Justin Steele’s injury put a massive wrinkle into the Cubs’ pitching plans, with the team suddenly needing to replace their ace. The lack of offseason acquisitions once again became very prevalent, with Matthew Boyd being the only real starting pitcher brought in. Colin Rea was signed to provide depth and lost the battle for the fifth starter role during spring training, but Steele going down thrust him into the spotlight.
Rea started 27 games for the Brewers in 2024, logging a career high 167.2 innings and posting a 4.29 ERA with 0.