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Dec. 2: Cubs reportedly active in bullpen market after landing Boyd
The Cubs and free-agent left hander Matthew Boyd reached an agreement on a two-year deal on Monday, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The deal is worth $29 million for two years, with $1 million in incentives. The Cubs have not confirmed the report.
Adding a starter was a priority for the Cubs this offseason, and the addition of Boyd does just that. Boyd will slot in behind Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon in the Cubs’ rotation, with Javier Assad, Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks and Hayden Wesneski among the options vying for the fifth spot.
The back end of the Cubs’ bullpen is unsettled at the moment, but the free-agent market is brimming with attractive relief options. Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman, Kirby Yates, Carlos Estévez, Clay Holmes, David Robertson and Kenley Jansen are among the many relievers available.
The club still has some flexibility for additional moves, as FanGraphs’ Roster Resource puts Chicago’s current payroll at $190 million, $38 million shy of its estimated end-of-season figure ($228 million). The Cubs can create even more space if they can manage to trade Cody Bellinger, who is reportedly being shopped.
Nov. 21: Cubs want to trade Bellinger (report)
Although outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger exercised his player option for 2025, it’s not a guarantee that he’ll be with the Cubs on Opening Day. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), rival executives say that the Cubs want to trade the 29-year-old.
Bellinger’s contract — he’s owed $27.5 million in 2025 and can earn $25 million in 2026 by picking up his player option — could limit the return for the Cubs. But if they are truly motivated to move him, they should be able to find a suitor.
Bellinger’s production regressed in 2024, but he still had a solid 111 OPS+. He has also proven capable of handling center field, a weak position in this year’s free-agent market.
Rosenthal mentions the Yankees as a possible fit for Bellinger if they aren’t able to re-sign Juan Soto, noting that the Bronx Bombers have shown interest in Bellinger in the past. Bellinger could potentially be a backup option for some of the other teams involved in the Soto sweepstakes as well.
Trading Bellinger would add more payroll flexibility for the Cubs to address their top priority this offseason, which is pitching. But while Chicago’s interest in adding a starter is clear, there have been conflicting reports about which arms the team might target.
On Wednesday, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman mentioned the Cubs among the teams in the mix to sign one of the aces currently available via free agency, including Corbin Burnes andMax Fried. However, The Athletic’s (subscription required) Sahadev Sharma reports that the Cubs have “ruled out” that tier of free-agent hurlers and could also stay away from other pitchers who declined a qualifying offer, including Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Nick Pivetta.
Sharma mentions a few possible options for the Cubs, including Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Flaherty.
Nov. 20: Cubs acquire Morgan and Thaiss, DFA Wisdom
The Cubs acquired reliever Eli Morgan from the Guardians in exchange for outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario (No. 21 on Pipeline’s Top 30 list for the Cubs) on Wednesday.
To clear room on the 40-man roster for their new acquisitions, Chicago designated Patrick Wisdom and Trey Wingenter for assignment.
