Now sounds like an excellent time to be a Chicago Cubs fan, even with the threat of Kyle Tucker leaving in free agency and the possibility of an impending work stoppage. Pete Crow-Armstrong is fresh off a 30-30 season, the Cubs just made the playoffs for the first time since 2020, and the All-Star Game is coming to Wrigley Field in 2027.
Yet, things feel, shall we say, incomplete in Chicago. The Cubs have been surprisingly quiet this winter, and not only because Tucker — an All-Star selection this past season — has been frequently linked to the Toronto Blue Jays. We’re yet to see the Cubs build off the momentum and make a splash move, and the baseball world as a whole should be extremely confused, to say the least.
Rob Manfred should want the Cubs to start getting busy this offseason
To be clear, none of this is to say that Major League Baseball should be begging the baseball overlords for the Cubs to win their first World Series title since 2016. At the same time, we should collectively want organizations like the Cubs that have the budget and have things seemingly trending upward to be aggressive, whether it’s by signing a free agent or making an impactful trade.
All of this sounds basic, right? Yet, we’re not seeing the Cubs follow what should be a simple offseason process to upgrade the roster and reiterate that they don’t view their 2025 NLDS appearance as an aberration. We’ve said it before, and we’ll repeat it: We never expect teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, or Miami Marlins to do anything noteworthy in free agency. The Washington Nationals are long removed from trying to win the offseason with a marquee signing, while teams like the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians only make moves that they feel are convenient.
For the Cubs, though, they should be keeping busy throughout the offseason. Rob Manfred awarded the Cubs an upcoming All-Star Game, and the Cubs are one of those teams that tend to always draw attention and eyeballs. Although they no longer have to worry about the pressures of breaking a 108-year title drought, the fact that the Cubs went over a century without a championship will follow them forever. When people mention the Cubs, the Curse of the Billy Goat immediately comes to mind. It doesn’t matter that they broke the streak!
So what can the Cubs do this offseason?
If the Cubs are skeptical that Tucker is going to return, then why not go out and find another bat, preferably a left-handed or switch-hitting slugger who can be the everyday DH? Ryan O’Hearn, who posted an .803 OPS and 2.4 bWAR over 144 games with the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres last season, makes sense. Eugenio Suárez mashed 49 home runs with an .824 OPS a year ago, though his 29.8% strikeout percentage is concerning.
Maybe the Cubs don’t want to go out and sign someone like Framber Valdez or Ranger Suárez to a contract exceeding $100 million. That’s fine. If that’s the case, then go after veteran starting pitcher Nick Martinez, who recorded a 3.83 ERA and 6.3 bWAR in his two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. Call up the Marlins about an Edward Cabrera or Sandy Alcantara trade. Do something!
Edward Cabrera, Vicious 96mph Turbo Changeup. 😤 pic.twitter.com/K6kRGzunkv
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 28, 2025
No one is asking the Cubs to start handing out a combined $450 million in free agent contracts, nor are we suggesting that they overhaul the entire roster. The Dodgers are the exception to the idea of buying your way to a championship. If a team like the Cubs isn’t going to make offseason moves, though, then why should other clubs bother? Suddenly, the thought of the league and the union reaching a middle ground on a salary cap or floor sounds increasingly more difficult — and unfortunately for Manfred, a work stoppage means less money coming in.
We know how this goes, though. The Cubs are going to shock us all by reuniting with Cody Bellinger, adding a reliable starting pitcher via trade, and announcing a new uniform set for 2026.