One of the biggest pitchers hitting free agency this winter is former Chicago Cubs top prospect and seven-year MLB veteran Dylan Cease. The soon-to-be 30-year old righty will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, with his AAV in 2026 is projected to be around $26.4 million per Spotrac. Only Ranger Suárez and Framber Valdez are free agents projected with a higher AAV next season.
The Cubs will need more starting pitching, ideally bringing in more velocity and whiffs to the rotation. In 2025 Cubs starters were 23rd in strikeout rate (20.