The Chicago Cubs came into this offseason with the very publicly-stated goal of focusing on pitching. Not long after their elimination from the NLDS, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and general Manager Carter Hawkins, in separate interviews, talked about their desire to build up the pitching staff.
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As clearly evident in their plucky, but ultimately doomed playoff run, the team had need for a true front-of-rotation starter as well as fortification in the bullpen, which would be emptied by mass free agency over the winter, anyway.
Winter meetings rumblings
MLB: San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs Apr 4, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Jed Hoyer President of the Chicago Cubs prepares to throw balls to fans before a game against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
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Now, as the Cubs front office dives into the winter meetings, where trades and deals are often batted about and frequently consummated, there appears to be some chatter regarding the pursuit of pitching.
Matthew Trueblood of Northside Baseball is reporting that, per his sources, the Cubs are discussing possible trades with a pair of NL East teams for preferred budget-friendly, team-controlled pitching.
Per Trueblood:
“The Chicago Cubs are among the teams ‘involved in the mix’ as the Miami Marlins entertain trade offers for Edward Cabrera, a source with knowledge of talks said early Wednesday…
Even as they remain engaged with Miami, the team has made inquiries with the Washington Nationals about MacKenzie Gore.”
Of course, being “in the mix” doesn’t necessarily translate to anything other than being one of many bidders. However, it does spotlight the intention to make something big happen. The public leaking of dueling NL East trade talk could also be an attempt to play both teams against each other to lower the asking price.
Chicago Cubs pursuing two big trades for pitching
MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins Jun 19, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (27) delivers a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Chicago was reportedly interested in both Cabrera and Gore at the trade deadline last season, but were reluctant to meet the steep asking price of both teams. The Marlins were said to want Cubs’ top prospect, and heir apparent to Kyle Tucker, Owen Caissie in a Cabrera deal while the Nationals were said to fancy rookie third baseman Matt Shaw as part of the Gore package.
What makes this particular turn of events interesting right now is that the Cubs are rumored to be interested in free agent third baseman Alex Bregman once again. If they could get Bregman, Shaw could be seen as expendable, thereby freeing him up as trade bait in a Gore deal. Similarly, if the Cubs are more “in” on re-signing Tucker than reported, Caissie would be expendable as part of a Cabrera deal.
The former scenario seems to be more likely than the latter right now, but nothing is ever guaranteed– especially with the famously frugal Cubs who could be internally stuck on the idea of keeping two cheap and team-controlled lineup pieces in two key positions.
Extra appealing to the Cubs when it comes to these rumored deals is that Cabrera is under team control until after the 2028 season and that Gore is similarly locked into his contract until the end of 2027.
Determined to land one of three key targets
Aug 21, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore (1) throws to the New York Mets during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images
Also according to Trueblood, the Cubs are looking at free agent Zac Gallen as their third option behind Cabrera and Gore, a fallback in case they can’t make a deal with the Marlins or National. No matter what, though, Trueblood’s source says that the team is looking to walk away with one of their three targeted starters.
All of that is good news for the Cubs, especially in the short term with a real shot at making a deep playoff run next season.
As is always the case, time will tell.
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