The Chicago Cubs added depth and power to their starting rotation when they finally pulled the trigger on the trade to acquire emerging power pitcher Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins.
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The Cubs front office had been interested in Cabrera since 2024, kicking around the idea of trading for him prior to the 2025 season and at the 2025 trade deadline. The organization had THAT much belief in the young talent.
The 27-year-old will be slated somewhere in the middle of a Cubs rotation that currently features Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga, and returning ace Justin Steele (who is expected to come back from elbow surgery sometime around mid-season).
That’s a whole lot of depth. And when you factor in the presence of capable swingmen Colin Rea and Javier Assad, it would seem that Chicago no longer has a need to pursue starting pitching this offseason.
Zac Gallen still a Cubs target?
Sep 3, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
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But, reportedly, they’re still looking, though, with the biggest and most headline-grabbing target being free agent Zac Gallen.
“That’s easy, Zac Gallen,” MLB insider Bruce Levine said in a recent interview on 670 The Score, referring to who the Cubs’ ace will be until Steele returns to the rotation. “Look, talking to the people that usually want this stuff out there, not necessarily always happening, for the last 7-8 weeks. Gallen and the Cubs have always been connected since early December. The idea that he is still out there without a contract, and a quality starting pitcher who will probably have to take a three-year deal of some sort with some type of ability to get out of it after the first or second year, this might fall right into the Cubs lap.”
Other recent reports have made the Gallen-Cubs pairing seem like the long shot it would logically appear to be, given the Cubs’ starting rotation depth and the team’s remaining budget. There IS, however, a Gallen-Cubs tie that could make the union significantly more likely– Carson Kelly.
The Carson Kelly factor
MLB: Chicago Cubs at Athletics Mar 31, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly (15) is interviewed after the game against the Athletics. Kelly hit for the cycle. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
The Cubs veteran catcher was a teammate of Gallen’s with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2019 to 2023 and, in that time, he became the righty’s preferred catcher.
Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation pointed out the connection in a Sunday morning piece:
“…Do you know which big league catcher has caught more Zac Gallen starts than any other catcher in baseball? The Cubs’ own Carson Kelly.
Kelly has caught 55 Zac Gallen starts in his career. And in those 55 starts, Gallen has a 2.81 ERA, while opposing batters are hitting just .202/.271/.337 (better than he has with any other catcher with whom he’s worked, min. 7 games).”
So, why would this really matter and how could it push Gallen in the Cubs’ direction?
Gallen is coming off a poor 2025 where he posted a horrendous 4.83 ERA over 33 starts. The fact that he put up such bad numbers in a contract year is most certainly the reason he remains an unsigned free agent days away from the start of spring training. So, it wouldn’t be the worst idea for him to take a short-term deal and then re-enter the free agent market after a bounce back year.
That’s where the Cubs, and Kelly, come in.
The perfect scenario for a bounce-back?
Arizona Diamondbacks Zac Gallen (23) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during their NLCS game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Oct. 16, 2023.
The Cubs have earned a reputation as a team that facilitates such bounce-backs, especially when it comes to pitchers. Add to that Gallen’s success working with Kelly, and Chicago looks like the ideal place for a Gallen reset before returning to the open market for a bigger, longer, and more lucrative deal.
As for the Cubs, their budget, and an overcrowded starting rotation?
If someone like Zac Gallen, a workhorse with a long history of MLB success behind him, falls into your lap, you find a way to fit him in. Grabbing him for even two years would be a big deal, especially with Boyd, Taillon, and Imanaga possibly leaving via free agency after next season.
In a perfect Cubs world Gallen and Kelly would be reunited in 2026.
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