Chicago Cubs predicted to disappoint with business as usual offseason

If someone told you that a team would have to rebuild their entire starting rotation and a good part of their bullpen—in a single offseason—you’d be right to rule them out for any sort of run at the postseason.

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But the Chicago Cubs find themselves in that predicament while also being firmly in “win now” mode with a prime Peter Crow-Armstrong leading a team of veterans who are mainly post-prime, like Alex Bregman and Dansby Swanson.

To be frank, the Cubs’ pitching situation is horrible. Their entire end-of-season starting rotation could be gone via free agency over the offseason. What remains is just a pile-up of question marks. Cade Horton will miss much—if not all—of the 2027 season after Tommy John surgery. Justin Steele hasn’t pitched in almost two full years because of this own elbow surgery-related issues. Ben Brown’s future is in doubt after recurring neck issues put him on the shelf, again, in 2026. Then there was Edward Cabrera, who frustrated in his debut Cubs season with assorted injuries and general underachievement.

The bullpen, meanwhile, also boasts more doubt than security heading into the 2027 campaign, lacking the strong, consistent closer they just couldn’t find in 2026.

The Cubs’ biggest questions

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In a recent piece on the biggest questions facing eliminated MLB playoff teams the coming season, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers surprised nobody by declaring pitching to be the Cubs’ biggest concern. Specifically, he spotlighted Chicago’s bullpen:

“What does one make of a bullpen that was inconsistent? It’s a yearly debate under Jed Hoyer, who doesn’t like to spend big money on closers. The Cubs have paid for that decision at times — though in other moments they’ve developed some good relievers.”

In that same piece, though, Rogers predicted that the Cubs would spend some money on filling out the rotation. However, they also saw Jed Hoyer and the team still playing things conservatively when it comes to the bullpen:

“The Cubs probably will do what they usually do: spend some on their rotation, but not on the pen. They shelled out a few dollars for middle relievers in Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey last year and it didn’t work out, so unless they have an appetite for a big-time closer — they almost never do —it feels as if they’ll try to build their bullpen with minor additions and under-the-radar guys. Boyd might return, but Holmes, Imanaga and Gausman will test the market, opening up some slots in the rotation.”

A good time to turn a new leaf

That’s certainly a disappointing assessment of how the Cubs’ offseason will go, but it’s honestly not all that surprising.

Although the Cubs have shown themselves willing to bid on major bullpen assets, they’ve never graduated beyond “also ran” status. Actually, the same could be said when it comes to starting pitching, too.

This offseason would be a good time to ditch that reputation, though.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-offseason-prediction-pitching-bullpen-2027-hoyer/