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Cubs May Add Another “Ace” to Their Rotation This Offseason

The Chicago Cubs may be looking to add another “ace” to their rotation this offseason. The club’s depth and talented farm system create several options that can improve the roster and increase their chances of returning to the postseason in 2025.

Cubs May Be Looking to Add “Ace” in Offseason

A Good Starting Four in the Rotation

The Cubs rotation this year featured four pitchers in the regular rotation, led by Shota Imanaga who had a 15-3 record, a 2.91 ERA, a 1.021 WHIP, and 174 strikeouts in 173 1/3 innings. Imanaga combined with Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Javier Assad for 39 wins against 22 losses over 100 starts.

The remaining starts went to Kyle Hendricks (24) and a contingent of young arms that included Jordan Wicks, Hayden Wesneski, and Ben Brown. That group went 10-21 and through injuries or inconsistent pitching proved ineffective in 2024.

Arrivals and Departures

Hendricks’ days on the team are likely coming to an end. Wicks, Wesneski, and Brown will look to win the number five spot in the rotation. Also, an influx of Top 100 prospects Matt Shaw (22), Owen Caissie (33), Moises Ballesteros (41), Kevin Alcantara (69), and Cam Smith (99) will be vying for roster spots.

The combination of departures and new and up-and-coming talent offers the Cubs front office choices as to how to move the team forward. Given the club’s history, some are more likely than others.

Tapping An Elite Free Agent Class

The Cubs’ $40 million manager, Craig Counsell, recently threw down the gauntlet for the entire organization. There will be talks between Counsell and President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer this offseason. These talks could include signing another top-flight starter this fall. That would mean tapping into what should be a rich free-agent market.

Among these are Atlanta Braves lefty Max Fried (71 wins/3 Gold Gloves since 2019), Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes (15-9), San Francisco Giants lefty Blake Snell (2-0/1.03 ERA/no-hitter since July 9), San Diego Padres lefty Tanner Scott (9-6/1.75 ERA), and righty Jack Flaherty (13-7) of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, Cubs ownership isn’t prone to digging deep for pitchers or players of this caliber. Instead, the club has tended to attempt to groom this talent from within.

From Japan, With Love

Another possible option would be to tap the Japanese pro league for a quality arm. Someone like Roki Sasaki, 23, could bring a quality arm at a bargain price due to MLB rules on international players.

Under that rule, the league caps contracts for players under 25 with less than six years of pitching experience in foreign major leagues. That would make Sasaki, who has a 1.95 ERA in his first four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, a real possibility.

Bringing Up Young Arms

Wicks, Brown, and Wesneski all showed signs of improvement this season. But injuries and inconsistency kept them from joining the Cubs rotation. The longtime Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks made the lion’s share of starts in the fifth spot. Wicks, 25, would give the rotation another left-hander if he is able to find his form next season.

Barring another setback from injury, the Cubs’ number two prospect Cade Horton will challenge for the spot in the spring of 2025. Other likely pitching candidates include Jack Neely (#18), and Michael Arias (#19).

A Talent for Talent Trade

The Cubs farm system has talent at both infield and outfield positions. But most positions are already filled with players who have staked their claim to them, either by contract or by their play on the field.

That means outfielders like Caissie and Alcantara, and infielders like Matt Shaw will find it difficult to get playing time. The Cubs management knows they can’t keep players around forever, which means a trade is likely for some of these top prospects. This should give the club a chance to land a quality starter.

Dealing top prospects might not land the likes of Burnes or Flaherty, but a veteran like Snell or Fried might well work. Whether it’s adding an ace-caliber pitcher or other types of moves, the Cubs are in an excellent position to make the deals they need to make to compete at a higher level next season.

 

Photo Credit: © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Ron Voller

Ron Voller

Ron Voller is a Chicago Cubs beat reporter for Last Word on Sports.

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