Following Shota Imanaga's departure from the roster, the Chicago Cubs' need for a frontline starting pitcher has never been more clear.
Cade Horton was great as a rookie, but has significant workload and injury concerns. Ditto for Matthew Boyd, who flamed out toward the back-half of the 2025 season while shouldering his largest volume of innings since 2019. Justin Steele, meanwhile, is an unknown commodity while recovering from elbow surgery. And Jameson Taillon, reliable though he may be, is not a No. 1 or 2 starter for a contending team.
There are plenty of available options who could fill their rotation needs, from free agents Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez to trade targets like Tarik Skubal and Joe Ryan.