Just days ago, it seemed like the Chicago Cubs’ pitching rotation was missing just one piece for 2026.

The picture is mostly painted: Justin Steele will be back at some point after missing most of the 2025 season with an elbow injury that required surgery. Cade Horton is entering his highly anticipated sophomore season after a dominant rookie campaign.

There is Matthew Boyd, who was an under-the-radar pickup and emerged as a key piece in the rotation in 2025 with another year still left on his contract. Jameson Taillon began hitting his stride at the tail end of the regular season and was instrumental in the playoffs.

And there was, of course, Shota Imanaga, who regressed late in 2025 after his breakout last season but still put together a decent year.

Then came the shock news on Tuesday that the team declined Imanaga’s three-year, $57 million option — as did Imanaga with his one-year, $15 million player option — thus making the fan favorite a free agent.

Unless Imanaga accepts his qualifying offer, the Cubs will no longer have the 2024 All-Star left-hander in their starting rotation in 2026.

So, where does that rotation stand now? And where can it upgrade?

On the latest episode of the “Cubs Weekly Podcast,” Marquee Sports Network’s Lance Brozdowski sat down with MLB insider Jon Heyman to discuss that very topic.

“I think they need a bit of an upgrade,” Heyman said. “(The rotation is) pretty good, compared to most. Cade Horton was a fantastic rookie last year, right? I mean, he’s an ace at this point. You start with that.”

Horton debuted in May and went on a dominant run, posting a 2.67 ERA across 118 innings and 23 appearances, all but one of them starts. While he was on an innings limit this season, there’s no question that he’ll be one of the Cubs’ best options next year.

“Boyd was excellent; he was an All-Star. Taillon — very, very dependable. I think it’s a solid, plus-rotation. Is it a world championship rotation with the offense they have? Not yet,” Heyman said.

In a rotation marred with injuries, Boyd was the Cubs’ sole qualified starter in 2025. He posted a 3.21 ERA over 31 starts and 179.2 innings and received his first career All-Star selection in the process. Taillon pitched to a 3.68 ERA in 129.2 innings and allowed just eight earned runs over his final seven starts (1.85 ERA).

Colin Rea also stepped in when Steele went down and gave the Cubs 143.1 innings as a starter, posting a 4.33 ERA in 27 outings. The Cubs on Thursday agreed to terms with Rea to keep him on the North Side for at least the 2026 season, though it’s not yet known in what capacity he’ll be used next year — whether that’s in the rotation or out of the bullpen, as he began in 2025.

As of now, the Cubs are certainly set up to go for a starting pitcher in free agency. There are quite a few big names on the list this offseason, namely Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez.

A lesser-known name on that list is Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai, an NPB standout who MLB team officials believe will be posted in January and made available for MLB teams to sign him. Imai, 27, had a 1.92 ERA in 163.2 innings for the Saitama Seibu Lions this past season.

Then there are the mid-level arms like Chris Bassitt or Lucas Giolito that could be options for the Cubs. But Heyman believes that if the Cubs go that route, they must improve the offense first.

“There are definitely decent, solid pitchers in that middle (category). I think that would work — if you beef up the offense, you can do that,” Heyman said. “If they don’t go beef up the offense and they rely on the young guys — whether it be (Owen) Caissie, (Moisés) Ballesteros, (Matt) Shaw … (then) I think they’d better go get one of those top three pitchers that we talked about before — whether that be Imai, Cease or Valdez.

Overall, Heyman said he believes the Cubs’ starting rotation is in a far better place than a portion of the league. They don’t need a complete rebuild — they just need the final pieces to fall into place.

“It’s pretty good, compared to most. You should see some of these other rotations,” Heyman said. “It is a better-than-most rotation. It may not wow you at the moment.

“If they add a big piece on the offensive end … with maybe one more pitcher — I think they’re giving themselves a shot.”