The Chicago Cubs will be revamping their rotation during the offseason. Starting pitching was a major area of concern for Chicago in 2026. Because of this, top exec Jed Hoyer acquired veterans Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes before the trade deadline. Both pitchers, however, are expected to leave the Cubs this winter.
Fellow starter Shota Imanaga is also now a free agent. As a result, Hoyer will have to bring in multiple pitchers in the coming months. The Chicago Cubs will certainly explore free agency to help fix the issue. Nevertheless, a trade can not be ruled out. With this in mind, Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer is linking the North Siders with Texas Rangers star Jacob deGrom.
The former Cy Young Award winner previously signed a five-year, $185 million contract with Texas in 2023. In the agreement, which has one more year left, deGrom has a full no-trade clause. As Rymer points out, the ace previously blocked a potential move out of Texas in early August. So why would he want to leave now? Dealing with a trade in the offseason is easier than in the middle of a campaign.
Potentially agreeing to join the Chicago Cubs would give deGrom a legitimate chance at a World Series run. Chicago has a very solid core, but needs a few key pitchers in place to go deep into the playoffs. The five-time All-Star would certainly help in this regard. While he may be headed to the Hall of Fame, he has very limited postseason experience. In fact, the 38-year-old pitcher has only five career playoff starts and just one appearance since 2015.
Chicago Cubs Likely Have to Give up Top Prospect for Jacob deGrom
Adding a star veteran like deGrom would certainly make sense for the Chicago Cubs. Nevertheless, Hoyer would likely want Texas to eat some of the pitcher’s significant salary in 2027. The ace is set to earn $37 million for the upcoming campaign. If the Rangers are open to this, Rymer believes Chicago will have to include a highly rated prospect in the deal. The reporter specifically picked Owen Ayers in his trade pitch.
Ayers is the number two prospect in the Cubs organization. The catcher/first baseman burst onto the scene in 2026 after a fairly subpar rookie campaign in the minors the previous year. Ayers combined to slash an impressive .289/.403/.526 across three different levels this season. Overall, the young slugger racked up 25 home runs and 82 RBIs in 125 total games.
The Chicago Cubs may also have to add Justin Steele to the deal to make Texas happy. Due to injury issues, the veteran did not pitch for the Cubs in 2026. The Rangers, however, could eventually use Steele as trade bait next summer if he returns as expected to start 2027.
Chicago Will Face Competition for Star Veteran
The Chicago Cubs could be leery of deGrom considering his own injury woes throughout his illustrious career. Despite this, the veteran has proven to be a reliable pitcher over the last two seasons. In fact, he has posted a combined 3.58 ERA, 4.7 WAR, and 385 strikeouts in 61 starts during this stretch.
Hoyer and the Cubs, however, will have competition for deGrom if he does agree to a move out of town this winter. The Detroit Tigers have already been linked with the veteran in recent weeks.
Cubs Linked to Blockbuster Trade for $185 Million Veteran