The Chicago Cubs need to improve their starting pitching this winter, and Michael King would pair perfectly with the Cubs’ needs.

Even with the return of Shota Imanaga, the Chicago Cubs’ urgency for starting pitching should not be overlooked with a former San Diego Padre on the market.

The offseason is in full swing as general managers are already meeting, planting the seeds for respective teams’ offseason plans. For the Cubs, pitching is at the forefront of the early plan rumors this winter.

From Dylan Cease to Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai, the team seems to be connected to a wide range of options in an effort to improve their rotation. One option specifically simply makes a ton of sense to for the Cubs. Veteran right-handed pitcher Michael King is one of the higher end options on the market this winter. The former New York Yankee and Padre has had quite a solid career for a starter. His arsenal of pitches seems to be just what the Cubs like in their rotation as well.

In only 15 starts, King’s 3.44 ERA can fit nicely in between lefties Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga. For a team that has been extremely left-handed heavy in the rotation, the Cubs need to prioritize an arm from the right side to help balance things out.

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Starting Pitching Failed the Cubs

As the Cubs made their way through the postseason, one of the big issues that plagued them was their starting rotation. In such a pivotal game five against Milwaukee, Imanaga was so unreliable that the team pivoted to a bullpen game with their season on the line. That is simply not good enough and needs to be fixed right away.

Michael King can provide the flexibility and reliability needed on the mound every time he takes the ball. There is a window open for the Cubs right now and they simply cannot afford to sit back and be passive with their additions.

The addition of Michael Soroka at the trade deadline is the exact example for why failing to be aggressive can prove costly to team performance. There needs to be a big starting pitcher added and if the Cubs can walk away with Michael King, it’ll make 2026 very interesting with the pitching staff in a positive way.