The Chicago Cubs face a busy offseason after their pitching staff faltered in the postseason, and one MLB insider is pushing the club to bring back left-hander David Peterson rather than focusing solely on higher-profile arms.
Peterson, acquired from the New York Mets in a June trade, finished the 2026 regular season with a 4.79 ERA across 148.1 innings. His numbers improved markedly after the deal, however, as he posted a 3.70 ERA in 80.1 innings with the Cubs.
Robert Murray of FanSided wrote that the Cubs should strongly consider bringing him back, adding that there are folks across the league who believe that Peterson’s best days are still ahead of him.
The Cubs traded for Peterson on June 25 in exchange for minor leaguer Cole Mathis. He arrived after struggling in New York, where he went 3-6 with a 6.09 ERA in 68 innings before the move.
With Chicago, the 31-year-old left-hander went 6-2 and struck out 74 batters while working primarily as a starter. His second-half performance stood out even more, as he recorded a 2.73 ERA over 66 innings after the All-Star break.
That stretch included a 5-1 record and solid underlying metrics, with a FIP in the mid-3s during that period. The Cubs’ strong infield defense likely helped Peterson, who generates a high rate of ground balls.
Murray stopped short of saying the club should choose Peterson over Clay Holmes, who is widely expected to decline his player option. Holmes joined the Cubs in a separate deadline deal that also brought outfielder Tyrone Taylor in exchange for prospect Jefferson Rojas.
Holmes and other trade-deadline additions such as Kevin Gausman did not prevent the Cubs from being swept by the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card series. The offense struggled to score, and the pitching staff as a whole ranked near the bottom of the National League in several categories.
Cubs pitchers allowed the most home runs in the NL during the regular season. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has already signaled that pitching will be the top priority this winter.
Peterson is eligible for free agency after the season and earned $8.1 million in his final arbitration year. His uneven first half with the Mets could keep his market from exploding, making a return to Chicago more feasible than a pursuit of top free agents.
The Cubs also stand to lose several other starters to free agency or options, including Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd. That leaves multiple openings in the rotation for 2027.
A reunion with Peterson would give the club a left-handed option who showed he can thrive in a specific environment. He is not viewed as a potential ace, but he could fill a role as a mid-to-back-end starter or multi-inning reliever.
Murray’s recommendation reflects a broader view that Peterson still has upside at age 31. The left-hander has posted strong stretches before, including a 2.90 ERA in 2024 and an All-Star selection in 2025.
Cubs officials have not publicly commented on specific free-agent targets beyond noting the need for pitching upgrades. Discussions are expected to intensify once the World Series concludes and the exclusive negotiating window opens.
Whether Peterson returns will depend on contract length, dollars and how he fits into a rebuilt staff. For now, he remains one of the more realistic internal options on a market that features several higher-priced arms.
