Chicago Cubs decline option on veteran pitcher
The Chicago Cubs have started the push to rebuild their pitching staff by cutting ties with one of their most useful utility arms of the last two seasons.
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According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the Cubs have declined their option on veteran right-hander Colin Rea. The team held a $7.5 million team option on the 36-year-old for the 2027 season. There was debate as to whether they would choose to exercise it, given the club’s desperate need for rotation arms. Instead, the team will pay Rea the $1 million buyout owed him and move on.
Per Rogers:
“The Cubs have declined their option on pitcher Colin Rea, per a source. He ranked second in innings pitched for them each of the last 2 years. Solid contributor until they added at the deadline in July, then didn’t see as much time on the mound. He’s a free agent now.”
Moving on from Colin Rea
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The move can—and will—be questioned ahead of a 2027 season where, at the moment, not a single starting rotation spot has been locked in.
Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman, and David Peterson—their entire end-of-season rotation—is heading off into free agency, unlikely to be brought back. Cade Horton will miss most—if not all—of 2027 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, the contributions of Justin Steele, Ben Brown, and Edward Cabrera are in question due to injury and/or inconsistency issues.
Rea was an unsung hero in 2025, his first season with the Cubs, as he stepped into a starter’s role out of injury-related necessity and delivered solid outings throughout the season. He finished that year with a, 11-7 record and a 3.95 ERA over 159.1 innings—143.1 of them as a starter. It was enough to earn him a second contract with the team.
He had a rougher go of things in 2026, but still managed 19 starts, with a 4.34 ERA over the course of 34 games and 137 innings.
As a still-respected swingman, Rea shouldn’t find a hard time getting another contract.
Some felt that the Cubs’ $7.5 million option for the coming season was a solid deal for someone like Rea with a proven record of consistent performance who could slide into a fifth starter role in a pinch. Chicago obviously didn’t feel that way.
More money off the books
Rea’s salary will now be dumped into the pot of available funds—a pot which, reportedly, already had in excess of $100 million.
Rumored Cubs free agent pitching targets range from Tarik Skubal to Sonny Gray and Michael King to some lower-end names. There has also been significant buzz regarding possible trades to bring in younger arms under team control.
Whatever the case, there’s some heavy lifting ahead for Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and the team in general as they look to field a completely rebuilt and replenished starting rotation the coming season.
The post Chicago Cubs decline option on veteran pitcher appeared first on ChiCitySports.
Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-decline-option-colin-rea-2027/
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