The Fallout and Reparation of the Chicago Cubs

In a season brimming with hope from the onset, the soaring Chicago Cubs were eventually sent tumbling back down to earth after losing to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. It was a memorable playoff run that fizzled out in game 5. They’ve since been dealing with the fallout. But Jed Hoyer plans to regroup in the offseason.

And pitching is the top priority. Shota Imanaga was offered a contract extension but he’ll probably test the market. Even before the likelihood of losing him, they were in urgent need. Now they’ve lost Andrew Kittredge back to the Orioles for cash considerations. And he wasn’t cheap, either. Nor was Taylor Rogers, both of whom Hoyer dealt quality up-and-comers for from the pipeline before the trade deadline.

King Tuck

Then there is the Kyle Tucker situation. Though he went power cold after the All-Star break, he wasn’t alone in having done so. Even with that, he still won the Silver Slugger award. Of course, the Cubs would be just giddy to keep him. But it remains another improbability. And with the surging Seiya Suzuki still under contract for another year, plus their number one prospect in Owen Caissie ready to pounce, Hoyer must be strongly considering not replacing Tucker at all.

With three returning 2025 Gold Glove winners in Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong—and the heroics of Michael Busch and Dansby Swanson, the Cubs are doing just fine defensively. They’ve also got some pop in their boom sticks to catch up with any failure in the hurler department.

The Nuclear Option

And that brings us full circle back to pitching. The Cubs at least need to find another couple of quality starters along with snagging a few solid relievers without launching all their missiles. Justin Steele was once their golden boy but has made early exits the last couple of years due to injury. They’re going to give him another go-round. Excluding any setbacks, he should finally be ready to go again by opening day.

They’ve lost a lot of their relievers. That list includes Drew Pomeranz, Brad Keller, and Caleb Thielbar to go along with the names already mentioned. It is not only a strong point of emphasis, but by far the most important one.