Edwin Diaz Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Cubs' Edwin Diaz Free Agency Pursuit Gets Bleak Update

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Nov 14, 2025 3:19 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs' front office has made it clear that their offseason priority is adding quality pitching, both in the starting rotation and in the bullpen.

There are plenty of options in both regards. While the starting pitcher free agency market doesn't have the same Cy Young-caliber arms as it did last year (when guys like Max Fried, Corbin Burnes, and Blake Snell were all available), multiple ace-caliber pitchers will get lucrative deals.

And there have even been reports about the Cubs' interest in several such arms, including former San Diego Padres pitchers Michael King and Dylan Cease.

However, the reliever marker is stocked with several of baseball's most electric arms and reliable closers, including former Phillies closer Robert Suarez, former Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, former Yankees relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, and longtime New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz.

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

While all of these guys are great, Diaz is the best of them all. He has arguably been the most consistent reliever for the past decade or so, and his stellar 1.63 ERA, 28 saves, and 91 strikeouts in 62 appearances (66.1 innings pitched) in 2025 prove that he's still at the top of his game.

Insider Pours Cold Water on Cubs' Potential Edwin Diaz Pursuit

There's no question that the Cubs would love having a guy like Edwin Diaz anchoring their bullpen for years to come. However, The Athletic's MLB insiders Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney shut down the idea of Diaz coming to Chicago in a November 14 article.

The article noted that Chicago understands it will need to offer the league's top closers more than one-year deals if they have any hope of signing one of them. However, that "doesn't mean" Jed Hoyer and the rest of the Cubs' brass will be willing to give Diaz a $100 million contract, which he's expected to command this winter.

Congratulations to Edwin Díaz on winning the Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year Award pic.twitter.com/Zsxw4GLFEc
— New York Mets (@Mets) November 14, 2025

Perhaps this shouldn't come as a surprise, given that the Cubs are not known for paying top dollar to any top free agents at any position. But this doesn't mean they'll come up empty-handed in acquiring an elite reliever, as no other closers are expected to come close to getting a nine-figure deal aside from Diaz.

Of course, Chicago still has Daniel Palencia, who did well in the closer's role for them in 2025. But adding one more quality bullpen piece could not hurt them as they look to make another deep postseason run in 2026.

This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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