Cubs Cut Ties With Veteran Pitcher After Two Seasons

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Cubs Cut Ties With Veteran Pitcher After Two Seasons

Originally posted on Baseball Now | By Aaliyan Mohammed | Last updated Nov 2, 2026 3:14 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs have declined Colin Rea's 2027 option, according to ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

Rea's option was valued at $7.5 million, and he was second on the pitching staff in innings pitched last season. He will now join Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman and David Peterson as members of last year's pitching staff to hit the open market.

Rea served as a reliever in the second half after the Cubs made some moves to add starting pitching at the deadline. Overall, he had a 4.34 ERA on the season in 24 games.

In the last two seasons with the Cubs, he had a 4.13 ERA. He is not a star by any means, but he is a decent arm who can give any team valuable innings. He was in the back end of the Milwaukee Brewers rotation before coming to the Cubs, but he may be best used as a long reliever.

Rea should be able to find a new team, likely on a one-year deal. The Cubs could actually bring him back, but they gave him a $1 million buyout as part of his deal. Signing him for anything more than $5.5 million would actually hurt them.

Rea will likely land a deal in the one-year, $5 million range. No contender is going to sign him viewing him as a key part of their rotation, but he is a solid depth piece with the ability to start games if needed.

This article first appeared on Baseball Now and was syndicated with permission.

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