The Chicago Cubs have made it known that they are targeting pitching this offseason. Whether it be from a trade or signing, they want to improve on the mound heading into the 2026 season. However, it appears that one of the top starting pitchers on the market is not interested in heading to Wrigleyville. Let’s take a deeper dive into who it is and what it means for the Cubs in free agency.
Michael King eliminates the Chicago Cubs from the teams he will sign with
Sep 16, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
It has been reported by Peter Abraham and Ken Rosenthal that King has narrowed his market to three teams, none being the Cubs. Instead, he wants to pitch in the AL East as the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees are the three teams on his list. This seemingly makes sense as he is from the East Coast, playing college baseball at Boston College and going to high school in Rhode Island.
However, this is a bit of a blow for the Cubs. It is not officially known if they had an offer for King on the table, but they were interested in the right-hander. That still takes a starting pitcher off the board that seemed like a fit.
Who should the Chicago Cubs target now?
This seems like a simple answer as the Cubs are going to be looking to add starting pitching. One name that makes sense is Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai. He would have Japanese teammates in Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki, which seemingly helps Japanese players adjust to America. They also get to figure things out right away, as Imai has a negotiating window ending on Jan. 2 at 5 pm ET.
He seemingly will be the smallest contract of the top-tier starting pitching free agents, seemingly because he does not have MLB experience. However, with a 2.18 ERA and over 470 innings over the previous three seasons, he can dominate on the bump. Imai should be the top target for Chicago in free agency of the starting pitchers.
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