The Chicago Cubs plan to sit out the bidding for free-agent pitcher Tarik Skubal, according to team sources, despite clear needs in their starting rotation heading into the 2027 season.
The 29-year-old left-hander, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, would be a strong fit for any club, sources indicated. But the Cubs have shown no interest in competing at the top of the market with clubs such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.
Chicago was aggressive last winter in signing third baseman Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract. Team sources said the organization has otherwise shied away from the highest end of free-agent spending in recent offseasons.
“Toppling a market that’s expected to include the biggest spenders in the game for Skubal won’t be in the cards,” the sources indicated, according to reporting by Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic.
Labor negotiations this winter are expected to complicate team finances across the league. The Cubs have no plans to make an exception to their established approach, sources said.
Skubal finished the 2026 season 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA, 158 2/3 innings pitched and 186 strikeouts after being traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Dodgers. He is widely viewed as the top available free agent.
The Cubs’ rotation enters the offseason with significant holes. Right-hander Javier Assad is the only starter currently under contract who is healthy and coming off a solid season, according to the report.
Left-hander Justin Steele, 31, underwent season-ending elbow surgery in April 2025. He logged just 22 2/3 innings that year and zero at the major-league level in 2026 after a rehab setback.
Edward Cabrera posted a 5.96 ERA in 2026 while dealing with blister issues. Ben Brown’s season ended in June because of a recurring neck injury, and he has not been cleared to throw.
The Cubs allowed 142 home runs last season, the third-most in Major League Baseball. Their rotation was never viewed as a strength, even after midseason additions such as Clay Holmes and David Peterson.
Chicago’s goal is to add multiple starters — likely three — rather than five reliable rotation pieces, sources said. The club plans to check in on every other free-agent pitcher while targeting arms with high ground-ball or strikeout rates.
Possible targets include re-signing Holmes, who led baseball with a 60.7 percent ground-ball rate among pitchers with at least 100 innings in 2026. Peterson posted a 50.1 percent ground-ball rate last season.
Other names under consideration include Freddy Peralta, Michael King and Japanese right-hander Kaima Taira, depending on price and availability. A potential lockout could further shape the market.
With holes to fill and uncertainty surrounding the labor situation, building rotation depth remains the primary offseason priority for the Cubs, according to Sharma’s reporting.
