Cubs’ Perfect Free Agent Target Could Help Build A Dominant Starting Rotation

Chicago needs starting pitching, and for the most part, chose to ignore this need at the trade deadline due to the ridiculous price teams were asking for. More specifically, though, they need more swing and miss stuff in their starting rotation.

The San Diego Padres were one of those teams that kept their arms and wound up holding onto Cease in a contract year despite interest, and now the Cubs have the chance to get him without giving up a prospect haul in return.

Cease is coming off a rough season, at least on the surface level, but this could wind up working to the benefit of potential suitors as they try to land the former Cy Young candidate.

Cease Could Wind Up Signing For Less After Tough Year

Cease's 2025 season was a strange one, pitching to a 4.55 ERA and 1.327 with a bWAR of just 1.1, right after posting a very impressive bWAR figure of 4.2 in the 2024 season. The surface numbers don't tell the whole story, though, and the right-hander's stuff is as good as ever.

With 215 strikeouts in 168 innings, Cease led all qualified pitchers across baseball with 11.5 K's per nine innings, something Chicago was missing desperately in the rotation this season. The rising ERA and WHIP numbers, though, could result in the 29-year-old either signing for less over the long-term, or even a one-year prove-it deal, both things that Hoyer could and should be interested in.

On top of the swing and miss, Cease is among the most reliable pitchers in baseball, making him an even better fit for a Cubs team that dealt with a ton of injuries in the rotation this year

Cease Does Not Miss Starts

For the fifth season in a row, Cease has made a full slate of at least 32 starts. He is not the innings eater that some ace pitchers are, with a career high of 189.1 innings in a season, but he can be depended upon to go out there every fifth day and make his start, something Chicago could not count on this season.

Even just that for the Cubs would offer a rotation that is extremely depleted at times, an absolutely massive boost. And chances are the numbers on Cease will look a whole lot better next year.

While the exact kind of contract he's going to be looking for remains to be seen, Chicago should be very involved in the pursuit of Cease, and adding him would instantly change the outlook on next year's staff dramatically.