The Chicago Cubs swung and missed in their bid to land Japanese pitching import Tatsuya Imai, but that doesn’t necessarily mean doom and gloom when it comes to the team adding a high-end starting pitcher to a vulnerable rotation.
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Even with the NPB star joining Dylan Cease and Michael King as top starters removed from the 2026 free agent market, there are still some high-quality arms on the “unsigned” list such as Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, and Zac Gallen. The Cubs, to varying degrees, have been linked to all three.
The Cubs are “in” on Ranger Suarez
Aug 12, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) walks off the field during a pitching change in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
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Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently reaffirmed what he has been saying throughout the offseason. The Cubs are “in” on Suarez, although they do have competition.
Per Heyman:
“The Orioles, Giants, Mets, and Cubs are among teams linked to Suarez. He has elite command – he was judged having the best command in MLB and above average location with six different pitches – but he hasn’t logged the enormous number of innings of Valdez. Of course, lower ‘mileage’ could also be perceived positively.”
The positives
Sep 27, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The 30-year-old Suarez is most definitely the kind of pitcher that Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer seems to love.
He’s serious, professional, has good control, a good command of his pitch arsenal, and induces weak contact. He’s not the kind of flame-throwing strikeout artist the team was said to be targeting, but his skill set and mind set make him a more dependable selection if Chicago were to entertain a longer-term contract. His career ground ball rate of 52% (with extended stretches where that rate hovers near 60%) would also mesh nicely with the Cubs’ elite infield defense. Last season, he went 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA over 26 starts with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The southpaw Suarez is also an ace in postseason play, something which would be of benefit to a Cubs team aiming for a deeper postseason run this coming season.
Also, per Heyman:
“His postseason excellence should make him a prime target (his 1.48 postseason ERA is third-best this century, after Mariano Rivera (0.86) and Stephen Strasburg (1.46)).
The realities
Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts (R) smiles next to Chicago Cubs President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer (L) before a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The perceived sticking point, as always seems to be the case when it comes to Cubs free agent targets, is price and length of contract.
Contract projections have Suarez headed for a 4-6 year contract at $110-$160 million, something which is well beyond what the Cubs have been willing to pay for pitching. The last time the Cubs invested in a nine-digit contract for a pitcher was back in 2018 with Yu Darvish, but they would end up trading him away just two years into that six-year deal.
One compelling factor that could push the Cubs to spend beyond their comfort zone is that they find themselves with their backs against the wall. With so much of their veteran talent headed into free agency at the end of the coming season (Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Nico Hoerner, Carson Kelly, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga, etc.), there should be an urgency to not only win now, but to also build a solid foundation for 2027 and beyond.
Suarez, perhaps above all remaining free agent starters, possesses the steadiness and consistency to be a long-term asset. He also has the skill set that may allow him to be an effective pitcher up through the final years of his contract as he works past his physical prime.
He’s not as eye-catching of an addition as Cease or Imai would’ve been, but he does fit into what the Cubs generally value in their pitchers.
Contractually, Suarez is also a more reasonable purchase than the Cubs’ other reported pitching targets this offseason. Dylan Cease’s seven-year, $210 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, packed with deferred money, was too rich for Chicago’s tastes. The Tatsuya Imai deal, which guaranteed a base of $54 million over three years that could top off at $63 million after incentives, seemed too risky considering the Japanese star would have the ability to opt out after each season (Worst case scenario would have the Cubs paying $30 million– after posting fee– for just one year of Imai). Framber Valdez, meanwhile, is projected to land a 5-7 year deal worth anywhere from $160 to $210 million.
Suarez would seem like a reasonable compromise if the goal is adding a legit front-of-rotation starter. But, of course, it’s the Cubs’ money to spend and there’s just no guarantee that they’re open to investing in Suarez.
In the coming days, the free agent pitching market should become much clearer and it’ll be revealed whether the Cubs were serious buyers or simply window shoppers.
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