The year isn’t ending well for Marquee Sports Network. Two months after Comcast bumped it up to its most-expensive programming tier, the network said Monday that it will operate without a general manager. Diane Penny is out as GM after joining the network in April 2024. Hired to accelerate Marquee’s digital transformation, her efforts failed to drive revenue, which led to significant cuts in the digital-content team. Director of content Tony Andracki and reporter Andy Martinez were among them. “In the interim, we will use Cubs and Sinclair resources to fill [Penny’s] role as we assess the future leadership needs of the network,” Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney told the Sun-Times. In place of Penny, a Villa Park native, Cubs chief commercial officer Colin Faulkner will oversee game coverage and production, all but erasing the line between the team and the network and putting the operation in the hands of a TV neophyte. Faulkner also will oversee marketing and talent. Marquee hasn’t decided what will become of its website. Marquee also is outsourcing its local sales operations to PlayFly, which represents Marquee and other RSNs in efforts to obtain national advertising. Brady Huston, who began overseeing the network’s sales and revenue in August, will continue in his role but will partner with PlayFly and work with Faulkner on sales. Andrew Schnell will continue to run Marquee’s app, and he’ll take on non-game content. Chief financial officer Robin Mulvaney will oversee technical operations. The team’s broadcast partner, Sinclair, played a key role in conceiving the cuts, which won’t affect any on-air talent. Sources say Sinclair has been paying close attention to how Marquee operates and spends, a precursor to the cuts. While holding back on spending for players, the deep-pocketed Cubs now are tightening the belt around Marquee. Though all RSNs are navigating the headwinds of a changing sports-media landscape, Marquee has significantly reduced the diverse programming it heralded at launch, scaling down to focus on game coverage. “We’re continuing to prioritize live game broadcasts as the primary content on the network,” Kenney said. Marquee’s next issue, beyond a potential work stoppage after next season, could be MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s desire to centralize teams’ media rights. But the Cubs and Sinclair have a long-term agreement that figures to make such an arrangement difficult.

An Edison Park deli has received an outpouring of support from the community, including from Cubs icon Anthony Rizzo, after an armed robbery in November. Rizzo, a former first baseman who retired from baseball this year and rejoined the Cubs as an ambassador, paid Tony's Italian Deli & Subs a surprise visit Nov. 23. Photos on social media show Rizzo posing with the deli’s staff and signing autographs. A video also shows him making a sandwich. “We were absolutely thrilled and completely surprised by a visit from [Rizzo],” the store said on social media. “What an amazing and genuine person. It stems from an amazing family. [Thank you] for this wonderful surprise and support!” Rizzo also showed his support for Tony's on social media, praising the neighborhood spot for supporting its community and asking his fans to visit. If you’re in Chicago, go check out @tonysdeli1. An amazing family led by Vito and Maria, who are always stepping up to support their community. Now it’s our turn to step up for them. https://t.co/U7WNOikVjG— Anthony Rizzo (@ARizzo44) November 23, 2025 “Now it’s our turn to step up for them,” he said. The visit came after an armed group broke into Tony’s on Nov. 15. Chicago police said three robbers targeted the shop just before 5:30 a.m. The store said on social media that an employee entered the store during the robbery and had a gun placed against his head by a robber. Surveillance video shared by Tony's shows the masked robbers breaking a glass front door and entering the store, before taking its cash registers. One robber can be seen slamming one of the registers on the sidewalk outside. Despite the robbery, Tony's opened for business that morning, and the Edison Park community showed up to support it. “We are overwhelmed by the amount of love and support our friends & family and our amazing staff, not to mention our wonderful [Edison Park] community, [have] given us,” the store said on social media after the incident. “You all have rallied behind us and we are so grateful.” Related * Cubs star Anthony Rizzo calls for change after mass shooting at alma mater * Cubs honor legacy of 2016 hero Anthony Rizzo, who celebrates retirement by almost catching homer Rizzo spent nearly 10 of his 14 major-league seasons with the Cubs, including as a core member of the 2016 World Series champion team. A cancer survivor, he founded the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation in 2012 to benefit cancer research and families affected by the disease.

Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins admits that he was the “low guy” on right-handed pitcher Cade Horton when the team was preparing for the 2022 MLB Draft. That wasn’t a knock on Horton himself, or his standout performance in the College World Series. It was more of a question of sample size. Horton was less than a year and a half removed from Tommy John surgery. He played mostly third base his redshirt freshman year at Oklahoma as he worked back from the injury and had a 7.92 ERA heading into the Big 12 tournament. From then on, however, through a CWS finals record-setting 13-strikeout appearance, he didn’t allow more than two runs in a start. The Cubs had to grapple with the question, to paraphrase Hawkins, how much do elite performances in elite competitive environments predict future performance? “I think that's a really interesting question that we’ll continue to look at,” Hawkins said during the general managers meetings in Las Vegas earlier this month. “But Cade is an example of someone who had elite performance in an elite competitive environment that continued to perform at an elite level once he got to pro ball, that’s for sure.” Horton’s emergence this year as not just a strong rotation piece but arguably MLB’s best starting pitcher in the second half of the season (1.03 ERA) was an organizational victory. But the process that brought him into the organization, through the farm system, and to the majors hasn’t produced a boom of young pitching for the Cubs. Of the Cubs’ top 15 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, only three are pitchers: No. 3 Jackson Wiggins, No. 9 Brandon Birdsell and No. 13 Kaleb Wing. While Wiggins got a brief taste of Triple-A at the end of the minor-league season, Birdsell had elbow surgery in September to repair his ulnar collateral ligament with an internal brace, and 18-year-old Wing is at the beginning of his pro-ball journey after being selected in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. There isn’t another Horton waiting in the wings to immediately help the rotation, which makes it all the more important for the Cubs to be aggressive on the starting pitching market this offseason. Adding starting pitching has long been on the Cubs’ to-do list. Even after the Cubs signed left-hander Matthew Boyd to a two-year contract last offseason, they were surveying their options to continue to bolster the rotation. As it played out, the opportunity to improve the team presented itself on the offensive side instead. The Cubs traded for right fielder Kyle Tucker, and they even took a swing (and missed) on Alex Bregman. By the time the trade deadline rolled around – and after a series of injuries to the starting rotation, including Justin Steeele’s season-ending elbow surgery – the need for frontline starting pitching was even more glaring. The price, however, was high. So high that the frontline starters with multiple years of control didn’t change hands. And the Cubs’ acquisition of right-hander Michael Soroka, who the Cubs saw more as a swingman even before he hurt his shoulder in his first post-trade start, was the closest they came to adding to the rotation. Fast forward to this offseason, and the stars are aligned. Not only are the Cubs on the hunt for pitching in all areas, but they see it as the most obvious opportunity for improvement – after some internal offensive strides, another year of development for their position-player prospects, and a high replacement-level bar to clear at most positions. “I expect to explore trades,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said during the GM meetings. “I expect to explore free agency, both at the top of the market, but then also looking at minor-league free agency.” Those minor-league free agents will help fill out the bullpen, both right out of spring training and throughout the season. But it just wasn’t clear until this week how the starting pitching market would play out in the aftermath of this past trade deadline. “The trade deadline is a snapshot,” said Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, who led the Cubs’ pitching department before he took the helm in Boston. “My guess is, from having some conversations, some teams are continuing down the path that they started to to chart at the trade deadline. Others will reevaluate and say, based on play in the second half, or based on resources available, based on the emergence of some guys that they didn't think were going to contribute to the extent that they did, they're in a different position now. So you kind of have to refresh and recalibrate.” Breslow reiterated the Reds Sox’ intention to aggressively pursue starting pitching. And on Tuesday, they traded for veteran right-hander Sonny Gray, sending right-hander Richard Fitts and the team’s No. 5 prospect left-hander Brandon Clarke to the Cardinals in the deal. On Wednesday, the Blue Jays made a statement in free agency, reportedly signing right-hander Dylan Cease to a seven-year contract worth $210 million. The starting pitching market is churning early. Your move, Cubs.

The Cubs made right-handed reliever Phil Maton’s signing official on Tuesday, announcing they’d agreed to terms on a two-year deal with a club option for 2028. The contract guarantees Maton $14.5 million, sources confirmed. Considering the number of bullpen spots the Cubs have to fill, it made sense for them to strike early on the reliever market. By signing Maton to a multi-year deal, they broke from their usual bullpen-building approach of cobbling together one-year and minor-league signings, along with small trades. The Cubs will still fill out a majority of their bullpen using that familiar formula. But Maton’s durability over a nine-year career and improvement last season made the 32-year-old an intriguing candidate for a longer commitment. En route to posting the best ERA of his career last season (2.79), with the Cardinals and Rangers, Maton improved his strikeout rate to 32.5%. That mark, the best of his career other than the shortened 2020 season, put him in the top five percent of pitchers in that category, according to Statcast. At the same time, Maton continued to thrive on soft contact. Maton’s success relies on spin and deception, which don’t tend to regress the same way that velocity does as pitchers age. Maton’s signing, and left-handed starter Shota Imanaga’s acceptance of the qualifying offer, kicked off a Cubs offseason that will continue to focus on pitching.

Always put transit first. Push for connection, not isolation. And above all, be patient. Those were a few of the guiding principles on how to approach stadium development in the Chicago Architecture Center’s newest report, “Win/Win: The New Game Plan for Urban Stadiums,” released this month. The center assembled a working group comprised of business executives, civic leaders, urban planners, architects and others to study the bids for new, or expanded, stadiums by the Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Fire and White Sox. They also spent three months studying stadium developments across the U.S. to see what worked and what failed. And the group found the best model was in Chicago — Wrigley Field and Lake View. "Instead of treating stadiums as standalone facilities requiring public support, we propose thinking about them as anchors for thriving neighborhoods," Chicago Architecture Center president and CEO Eleanor Gorski said in the report. It's an idea the report dubs The Chicago Model, defined as "teams we love, playing in stadiums we love, anchoring communities we love." The crux of the Chicago Model is a stadium district that creates a bustling neighborhood throughout the year — not just on game days or when sports teams are in season. “If [the stadium] is programmed the right way, it can actually be a real win for everybody,” Michael Wood, the CAC’s director of civic and industry affairs, said. “A big finding for us, too, is understanding that the best sports facilities will also leave room for things that have nothing to do with sports. You really want something for everyone.” The model is made up of six design principles: walkability, a push for greater density, planning transit access at the start of a development, connecting stadiums to the neighborhood, keeping public spaces open and accessible and having patience for future development to grow out of stadium districts. Wood said the principles are like a compass and should guide future development, given that not every stadium site will perfectly fit the guidelines. Some, like Rate Field, are “stadium islands” surrounded by parking, while others like Soldier Field are more limited by their surroundings. The working group evaluated five sites across Chicago that are either proposed or slated for new development — Rate Field, Soldier Field, The 78, the United Center and the former Michael Reese Hospital site. Wood said there was no clear winner that completely met the Chicago Model because each site has its own challenges, in addition to potential growth. A rendering shows the proposed $7 billion mixed-use development that would surround the United Center. Provided by RIOS “The most attractive stadium for us is going to be one that has the most heterogeneous mix [of] ownership, of types of people living nearby, types of businesses making a living off of a team, or a team making a ... great neighborhood off of what private enterprise is doing," Wood said. "We kind of left more with the idea about coordination and city building as the real true north in this situation, and not so much about a perfect recipe for each location.” The Chicago Fire plans to build a $650 million privately-funded soccer stadium at The 78, a long vacant lot in the South Loop. The 22,000-seat stadium is being bankrolled by its billionaire owner Joe Mansueto. The Chicago City Council approved the proposal in September. Also approved this year was the 1901 Project, the United Center owners’ plans to create an entertainment-rich district around the Bulls' and Blackhawks’ home. Phase One will include a new music venue and public green space, with later phases adding residential and commercial uses. The two proposals include some of the multiuse components the CAC report argues are necessary for a successful stadium district. Scott Goodman, principal of Farpoint Development, made public in March his vision to build a Bronzeville stadium for the Bears and an adjacent mixed-use development. At the time, Goodman acknowledged he hadn't met with the team or finalized financing for the $3.2 billion project, but it was a Hail Mary attempt to keep the Bears in Chicago as they eye a move to Arlington Heights. The architecture center’s study called the Bronzeville lakefront site a “sleeping giant” that could use an anchor institution to kickstart surrounding development. It said the anchor could be an entertainment venue or training facility — not just a potential stadium. An artist’s rendering of a proposed Chicago Bears stadium at the former Michael Reese Hospital site in Bronzeville. Provided by Farpoint Development Wood pointed to women’s professional sports teams, which are fast-growing and often want to be in control of their own facilities. Those stadiums are sometimes smaller and could more easily fit on the 48.6-acre Bronzeville site than a new football stadium. “The value of sports as an attractor is so high that we should be investing in coordinating around them — particularly around emerging sports, where these are teams that are trying to plant their flag,” Wood said. The study acknowledges that Soldier Field isn’t the best fit for the Chicago Model, but argues public access issues to the stadium will exist whether the Bears stay or leave. The study proposes pedestrian bridges over DuSable Lake Shore Drive and further development near the 18th Street Metra station to help connect the stadium to the surrounding area and improve public access. There’s similar opportunities at Rate Field to better connect the White Sox stadium to Bridgeport, Wood said. “When the [parking] lease comes due in the next few years, there's a chance to rethink the entire idea — hopefully with the White Sox involved,” Wood said. “We should look at it with a different set of lens, and say, ‘That's prime real estate that's really well serviced by transit, and we should do something with it.’ In terms of the six Chicago Model principles, there's nothing that couldn't happen at Rate Field.” One of the biggest takeaways from other cities and their stadium development efforts was the high level of coordination across public and private sectors. It’s something that makes development stronger, Wood said. “Thoughtful development is happening everywhere. It's not just a Chicago thing, but there's no reason it can't happen in Chicago,” he said. “What we found most exciting was that leaning into coordination changes the calculus from stadium development to neighborhood development, and that's what the win is for Chicagoans.”

The Cubs have begun rebuilding their bullpen. They are in agreement with right-handed reliever Phil Maton on a two-year contract with a third-year club option, according to multiple reports. Further terms of the deal were not immediately clear. The Cubs don’t often commit multi-year contracts to relievers. The pact reflects how highly they think of the 32-year-old. Maton is set to the Cubs with nine years of major-league experience under his belt, spanning seven different organizations. Last season he posted a 2.35 ERA with the Cardinals before they sent him to the Rangers at the trade deadline for a pair of minor-league pitchers and international draft pool money. In Texas, Maton improved his strikeout rate from an already strong 30.4% pre-trade, to 36.7% in the last two months of the season. And though his ERA (3.52) was higher with the Rangers, he held opponents to a .179 batting average. Maton finished the season with a career-best 2.79 ERA. Maton doesn’t throw particularly hard – his cutter, averaging 90.6 mph, is his highest-velocity pitch – but he mixes a four-pitch arsenal to keep hitters off balance. The Cubs are starting almost from scratch with their bullpen. Young right-handers Daniel Palencia (52 ⅔ innings) and Porter Hodge (33 innings) are the only returning full-time relievers who threw at least 15 innings for the Cubs last season. Neither spent the entire year in the majors, but Palencia served as the closer for much of the year, and Hodge had a stint in that role as well.

The Cubs tendered contracts to half their arbitration-eligible players before the deadline Friday, promising deals to left-hander Justin Steele and right-hander Javier Assad for 2026. They non-tendered catcher Reese McGuire and reliever Eli Morgan, making them free agents. All four decisions were predictable. Steele and Assad both missed large chunks of last season due to injury, but they showed continued promise when they were on the mound. Steele is on track to return from his April elbow surgery early next season. And when he does so, he’s expected to be a headlining member of the Cubs’ rotation. Assad didn’t make his 2025 season debut until mid-August, due to consecutive oblique strains. But he posted a 3.65 ERA in eight appearances and has proven capable in both a starting and relief role. Next, the Cubs have to agree to terms with Steele and Assad before the January deadline, or else swap figures for a later arbitration hearing. Though McGuire’s free agency was expected – he was the third string backstop behind Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly – his performance for the Cubs last season put him on the radar for teams looking to improve their depth at catcher. Filling in for an injured Amaya for much of the year, after initially joining the club as a non-roster invitee last spring, McGuire hit nine home runs and recorded a .688 OPS in 44 major-league appearances. Morgan, who the Cubs acquired a year ago from the Guardians, allowed 10 runs in seven major-league relief outings. He landed on the IL in April with an inflamed ulnar nerve in his right elbow. He didn’t pitch again in the majors the rest of the year.

The Cubs aren’t likely to replace right fielder Kyle Tucker’s offensive production this offseason, barring a surprise reunion with the belle of this year’s free agent class. The options are few, and the price is high — either monetarily for free agent signings, or in young talent for trade acquisitions. That’s where growth from their position-playing prospects becomes important. To be sure, there have already been surprises this offseason. A record four players across MLB accepted qualifying offers this past week – Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga, Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff, Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham and Tigers infielder Gleyber Torres. Tucker rejected the qualifying offer, as expected. Those decisions could be a reflection of the free agent market, but they could also affect it. And it’s yet to be determined how much of an impact the expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement, which runs through 2026, will have on this offseason. Regardless of all that uncertainty, it’s clear that the Cubs feel comfortable with a scenario where, if Tucker signs with another team, they lean on their young offensive talent and upgrade their pitching, making up for the loss in run production by improving their run prevention. “It's a really good position player group,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said last week at general managers meetings in Las Vegas. “We play really good defense, we have a good offense. Obviously Kyle was a big part of that, but I do think that we have a very capable position play group, a playoff-worthy group.” That isn’t to gloss over the fact that the Cubs offense went from one of the best in baseball in the first half, when Tucker was swinging a hot bat, to middling in the second half, as Tucker slumped and then was sidelined by a calf injury. He wasn’t the only hitter who struggled in the second half. But when he was hitting well, his presence in the lineup had a compounding effect. The Cubs’ comfort with the offense as it stands can in part be attributed to the strides taken by lineup regulars like center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, second baseman Nico Hoerner and first baseman Michael Busch. It is also made possible by the emergence of catching prospect Moisés Ballesteros as a major-league-ready hitter, as well as the experience gained by outfield prospects Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcántara last season. Those three could play a role in covering for Tucker’s absence. Ballesteros The designated hitter spot could open up if Seiya Suzuki moves back to right field. And DH is a role Ballesteros settled into well last year. Over-anxious in his first major-league stint, Ballesteros hit the ball on the ground often and recorded three hits in five games. But he carried those lessons with him, the next time he was up in the big-leagues for multiple games, he hit .333 (13-for-39) with two home runs, a triple and a double. With the 22-year-old’s offensive development clearly ahead of his defense, Ballesteros didn’t appear behind the plate until the last game of the season, which had no bearing on the standings. “Offensively, he's a special bat,” Hoyer said. “He can do a lot of great things offensively already, we saw that. But yes, we do view him as a catcher, and you want him to continue to develop. It's hard to develop catching in the big leagues when you're trying to win. So we do have to balance those things out and think about it.” Caissie Caissie made his major-league debut in mid-August and recorded five hits in 24 at-bats before, with his playing time waning, the Cubs optioned him back to Triple-A. His next shot came in mid-September, with Tucker on the IL. But in Caissie’s first game back, he hit his head on the outfield wall while making a catch in right-center field. He finished the season on the concussion list. “I just feel bad for him,” Hoyer said. “He had a real opportunity to play right there with Kyle out. He was going to play every day against righties, and the concussion obviously really hurt that. And it was just really bad timing, because I think all of us wanted to watch him play for 10, 12 days … and we just didn't get that chance.” Alcántara Of the three, Alcántara was the first to debut, logging 10 major-league at-bats late last September. He provides a defensive option in center field, behind Crow-Armstrong, and speed on the bases. Offensively, however, he appeared to sit lower on the depth chart than Ballesteros or Caissie last season. He logged 11 at-bats, tallying four hits.

ESPN and Major League Baseball appeared headed for an ugly separation after the network opted out of its rights deal in February. Nine months later, it appears to be the best thing to happen to both parties. ESPN has a reworked deal that includes out-of-market streaming rights while NBC and Netflix will air games as part of a new three-year media rights agreement announced by MLB on Wednesday. Commissioner Rob Manfred also was able to maximize rights for the Home Run Derby and wild card series. NBC/Peacock will become the new home of "Sunday Night Baseball" and the wild card round while Netflix will have the Home Run Derby and two additional games. The three deals will average nearly $800 million per year. ESPN will still pay $550 million while the NBC deal is worth $200 million and Netflix $50 million. How ESPN benefits ESPN, which has carried baseball since 1990, loses postseason games and the Home Run Derby, but gains something more valuable for its bottom line by becoming the rights holder for MLB.TV, which will be available on the ESPN app. ESPN also gets the in-market streaming rights for the six teams whose games are produced by MLB — San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, Cleveland, Minnesota and Seattle. Even though ESPN no longer has "Sunday Night Baseball," it will have 30 games, primarily on weeknights and in the summer months. Baseball is the second league that has its out-of-market digital package available in the U.S. on ESPN's platform. The NHL moved its package to ESPN in 2021. Welcome back NBC NBC, which celebrates its 100th anniversary next year, has a long history with baseball, albeit not much recently. The network carried games from 1939 through 1989. It was part of the short-lived Baseball Network with ABC in 1994 and '95 and then aired playoff games from 1996 through 2000. Its first game will be on March 26 when the defending two-time champion Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 25 Sunday night games will air mostly on NBC with the rest on the new NBC Sports Network. All will stream on Peacock. The first "Sunday Night Baseball" game on NBC will be April 12 with the next one in May after the NBA playoffs. The addition of baseball games gives NBC a year-round night of sports on Sunday nights. It has had NFL games on Sunday night since 2006 and will debut an NBA Sunday night slate in February. NBC will also have a prime-time game on Labor Day night. The Sunday early-afternoon games also return to Peacock, which had them in 2022 and '23. The early-afternoon games will lead into a studio Whip-Around Show before the Sunday night game. NBC/Peacock will also do the Major League Futures game during All-Star week and coverage of the first round of the MLB amateur draft. Netflix and baseball Netflix's baseball deals are in alignment with its strategy of going for big events in a major sport. The streamer will have an NFL Christmas doubleheader this season for the second straight year. Besides the Home Run Derby, Netflix will have the first game of the season on March 25 when three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees visit the San Francisco Giants. It also has the Home Run Derby and MLB at Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, on Aug. 13 when Minnesota faces Philadelphia. Netflix will stream an MLB special event game each year. Don’t forget the others The negotiations around the other deals were complicated due to the fact that MLB was also trying not to slight two of its other rights holders. MLB receives an average of $729 million from Fox and $470 million from Turner Sports per year under deals which expire after the 2028 season. Fox's Saturday nights have been mainly sports the past couple years with a mix of baseball, college football, college basketball and motorsports. Apple TV has had "Friday Night Baseball" since 2022. The deals also set up Manfred for future negotiations. He would like to see MLB take a more national approach to its rights instead of a large percentage of its games being on regional sports networks.

Left-hander Shota Imanaga will be returning to the Cubs after accepting the $22.025 million qualifying offer for 2026, sources confirmed Tuesday. Imanaga was one of four players who accepted the qualifying offer before Tuesday's deadline, according to multiple reports, joining Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham, Tigers infielder Gleyber Torres and Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff. Source confirmed Shota Imanaga is accepting the qualifying offer ($22.025 M) to return to the Cubs for 2026, as @PJ_Mooney first reported.— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) November 18, 2025 Imanaga’s return helps address some of the Cubs’ pitching concerns this offseason. And though the contract is just one year, it’s at a higher average annual value than the three-year player option that the Cubs declined. Early signs at the GM meetings last week indicated that Imanaga might continue to test the market, boasting a strong body of work over two seasons in MLB. But by accepting, he extended his time in Chicago, where he quickly became a fan and clubhouse favorite, and gave himself a chance to hit free agency next year with what could be a stronger platform year. Imanaga far surpassed expectations in his 2024 rookie season (15-3, 2.91 ERA), when he earned a no-brainer All-Star selection and finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting. He still showed flashes of that dominance in 2025 (9-8, 3.73 ERA). But Imanaga sustained the first lower-body muscle injury of his career, and a loss of strength and flexibility because of that hamstring strain is believed to have contributed to his struggles down the stretch. Related * Cubs president Jed Hoyer discusses Shota Imanaga option decisions and future The Cubs also extended the qualifying offer to right fielder Kyle Tucker. But he was always expected to decline and remain arguably the top free agent in this year’s class. If he signs with a different team, the Cubs will qualify for draft compensation. Tucker’s age (28 years old), tools, and reputation after four straight All-Star seasons will make him popular among teams looking to upgrade their lineups. In his one season with the Cubs, he posted a .841 OPS and was a silver slugger, boosted by a red-hot first half at the plate. The Cubs met with Tucker’s agent at the GM meetings last week, but the team's focus this offseason will lean toward pitching. Bringing back Imanaga was the first step, but they still need to rebuild the bullpen and, ideally, also bolster their rotation with a frontline addition.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp are among 12 newcomers on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released Monday, and Carlos Beltrán heads 15 holdovers after falling 19 votes shy in 2025 balloting. Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy and Rick Porcello also are among the first-time eligibles, joined by Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnación, Gio González, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis and Hunter Pence. Beltrán received 277 of 394 votes for 70.3% in the 2025 balloting, when Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected. A nine-time All-Star, Beltrán hit .279 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBIs over 20 seasons with Kansas City (1999-2004), Houston (2004, '17), the New York Mets (2005-11), San Francisco (2011), St. Louis (2012-13), the New York Yankees (20014-16) and Texas (2016). He received 46.5% support in his first ballot appearance in 2023, then rose to 57.1% in his second. Beltrán was the only player cited by name in MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's 2020 report concluding the Astros used electronics in violation of rules to steal signs during Houston's run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season. Three days after the report was issued, the New York Mets said Beltrán was out as their manager, just 2½ months after he was hired. Other holdovers include steroids-tainted stars Alex Rodriguez (146 votes, 37.1%) and Manny Ramirez (135, 34.3%) along with Andruw Jones (261, 66.2%), Chase Utley (157, 39.8%), Andy Pettitte (110, 27.9%), Félix Hernández (81, 20.6%), Bobby Abreu (77, 19.5%), Jimmy Rollins (71, 18%), Omar Vizquel (70, 17.8%), Dustin Pedroia (47, 11.9%), Mark Buehrle (45, 11.4%), Francisco Rodríguez (40, 10.2%), David Wright (32, 8.1%) and Torii Hunter (20, 5.1%). Pettitte is on the ballot for the eighth time after doubling support from 13.5% in 2024. A player can appear on the ballot up to 10 times. BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of membership are eligible to vote. Ballots must be postmarked by Dec. 31 and results will be announced Jan. 20. Anyone elected will be inducted on July 26 along with anyone chosen Dec. 7 by the hall's contemporary baseball era committee ballot considering eight players whose greatest contributions to the sport were from 1980 on. Hamels, a four-time All-Star, was 163-122 with a 3.43 ERA for Philadelphia (2006-15), Texas (2015-18), the Cubs (2018-19) and Atlanta (2020), pitching a no-hitter from the Phillies against the Cubs on July 25, 2015. He was MVP of the 2008 NL Championship Series and World Series as Philadelphia won its second title, its first since 1980. Braun, the 2011 MVP and a six-time All-Star, hit .296 with 352 homers and 1,154 RBIs for Milwaukee from 2007-20. He was suspended for the final 65 games of the 2013 season for violations of baseball's drug program and labor contract. A 50-game suspension for an alleged positive test in 2011 was overturned after Braun challenged the chain of custody of the urine sample. Kemp, a three-time All-Star, batted .284 with 287 homers and 1,031 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006-14, '18), San Diego (2015-16), Atlanta (2016-17), Cincinnati (2019) and Colorado (2020). Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy are being considered by the contemporary era committee along with Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.

Former Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks has officially announced his retirement after a 12-year career, 11 of which were spent in Chicago, including his pivotal role in the team's Game 7 World Series win in 2016.

Despite the number of key Cubs players who will be in walk years in 2026, the team’s situation isn’t comparable to 2021 — when the Cubs couldn’t come to terms with any of their core players facing free agency at the end of the year and then sold off at the trade deadline. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer made clear at MLB’s general managers meetings in Las Vegas this week that the team will be “active” this offseason. And even if the Cubs' plans to build off this year’s playoff appearance go awry, they aren’t in danger of undergoing the kind of full-scale rebuild that they initiated four and a half years ago. “We had higher goals [in 2025],” Hoyer said Wednesday of the Cubs’ National League Division Series exit. “... You try to figure out, what are the best ways to fill our holes, what are the best ways to add depth in the most intelligent way possible?” That process will take the whole picture, both this year and beyond, into consideration. Right fielder Seiya Suzuki, left fielder Ian Happ, second baseman Nico Hoerner and right-hander Jameson Taillon’s contracts are up after the 2026 season, barring extensions. Left-hander Mattthew Boyd and catcher Carson Kelly could also be facing free agency if their 2027 mutual options aren’t picked up. Some of that alignment was by design. The Cubs kept the end of the 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement in mind while structuring recent multi-year deals. “Anytime you get towards the end of a CBA, it becomes a source of conversation,” Hoyer said this week. “I don't know yet how much it's going to impact [the offseason markets]. I don't think anyone here does. It could have an impact, it could have no impact. It’ll be something people think about because you have to.” Uncertainty was the theme of baseball operations officials’ comments this week about the expiring CBA. Debate over a potential salary cap, which the players have long fought against, will likely be the main point of contention in what’s expected to be a tense bargaining period. The industry is bracing for another work stoppage after the CBA expires next winter. It’s so far unclear whether anxiety over an uncertain future landscape will affect the kinds of deals teams are willing to offer or players are willing to accept. Either way, the Cubs are looking to lay a foundation that won’t completely crumble regardless of how the tumult plays out. It's a tough needle to try to thread, and there isn't a guarantee that they'll do it successfully. But this also isn't 2021; the differences boil down to timing, player development and financial picture. The Cubs are in a much different point in their competitive window than they were going into 2021. They just successfully ended a four-year playoff drought, whereas the 2021 campaign was about trying to get what they could out of the 2016 World Series core. In contrast to 2021, the Cubs also have a strong group of contributors who haven’t even reached arbitration yet. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who on Thursday officially joined Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, finished ninth in NL MVP voting and was named to the All-MLB second team. Michael Busch and Matt Shaw, holding down the corner infield spots, quickly established themselves as everyday-caliber players. Right-hander Cade Horton carried the rotation in the second half. Right-hander Daniel Palencia served as the closer for much of last season. If catcher Miguel Amaya can stay healthy, he’s shown a readiness to be the primary backstop. “We feel better about our draft process, we feel better about our pro acquisition process,” general manager Carter Hawkins said this week. “We continue to feel better and good about our development process. And so the idea is, you're building that up to where you're continually getting new guys coming up and impacting the major leagues.” Not to mention, veteran shortstop Dansby Swanson is under contract through 2029. The Cubs are also expected to engage several players in extension conversations. And position-player prospects Moisés Ballesteros, Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcántara have all gotten their first tastes of the big-leagues and are ready to build off that experience. Back in 2021, the pandemic had shifted the industry’s financial landscape. And when the Cubs traded Yu Darvish to the Padres before the season, it foreshadowed moves to come. Hoyer has declined to comment on the Cubs’ budget this offseason, not even revealing whether it would expand from last year’s. But if chairman Tom Ricketts' regular insistence that the previous year’s revenue determines the baseball budget holds true, the Cubs’ 2025 playoff revenue could give them more financial flexibility. “I don't look at it as a cause for concern,” Hoyer said of the team’s clean books after 2026. “I try to look at as an opportunity, that we have available dollars in the future that we haven't committed yet, and we just need to continue to commit those dollars wisely as we do commit them.”

LAS VEGAS – Leading up to the GM Meeting this week, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and chairman Tom Ricketts met multiple times to nail down the team’s offseason budget. “We're not at a final number yet,” Hoyer said Tuesday, “but I've got a good sense of where we'll be.” Hoyer, of course, didn’t share that range, wanting to maintain the competitive advantage of secrecy while negotiating with other teams and player agents. He declined to reveal whether it would be more substantial than last season, when the large-market Cubs went into domestic opening day with the No. 12 payroll in MLB, according to the Associated Press. “We’re going to have an active offseason,” Hoyer said. “Take that for what it's worth.” What exactly does that mean? The Cubs are certainly going to prioritize pitching this offseason. And they’re expected to again lean on short-term and minor-league deals — both before and during the season — as well as smaller trades to flesh out the majority of their bullpen. That cost-effective approach carries risk, but the Cubs also claimed major victories with their acquisitions of relievers like Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz last year. On the starting pitching side, left-hander Shota Imanaga’s decision on the qualifying offer will affect the depth of the team’s needs. “One of my favorite things to talk about in the office with guys is, a win, is a win, is a win,” general manager Carter Hawkins said, referring to solving for WAR (wins above replacement). “So, an offensive win is the same as a defensive win, is the same as a pitching win. But if you look at our current lineup right, our current depth chart, where are we most likely to be able to improve, where are we most likely to be able to clear a replacement level? It's going to be on the pitching side. That's where the most opportunity is.” So, where does that leave the offense? Right fielder Kyle Tucker tops this free agent class after one season with the Cubs. He posted an eye-popping .931 OPS and .395 OBP through the end of June, before slumping for much of July and August, and being sidelined by a calf injury for most of September. Hoyer reiterated this week that the Cubs offense was at its best when Tucker was at his best “When you have a great player that's getting on base in that clip and driving and runs, I think it makes a huge difference,” Hoyer said. “So that's something that we've noted.” The Cubs made clear to Tucker that they would love to bring him back, if they could find a deal that worked for both parties. And they plan to remain in contact with his agent, Casey Close of Excel Sports Management. The early industry expectation, however, is that the Cubs will likely be priced out of Tucker’s market. The Cubs would then be left to find a way to replace Tucker’s production. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a major hitting acquisition. They may instead rely on internal improvement, from their young hitters especially, and offset the offensive loss with pitching gains. “We're going to look at everything,” Hoyer said. “... Certainly we can look to get better offensively. But I feel like from an offensive standpoint, we could kind of play a game tomorrow if we needed to, we have players at every position. … And so, will we look to move things around, will we look to add? Of course. But the level of urgency is not nearly as high as on the pitching side.” The Cubs’ trade for Tucker last offseason was the most aggressive of Hoyer’s tenure as president. But the team, after missing the playoffs in what was supposed to be a competitive 2024 season, also saw a unique opportunity. “We felt like we needed a boost to get our team to the type of competitive level that we were last year,” Hawkins said. “It was obviously a lot of really good talent that went the other way in that deal. But it helped accomplish, along with a lot of other really good things, a really solid season for the Cubs. And from that perspective, it was a success.” The Cubs believe they have enough young position-player depth to both play some prospects at the major-league level and feel comfortable parting with some in trades. But they’ll also be wary of gouging their developing talent too deeply in potential trades, as was evident at the trade deadline. Said Hawkins: “Hopefully we're at a place where we don't feel like we need that boost as we continue to build the type of organization that we want to have."

LAS VEGAS – By next Tuesday, the Cubs will know whether left-hander Shota Imanaga is accepting the qualifying offer ($22.025 million) to re-sign with the team for 2026. If he accepts, the Cubs have clarity on their starting pitching needs for this offseason. If he declines, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Tuesday that the Cubs were open to further negotiation. “We obviously value Shota a ton,” Hoyer said Tuesday, when asked about declining Imanaga’s three-year club option worth shy of $58 million. “He was amazing for us as a pitcher, as a teammate, and I don't want to close that door completely, by any stretch. But ultimately, we didn't think that the club option was the right value. He didn't think that the player option was the right value. And that happens.” Hoyer addressed the media Tuesday at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas for the first time since his end-of-season press conference last month. He spoke about the moves the Cubs had already made – declining Imanaga’s club option, trading veteran reliever Andrew Kittredge, re-signing Colin Rea. And he expounded on Cubs’ biggest offseason priority: pitching. “That’s obvious (when you) look at our depth chart,” “We're in pretty good position on the position player inside. On the pitching side, we're thinner. And so I think that's going to be our focus. And I expect to explore trades. I expect to explore free agency, both at the top of the market, but then also looking at minor-league free agency.” As an example, Hoyer pointed to last year, when the Cubs both signed left-hander Matthew to a two-year contract worth $29 million, and added right-handed reliever Brad Keller to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. Both were integral to the Cubs’ success. Imanaga’s decision on the qualifying offer, however, will come down before the trade and free-agent markets pick up this offseason. Hoyer said he wasn’t worried about the rejected club and player options causing friction in future discussions. “Our decision doesn't reflect at all our feelings about Shota,” he said. “I don't think his decision reflects how he feels about the team. Both sides are trying to make the best decision for them, and we'll continue to have dialog.” Taken as a whole, Imanga’s performance in the first two years of his contract was, in Hoyer’s words, “exceptional.” This past season, a left hamstring strain presented an unfamiliar challenge for Imanaga, who said it was his first time dealing with a lower-body muscle injury. His velocity was down when he came back from the injured list, which was understandable considering it was an injury to his drive leg. Imanaga’s four-seam fastball quickly regained velocity, but it didn’t quite fully rebound to the 91.7 mph that the pitch averaged in 2024, according to Statcast, sitting around 91 mph in August and September. Though Imanaga isn’t a flame-thrower by any means, maintaining velocity helps him create separation between his four-seam fastball and sinker. Even during the season the Cubs were developing an offseason plan for Imanaga to regain some of the lower-body strength and flexibility that wasn’t realistic to build back while pitching every five or six days. Imanaga is still expected to target those areas this offseason, regardless of whether he returns to the Cubs or not, and he’s expected to bounce back to pre-injury form. But the dip in velocity and increase in home runs off his fastball late in the season (eight in September), could raise discussions about long-term sustainability. On the flip side, Imanaga still had stretches of dominance as he posted a 3.73 ERA last season and has a clear path forward to address the concerts that cropped up down the stretch. He should garner plenty of interest from teams, as his representatives gauge his market. Notes * Hoyer said that parting ways with Kittredge back was “a close call.” The team went into the offseason with Kittredge and young pitchers Daniel Palencia and Porter Hodge still on the roster, already looking at almost fully rebuilding their bullpen. But then they traded Kittredge – who had a $9 million club option, or $1 million buyout, left on his contract – back to the Orioles. "You save the buyout by trading him back there, and then we could redeploy that money elsewhere,” Hoyer said. “But it was timing as much as anything because I do think Andrew was great for us. Really impressive.” * Re-signing Rea, who has starting and relieving experience, to a one-year deal with a 2027 club option addressed needs in both areas. “He was terrific, and I thought it got better as the season went on,” Hoyer said. “... He's the really valuable ‘out-getter’ for [manager Craig Counsell.]”

Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks is retiring from baseball, according to multiple reports.

LAS VEGAS – Rookie Cade Horton’s eyes welled as he spoke in front of his locker after the Cubs’ Game 5 loss in the National League Division Series. He held his composure. “It sucks,” he said, his hopes of returning from injury in the NL Championship Series destroyed with the Cubs’ playoff exit. “I really, really wanted to help this team in the postseason, and not being able to do that was really tough for me. I thought we would get it done today, and I could pick up where I left off. “And so just not being able to do that leaves a sour taste in my mouth going into the off season. But, you just use that going into the offseason for next year.” With that, Horton’s impressive rookie campaign officially ended without a playoff appearance. He owned a 2.67 ERA across 23 appearances in his debut season. On Monday, as the first day of the GM Meetings in Las Vegas wound down, the BBWAA revealed that Horton finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting, behind Braves catcher Drake Baldwin. Horton received nine first-place votes, out of 30. If the Cubs are going to surpass their 2025 finish, they'll need Horton to help carry the rotation, like he did in the second half this past season. Horton’s torrid second half gave him a strong case to win the award. He posted the best ERA (1.03) among pitchers with 60-plus innings thrown after the All-Star break and could be considered the Cubs’ second-half MVP. But his limited playing time gave Baldwin the edge. For most of the last two months of the season, the Cubs placed a limit of about 75 pitches on Horton for each start. That, paired with a May call-up and a fractured rib that shortened his last start to three innings and sidelined him for the postseason, meant Horton’s innings total only reached 118. Horton was on board with the plan, saying after he threw five hitless innings against the Braves on Sept. 3: “I’d much rather be healthy for the postseason than go out there for the sixth or seventh in early September.” He didn’t get to do either, thanks to a persistent cough in late September, which the Cubs said they believed caused the fracture. Still, Horton's efficiency down the stretch helped steady the rotation as Jameson Taillon worked through a pair of minor lower-body injuries, Shota Imanaga battled consistency issues, and Matthew Boyd cooled off after an All-Star first half. It was a major factor as the Cubs claimed the top NL wild-card spot and home-field advantage for the first round. “Next year, it's going to be a completely different story,” Horton said of the team's NLDS exit. “All of us kind of just got our feet wet. And so, next year, it's time.”

LAS VEGAS – Cubs great Kyle Hendricks is set to retire from playing, a source confirmed on Monday. He played 11 of his 12 major-league seasons for the Cubs, before spending last year with the Angels. His long and decorated career included a 2016 World Series Championship and the 2016 ERA title. USA Today reported in September that Hendricks had informed friends of his intention to retire, but Hendricks told LA Times writer Bill Shaikin soon after that he was undecided. Hendricks, nicknamed “The Professor,” was a consistent force in the Cubs rotation, thriving off finesse and an even temper in big moments, while the industry was trending toward velocity. His performance in Game 6 of the 2016 NL Championship Series, when he blanked the Dodgers for 7 ⅓ innings, will stand as a defining moment in an impressive career. He continued to evolve in more recent years, extending his career past a lengthy shoulder injury. He even agreed to pitch out of the bullpen for part of the 2024 season, his last with the Cubs. Hendricks ended his Cubs tenure with a masterful showing against the Reds – holding Cincinnati to two hits through 7 ⅓ scoreless innings – and a standing ovation from the Wrigley Field faithful. “I hate all that attention, but in the end, I know I have to soak in these moments,” Hendricks said after that game. “And that’s what the Wrigley fans are there for. They’re so special. They’re the best in the world. To play here in Wrigley Field, I’m just such a lucky guy.” Hendricks signed with the Angels last season and was a fixture in their rotation, posting a 4.76 ERA, which included one start against his former team in late August. ‘‘He’s on my Mount Rushmore of Cubs pitchers,’’ Cubs pitching Hottovy said then, listing Hendricks’ career accomplishments. ‘‘To me . . . as a human being and the time we spent together and the ups, the downs, the good and the bad, those are the things that you remember more than anything. Just grateful for my opportunity to get to be around him.’’

The top of this offseason’s free agent lists are littered with former Cubs. Notable names range from Kyle Schwarber, a beloved member of the 2016 World Series team who was an NL MVP finalist for the Phillies this year, to Dylan Cease, a former Cubs prospect and sixth-round draft pick who spent the first five years of his major-league career with the White Sox and last two with the Padres. They include a more recent departure, Cody Bellinger, whose two years with the Cubs spring-boarded him into a strong 2025 season as a Yankee. And members of this year’s Cubs team – right fielder Kyle Tucker, left-handed starting pitcher Shota Imanaga — round out the marquee group. Related * Cubs extend qualifying offers to Shota Imanaga, Kyle Tucker Whether those former Cubs end up back in blue pinstriped or not, they’re sure to come up in discussions at MLB’s annual GM meetings next week, as baseball executives and agents descend on Las Vegas. Here are other Cubs storylines to follow: Rookie of the Year The BBWAA Awards rollout is next week, beginning with Rookie of the Year on Monday. Cubs right-hander Cade Horton is a finalist for the award, along with Braves catcher Drake Baldwin and Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin. Horton (11-4, 2.67 ERA) steadied the Cubs’ pitching staff in the second half, with a dominant 1.03 ERA that led all pitchers with 60-plus innings pitched after the All-Star break and helped the Cubs secure the top NL wild-card spot. The Cubs limited Horton’s pitch count down the stretch while keeping in mind the postseason, which Horton missed anyways because of a fractured rib. But his restricted playing time (118 innings) last season could work against him in a national vote. Manager of the Year, Cy Young and MVP are set to be announced Tuesday through Thursday. Hoyer on Imanaga GM meetings will provide the setting for Hoyer to comment for the first time on the Cubs’ decision to decline the three-year club option that would have extended Imanaga’s four-year, $53 million deal to five years and a total of $80 million. That move triggered Shota Imanaga’s 2026 player option for about $15 million, which he declined, sending him into free agency. The Cubs extended the qualifying offer to Imanaga on Thursday, and he has until Nov. 18 to accept or reject it. Imanaga’s free agent status is part of a larger conversation about the Cubs’ need for pitching. That will surely be a popular topic next week, as the Cubs look to strengthen their rotation and almost completely rebuild their bullpen. Offseason budget Hoyer refrains from sharing specifics about his offseason budget every year, wanting to maintain the mystery as he negotiates with various teams and player agents. But in his end of season news conference in mid-October, he had even fewer answers than usual. When asked if playoff revenue would expand the offseason budget, Hoyer said he hadn’t yet had those conversations with Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts. “We'll sit down over the next two or three weeks and go through that,” Hoyer said. “But I'm confident that we're going to have enough money to field a good team. That's the simplest thing I'll say. But as far as details, I don't know yet.” Hoyer will likely remain relatively aloof on the topic, but he could provide some clarity this week. The Cubs hosted five playoff games this year: all three of their wild-card games against the Padres, and two of the five games of the NL Division Series against the Brewers. “Our crowds in the playoffs, they were unbelievably impressive,” Hoyer said. “I don't ever remember players commenting on the crowds and the experience right after games the way they did repeatedly. I’d come down here [to the clubhouse] after games, and the players would be talking about the energy or talking about the experience, and that was really cool.” Effects of expiring CBA The current Collective Bargaining Agreement runs through the 2026 season, and the industry is bracing for another showdown between the owners and players when the time comes to negotiate a new contract. Last time around, a 99-day lockout shortened spring training and pushed back Opening Day by a week. With a year still left on that 2022-26 agreement, the sides have already begun arguing over the owners’ push for a salary cap. “Obviously that's been some part of our decision-making,” Hoyer said last month of the expiring CBA. “We've talked about that a lot, if you look at our contract structures. As we get closer to the end of the CBA is that that conversation probably gets louder and louder, as far as how that goes. But the truth of the matter is, we don't know what the future holds in that regard.” The contracts of left fielder Ian Happ, right fielder Seiya Suzuki, second baseman Nico Hoerner and starting pitcher Jameson Taillon all expire after the 2026 season. Hoyer said he hopes to have extension talks with “a number of” players this offseason.

The Cubs have left the door open for a possible reunion with left-hander Shota Imanaga, despite declining his three-year option and risking his departure in free agency. Before Thursday’s deadline, the Cubs extended qualifying offers (22.025 million) to Imanaga and right fielder Kyle Tucker, the team announced. The players have until Nov. 18 to either accept and rejoin the Cubs for 2026, or decline and remain a free agent. If they sign with another team, the Cubs are eligible for draft compensation. Tucker is expected to test free agency. Imanaga’s calculation isn't as straightforward. But even if Imanaga rejects the qualifying offer, the Cubs are expected to remain in contact with his camp. If both sides are amenable, they could discuss a new, restructured deal with a smaller commitment from the team, either in years or total financial commitment, compared to the three-year option worth around $58 million that the Cubs declined. At the same time, however, Imanaga’s agents would be fielding calls from other interested parties. And, depending on how his market unfolds, another offer could be more enticing. The qualifying offer would represent a raise from both the 2026 player option of about $15 million that Imanaga declined, and the 2026 earnings in the three-year club option that the Cubs declined. It, however, is only a one-year deal. The intricate structure of Imanaga’s previous contract paved the way for a longer-term commitment if either option was picked up this offseason. Pitching will be at the top of the Cubs’ list this offseason, whether or not Imanaga accepts the qualifying offer. On Thursday, the Cubs also agreed to terms with right-hander Colin Rea on a one-year deal with a club option for 2027. His return helps solidify some of the Cubs’ pitching depth, but it will remain an offseason priority. For the rotation, the Cubs have to replace Imanaga’s production, either by bringing him back or making an outside acquisition, and ideally add a frontline starter. The Cubs are at least expecting key injured starters back early next season. Rookie Cade Horton (fractured rib) was poised to join the National League Championship Series if the Cubs had advanced, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer confirmed after the team was bounced by the Brewers in the NL Division Series. Horton is expected to have a normal offseason. Cubs left-hander Justin Steele could return from elbow surgery in the first couple months of the 2026 season if his rehab continues to go smoothly. But, with him still early in a throwing program, the team needs to have contingency plans in place. The bullpen is in more dire shape. After trading veteran right-hander Andew Kittredge back to the Orioles, the Cubs are returning just two relievers who pitched at least 15 major-league innings last year, right-handers Daniel Palencia and Porter Hodge. Neither was with the major-league squad for the entirety of the season, but both had stints as the team’s closer. Note: Veteran first baseman Justin Turner has become a free agent, the MLB Players association announced Thursday. His $10 million mutual option for 2026 was declined.

Rather than just picking up right-hander Colin Rea's club option for 2026, the Cubs worked out a new deal with the veteran right-hander that could extend into 2027. The parties agreed to terms on a one-year contract with a club option for 2027, the team announced on Thursday, maintaining at least some of the Cubs' pitching depth in an offseason where both rotation and bullpen arms will be a priority. The deal is worth $6.5 million guaranteed, or $13 million if the Cubs exercise the option next year, sources confirmed. The Cubs signed Rea last offseason in what was expected to be a swingman role. But he made just three relief appearances before left-hander Justin Steele’s season-ending elbow injury forced Rea into the rotation full time. Rea's new deal comes days after the news that left-hander Shota Imanaga was hitting free agency, after both the team and then Imanaga declined their respective options this week. The Cubs also didn’t land a frontline starter at the trade deadline, judging the price to be too high. That need remains, and was only highlighted in the postseason. “It is really difficult to do that midseason now, and I think it's becoming even more difficult with a new playoff format, to do that,” Hoyer said in his end-of-season news conference last month. “Teams are closer together, there’s many more teams in the race that have a chance, and then even some teams that weren't in the race made decisions to not to not trade. “As we think about what's changed in the game, I do think that that's become more difficult, and I do think it puts more emphasis on all other areas of the cycle.”

The Cubs’ 2026 spring training schedule includes an exhibition game against Team Italy and wraps with two days of playing host to the Yankees. Major League Baseball revealed spring training schedules on Wednesday, with the World Baseball Classic returning and adding another wrinkle to the leadup to the MLB season. Players participating in the WBC will have an earlier ramp-up than usual. And 28 exhibition games, including the Cubs’ matchup with the Italian national team on March 3, will take place across the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues on March 3 and 4. WBC games will open on March 4 in Tokyo, and the North American venues (San Juan, Houston and Miami) will begin hosting games on March 6. MLB released spring training schedules this afternoon. Here’s the Cactus League slate: pic.twitter.com/PS30eD7JU9— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) November 5, 2025 The Cubs open Cactus League play on Feb. 20 at Sloan Park with a crosstown matchup against the White Sox – who they’ll also play at Sloan on March 1 and at Camelback Ranch on March 13. The Cubs are set to finish spring training with two home games on March 23 and 24 against the Yankees, who are scheduled to swing by Mesa on their way to San Francisco, where they open the regular season. The Cubs open the 2026 season at Wrigley Field against the Nationals on March 26.

The Cubs have traded veteran reliever Andrew Kittredge back to the Orioles, barely over three months after they acquired him from Baltimore at the trade deadline. In the latest deal, the Cubs received cash considerations, the team announced Tuesday. Kittredge, on a one-year deal worth $9 million in 2025, has a $9 million club option for next season. Kittredge was one of four players the Cubs acquired at the trade deadline this year. The Cubs sent minor-league infielder Wilfri De La Cruz to the Orioles in the trade. Kittredge posted a 3.32 ERA with the Cubs down the stretch. He tallied five saves as a major part of the Cubs’ closer-by-committee setup after right-hander Daniel Palencia landed on the injured list. In the playoffs, Kittredge appeared in every game of the wild-card series against the Padres, twice in relief and once as the Game 2 opener. He pitched twice in the five-game NL Division Series against the Brewers. In all, he allowed three runs in five innings.

Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga is a free agent after the team declined its option to extend his contract to five years and $80 million, and he then declined a $15 million option for 2026, a source confirmed. Imanaga, 32, signed a four-year deal with the Cubs in 2024, transitioning to Major League Baseball after a successful career in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. His contract had an intricate structure, giving the Cubs the option after both his second and third year to extend his deal to five years. Declining the option, however, would give Imanaga the opportunity to opt out. The Cubs declined their option to extend Shota Imanaga's contract to a total of 5 years and $80 million, and then Imanaga declined his $15 million option for 2026, @suntimes_sports confirmed. @JesseRogersESPN was on it first.— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) November 4, 2025 That’s what happened this week. The Cubs still have the ability to extend a one-year qualifying offer ($22.025 million) to Imanaga in the coming days. As soon as the Cubs decided not to make Imanaga part of their long-term plans, the left-hander’s next move was obvious. He’d built a strong platform for free agency over his first two years in MLB. Imanaga was an All-Star in his rookie season. With a 2.91 ERA in 29 starts, he finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting and forth for NL Rookie of the Year. This season, a hamstring injury interrupted his sophomore campaign and is believed to have contributed to some mechanical inconsistency down the stretch and into the playoffs. But Imanaga, the team’s Opening Day starter in the Tokyo Series, still had flashes of dominance post-injury and compiled a 3.73 ERA over the course of the season. The Cubs laid out an offseason plan for him to attack some of the lower-body issues they identified in his delivery late in the year, and he was ready to apply them. “When we signed Shota, if he’d shown us his production over the last two years, we would have taken that in a heartbeat,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said in his end-of-season news conference last month. “Not only has he produced for us, but he’s a great teammate, a terrific asset to the organization. Obviously, we have decisions to make, and we’ll have discussions, and over the next two or three weeks, we’ll do that. But I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about Shota.” The Cubs already were in need of starting pitching depth this offseason. Unless the Cubs extend a qualifying offer and Imanaga accepts, losing him in free agency would exacerbate that demand.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton was rewarded for a stellar 2025 season after he was named a finalist for National League Rookie of the Year.