Cubs’ 2026 roster outlook heading into free agency | Cubs Postgame Live! I Marquee Sports Network
hard to put another team out there when you look at the notable, you know, contract options amongst this team. Big big, you know, big guys that that on this list, you know, and and and you know, Sha was great down the stretch. Uh I think a lot of what he dealt with as far as being on Iel hurt him. Kendrick, I thought he was a great uh addition at at the trade deadline. And then Colin Ray, what would this team be without him? Period. You got you got to pick up that $6 million club option. No doubt about it. And I’m not going and I’m not going to forget Justin Turner. Okay? Even though Justin Turner didn’t hit a ton, he was that coach, player coach that I actually went down that road in 2008 with the Rays when we went to the World Series and every time something jumped off where Craig couldn’t police the clubhouse, guarantee it went through Justin Turner. Whether it was dealing with Matt Shaw, whether it was dealing with any situation across the board, he was a guy that could calm the storm and make sure everything stayed on rails. So, I I I love that whole list and this list right here speaks to what you need back. And I think when you look at a lot of these names, you can handpick a a ton of them that keeps this thing rolling. Uh and and especially with the bullpen pieces. Yeah. Brad Keller, Caleb Dealbar, Drew Pomeran specifically. Those three guys, not to take anything away from Roger, Sarroka, Savali, and Brazier, but Keller, Theobbar, and Pomeran, they were the dudes that really kept this ship afloat when Shota went down, when JMO went down, when when obviously right off the top, we saw Justin Steel, he was set back and not a part of this team all season long. So, for these guys to all come together and make sure that this was a team that was competitive from the entire entirety of the season, excuse me, I’m losing my train of thought, but 162 games, these guys, they fought, they battled all season long. And to see them do that, it’s pretty special. Yeah, it really is. And you know what? You you always have to try to find certain dudes that’s going to, you know, get you through guys that go on the IS guys that you lose for the duration of the season, so on so forth. I think the most important thing for me is do you go out and get a bonafide ace? Like when you think about this this rotation and getting Justin Steel back at some point, getting a healthy Kade, can you still use that dude? I’m not talking about Terry Scuba. I’m talking maybe go out and acquire a guy like Joe Ryan from Minnesota just watching, you know, a Ranger Suarez who’s a pending fridge in Philly. that that that to me you’re seeing how the game is played as far as having or or not having enough, you know, starting pitching or enough pitching or so on so forth. So, I looked at the bullpen. I thought they did a dang good job with the bullpen. I mean, you can piece together a better bullpen. Can you get some some some some higher velocity type arms? If it’s out there, sure, you you welcome them with open arms. What I when I think about, you know, if I’m going to go rotation or bullpen right now, until I really look at it, I’m leaning towards getting a a bonafide ace if he’s out there and available to come in in addition to Justin Steel and Kate Horton and potentially show Imanaga and then Jameson Tyion, Colin Ray, if you pick up that $6 million option, he could be that swingman. Javier Assad, how good is he and how good was he all season long? you can keep stacking those guys up. And then obviously Matthew Boyd, we know how fantastic he was this season. So is it all about the addition of that frontline ace to make this team the team that strikes fear into the hearts of everyone else league? Well, I mean, through the course of the season, you you probably can say you can get through what you saw them, you know, get through with as far as, you know, what the Cubs did. When you get to the postseason, what you saw Terry Scubble do in in the last game in Seattle is keep you in a game where you’re fighting without going through what you had to go through tonight. [Music]
Marquee Sports Network’s Cole Wright and Cliff Floyd look ahead at what the Cubs could face when buiiding next season’s roster with a number of players scheduled to hit MLB free agency.
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Cubs’ 2026 roster outlook heading into free agency | Cubs Postgame Live! I Marquee Sports Network
22 comments
SIGN Schwarber NOW!! Sign Keller, Thielbar, and Pomeranz. Let the rest go and go after new talent aggressively
HES AN AVERAGE PLAYER!
then hire him as a coach and get a player that's no 40, that can hit, and run!
Dylan cease, schwarber or Alonzo, and BULLPEN
While I realize that the Tucker experiment didn’t really work out as well, but if Kyle gives the Cubs any inkling that he’d like to stay on a shorter 2-3 year deal, 1 year deal if he can’t get a longer deal elsewhere, you’d be stupid not to bring him back. PCA’s second half regression wasn’t concerning…. It’s SCAAAAAARY. Which PCA you getting? You strikes fear in that order? Busch maybe? I dunno man, I’m not too high on the Cubs farm system either.
Get rid of happ and let Tucker go sign schwarber and put Cassie in the outfield
The Cubs need Nico Hoerner-type players, the only Cub who wasn't swinging for the fences when the wind was blowing in.
Trade Happ or bench him. Let Alcantara & Caissie play. Milwaukee allows younger players to play and look where they are!
Alonzo?? Where would he play, cmon man
The Ricketts will keep this cheap until after the lockout. Even after that, Ricketts will keep payroll cheap.
You heard the FO at the break guys, we're now looking towards 2032 with our moves, it's basically a rebuild now.. right? Lol..
a free swinger
Keller, Thielbar, Pomeranz – rest can walk from the UFA
Not including Tucker in that because we all know we won't be competitive so it's a non starter
Will be happy to see the back of some of that dead wood, Brasier in particular.
The Cubs have a history of signing mid tier starters so minus well keep Shota and Rea because who knows how Steele will be coming back. I'd let Tucker walk they have Cassie and Alcantara. I'd resign Keller, Thielbar and Pomeranz they came up big in the playoffs.
If i hear another person say sign schwarber i’m gonna lose it. He’s exactly what’s wrong with the roster, turned up to 100. His strikeout % this year would’ve been the highest out of the 9 guys we had starting in the playoffs. They struck out enough. We need more contact guys
I’m hoping Caissie and Alcantara get more starts and excel.
Why the hell did Jed not trade for mason miller . This dumb cub front office really trade 6prospects for a rental player in Tucker . Dollar store Jed will get sub par or marginal good starting pitching and sign an abundance of crap to have quantity .
Remember Rick Sutcliff? Of course we all do. He got the Cubs into the playoffs in 84. We need a bonified ace who can legitimately put up a W every time he started. Jake Arietta was kind of like that. Too many key injuries this season. Without those we probably would be playing the Dodgers now. Getting Schwarber back is a pipe dream. They won’t pay it. I don’t necessarily think Tucker is leaving.
I say Kittredge gone!! Ty
Shota finished the last month of the regular season giving up way too many homeruns and it followed him into the playoffs.
Go sign the best free agent pitcher out there. Best closer! Another good bullpen pitcher! Bring up Jaxon Wiggins. Wrigley is built for pitching! Look at Kyle Tucker. Struggled mightily in Wrigley.
What difference does what ANY TEAM does when the DODGERS will CHERRY PICK every other good player YET AGAIN THIS COMING SEASON? The biggest move ANY team can make…BOYCOTT THE HOARDING DODGERS. DONT BUY A TICKET to WATCH THEM PLAY. dont WATCH THEM ON TV. STOP ENABLING THE SELFISH BS. The ONLY WAY to STOP THE HOARDING is to treat the HOARDERS like they are BRITISH TEA. COME TOGETHER,stop giving them money,quit ENDORSING THE HOARDING. Its THE ONLY WAY to MAKE THIS FARCE YEAR AFTER YEAR STOP. Obviously we cant rely on the commishioner and his “staff” to give americans a game where any city can win. So WE have to DO WHAT MAKES US AMERICANS IN THE FIRST PLACE, REAL AMERICANS, and let commishioners choice play to empty seats every road game