appease the fan base. That much is clear.
Why don’t reporters ask Cubs executives why they’re organizationally against deferred money? Any best guesses on why they’re so opposed? – Anonymous
Patrick: This question has been asked and answered (to an extent). Technically, the Cubs use deferrals as an accounting mechanism every time they put a mutual option in a contract. Caleb Thielbar’s $4.5 million guaranteed deal, for example, gives him a $4 million base salary this year and a $500,000 buyout on the 2027 option.
That is not how other major-market franchises have wielded this financial tool to close huge deals for star players in recent years, most notably Shohei Ohtani’s arrangement with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Boston Red Sox included deferred money to lure in Bregman for 2025, and the Toronto Blue Jays padded Cease’s newly signed seven-year, $210 million contract with deferrals.
The Cubs weren’t philosophically opposed to this concept when they used deferred money to finance the big contracts for Jon Lester and Jason Heyward during the run-up to the 2016 World Series.
It appears the more conservative post-championship business model revolves more around trying to keep the team competitive on an annual basis than going all-in for one season to try to win the World Series. At the ownership level, there seems to be a preference for sustainability and flexibility, and a reluctance to take resources away from future teams and limit potential opportunities down the road.
I haven’t heard much about bench-related moves for the Cubs. Is there any pulse on how they’re looking to construct/fill out their bench? – Les J.
Patrick: During the 2025 season, Chicago’s position players stayed healthy at an “unsustainably good” rate, team president Jed Hoyer said, a primary reason why the club wants to upgrade its bench options.
Signing Bregman, an All-Star/Gold Glove third baseman, and moving Matt Shaw into a super-utility role would be one expensive way to deepen the roster and create more flexibility. Thus far, the low-cost move has been adding Tyler Austin, a right-handed hitter who spent the previous six seasons playing in Japan.
A former big leaguer with the Yankees, Austin posted an .834 OPS over 65 games with the Yokohama BayStars. (Elsa / Getty Images)
Recruiting free agents for these bench jobs can be a challenge. Outside of a hitter with Bregman’s resume, the Cubs can’t offer that many regular at-bats or a clear path to consistent playing time.
Willi Castro is an experienced, versatile player, but even he got lost in the shuffle after getting traded from the Minnesota Twins at last summer’s deadline. Rob Refsnyder is another name the Cubs had on their radar leading up to that trade deadline, but he recently signed a one-year, $6.25 million contract with the Seattle Mariners.
The Cubs are already looking at the possibility of carrying three catchers on their Opening Day roster. The organization also has to sort out a glut of young position players who have already spent a lot of time at the Triple-A level. They need some runway in the majors, but they will not develop much by sitting on the bench, and their trade value is in flux.
Kevin Alcántara was a top-100 prospect before the 2025 season, but he doesn’t seem to be in the conversation as much as Owen Cassie and Moisés Ballesteros heading into 2026. What happened to “The Jaguar” in 2025, and what role can he play for the Cubs in 2026, if any? – Brandon L.
Sahadev: Alcántara had core surgery on October 16. How much that issue held him back last season is unclear at the moment, but he’s rehabbing and, barring any setbacks, is expected to be a full-go come spring training.
Beyond the injury, Alcántara’s easiest path to contribute is through his defense. He’s at worst an average defender, and some would argue plus in center field. His lack of playing time in the big leagues last summer directly correlates to the Cubs’ lack of injuries.
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ stayed healthy for much of the year. While Tucker did miss a decent chunk of September, Seiya Suzuki was available to fill in, and the Cubs chose to see what Caissie and Ballesteros, both of whom have more advanced bats, could do.
Alcántara is a slow starter and very streaky. But his offensive upside is immense. If he can find some consistency and pair that with his quality defense, he could be a really valuable piece of the puzzle. Whether that’s with the Cubs or another team via trade is probably the biggest question facing him right now.
Do the Cubs line up at all on a trade for Tyler Glasnow? Would Ian Happ be of interest to the Dodgers as part of the package? The Cubs seem to be trying to trade for a frontline starting pitcher without giving up Jaxon Wiggins or Cade Horton, and I think that deal is going to be hard to find. – Robert N.
Patrick: The Cubs were involved in the discussions before the Tampa Bay Rays agreed to trade Glasnow to the Dodgers in December 2023, a move that came with the execution of a five-year, $136.5 million contract extension. During an offseason appearance on MLB Network Radio, Glasnow said that he was personally reassured by Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman that he will not be traded this winter.
There’s no reason to think that Happ has any interest in waiving his no-trade clause, given his connections to Chicago and his pride in being the longest-tenured player on the team. But those instincts are correct on the pitching side – the Cubs don’t have a lot of young arms to offer in trade negotiations besides Wiggins and Horton, who’s essentially untouchable.
If not traded, is Wiggins a contender to make the major-league team? – Ryan C.
Any chance Wiggins is on the Opening Day roster? And will the Cubs use him out of the bullpen since there aren’t any openings in the rotation? – Anonymous U.
Patrick: The Cubs see Wiggins as a potential major-league contributor in 2026, but the likely plan would involve him starting the season in the minors and building up to a point where he could help cover for injuries and support a playoff contender.
The ideal scenario would see Wiggins approximating what Horton did this year, but that was a unique case of elite talent aligning with opportunity and player development. The Cubs certainly aren’t banking on Wiggins performing at Horton’s second-half level (8-1, 1.03 ERA). Horton demonstrated an exceptional ability to process information, make adjustments and compete in the moment.
But if Wiggins stays healthy and improves his command, he will receive chances to get outs at the major-league level and earn a bigger role.
Which current player is most likely to still be a Cub in 10 years? – Jason A.
Patrick: Pete Crow-Armstrong remains the most valuable talent in the entire organization. As such, the Cubs and Crow-Armstrong’s camp are expected to continue their dialogue about a long-term contract extension.
Crow-Armstrong’s impressive development salvaged the 2021 trade deadline for this front office. His magnetic personality represents a boon for ownership and business operations, giving Wrigley Field and its satellite of ventures a star attraction.
His Gold Glove defense in center field makes pitchers more effective. His offensive production yielded 31 home runs, 35 stolen bases and 95 RBIs last year — and yet it still feels like he has more room to grow.
Crow-Armstrong will be 24 years old on Opening Day 2026. Extension talks were tabled around the beginning of last season in Tokyo, though both sides remained open to the idea of a long-term commitment. There’s no rush, as he’s eligible to become a free agent after the 2030 season.
In this kind of unique situation, a club typically clears its arbitration workload in January and then revisits the idea with the young All-Star player during spring training. There are no guarantees, but there is a lot of time for both sides to find the common ground that makes Crow-Armstrong a Cub for the next decade.
How does Eno Sarris’ recent article about MLB regulating use of data and tech in the minors impact the Cubs? Will their reduction on the scouting side come back to bite them here? – Brad B.
Regarding Sarris’ story about technology limitations, does that impact the Cubs at all? We’ve read stories in recent years about their investments in tech, pitching machines, etc. I’m wondering if this will result in anything being stripped away from them? – Chris J.
Sahadev: My understanding is that the teams that invest heavily in technology on the player development side look at this decision as a safety net for the teams that refuse to invest. So this negatively impacts the teams that are looking to push the boundaries and help their players with the best available methods.
It’s hard not to think back to this piece on Justin Stone (Cubs director of hitting) and his request for a million dollars’ worth of equipment almost immediately upon being hired. Much of what he asked for was approved. The Cubs may not fully leverage their financial advantages with how they spend on the big-league roster, but they were pretty good about taking advantage of that edge on the player development side.
If that advantage is no longer available, that could hurt. This stuff isn’t finalized yet and what tech is approved and what’s not has yet to be decided. One question in Sarris’ piece was whether Kinetrax will still be allowed.
From my understanding, the Cubs lean heavily on Kinetrax when evaluating their pitchers and their deliveries. Nearly every time there’s a conversation with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, Kinetrax is brought up. If that’s a piece of tech that’s not allowed anymore, that will be frustrating, at minimum, to many in the Cubs organization.
