The Chicago Cubs have not exactly lit the offseason baseball world on fire. Despite a lot of bullish talk and plenty of “we’re going after so and so” PR leaked to media, the team’s entire talent haul so far consists of relievers Phil Maton and Hoby Milner, plus a couple of minor league-level depth pieces.
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And although one would like to be positive that much more will be done before heading into the 2026 season, the only really big Cubs stories, so far, seem to center around the guys they ALMOST got (like Dylan Cease and Devin Williams).
Recent history and spending patterns suggest that the Cubs may fall back on their usual frugal strategy of pursuing bargain talent and players looking for a short-term reclamation opportunity.
That’s a frustrating reality when taking pitching into consideration, where there is a legitimate and glaring need for another high-end starter, a closer-capable reliever, and more depth pieces for a depleted bullpen.
Jaxon Wiggins: The last of the Cubs’ homegrown arms?
MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs
Jun 18, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; The tarp covers the field before the weather cancelled game between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
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The situation becomes especially frustrating when one realizes that the Cubs’ farm system is probably not going to contribute much to the pitching picture in 2026.
The possible exception to that is Jaxon Wiggins.
The 24-year-old made the climb from Double-A to Triple-A last season, amid plenty of concern regarding rehabbed injury (He had Tommy John surgery in 2023) and fatigue. The organization made a concerted effort to cap his innings pitched and keep an eye on the wear and tear on his arm, but he managed to excel under those watchful eyes.
Across three levels in 2025, the 6-foot-6 righty posted a 2.19 ERA in 78 innings with 97 total strikeouts.
There’s a lot to like in Wiggins, the team’s overall no. 3 prospect, but he may be the Cubs’ only internal hope for an impact arm for awhile. After him and the injury-plagued no. 9 prospect Brandon Birdsell, there isn’t a pitcher within sniffing distance of the majors until Connor Noland in the no. 22 prospect slot.
The Cade Horton of 2026?
MLB: Chicago Cubs at Toronto Blue Jays Aug 13, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Cade Horton (22) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Cubs would be beyond ecstatic if Wiggins could be the Cade Horton of 2026, making a surprise rise to the majors and establishing himself as a “for real” big league asset. Horton, who finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, turned heads after an emergency call-up in May and eventually became one of the best pitchers in all of baseball from July until his end-of-season rib injury in late September.
“That’s obviously a high bar,” Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins told The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, regarding the major league hopes for Wiggins. “If he could do half of what Cade Horton did, that would be awesome. But I think he’s shown that he can get upper-level hitters out. It’s really just getting over the health and the command hurdle. If he does that, he’s got a chance to help us out.”
The real thing?
Chicago Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins answers questions from the media during the MLB GM Meetings at The Conrad Las Vegas. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
Hawkins and the Cubs are extremely high on their top pitching prospect and have thus far avoided any and all trade talk involving him.
“A lot of explosiveness,” Hawkins said of Wiggins’ game, “(with) a breaking ball that’s going to miss bats and a fastball that’s going to miss bats. He’s turned that up into the upper 90s and into the 100s. It’s really just about landing them and being consistent with the command.
“He’s just one of those guys that kind of oozes potential. It’s just a matter of corralling all of it. There’s a lot of paths for Jaxon. It could be as an upper-end starter if he’s able to command. It could be a guy you see in a bullpen at some point. It could be both.”
Wiggins, like Horton before him, has a considerable history of injury, but he represents, perhaps, the Cubs’ last real chance to elevate a homegrown impact arm before a few coming years of nothingness.
Whether Chicago goes on to make a big pitching acquisition or not, it’s a sure thing that the organization will be watching Wiggins closely in hopes of getting him to the big leagues as soon as humanly possible. Everybody’s hoping 2026 is that year.
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