The Chicago Cubs spent the entire 2026 MLB season trying to figure out their pitching rotation.
Injuries were at the core of their problems, yes, but it still was difficult to bring it all together, even with multiple trades to try and help the cause.
In the end, the Cubs came up short of their season goals, which will put pressure on them to make some big moves in the offseason.
There would be no bigger move than signing Tarik Skubal.
Skubal is the prize of this free agent class. The former Detroit Tigers superstar left-handed pitcher ended the season with the Los Angeles Dodgers after being traded before the deadline, with both teams knowing his contract would be up at the end of the year.
Not every team can compete to bid for a player like Skubal, who should set a record for a pitcher contract.
The Cubs are the one team, beyond the obvious big-market squads like the Dodgers and Mets, who could really use Skubal and might be able to afford him.
The latest update for the Cubs, from ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Monday, brings both optimism and pessimism.
Cubs’ Tarik Skubal Update
The Cubs factored into the first paragraph Passan wrote about Skubal in a new article on Monday. This is what he wrote:
“Skubal is far and away the best player in this class, and the expectation is he will sign before the Dec. 1 lockout. The two most obvious suitors are the two teams with the highest payrolls in baseball: The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. There are bound to be others. The Chicago Cubs badly want Skubal. They also are skeptical that they will be willing to compete at the sort of dollars Skubal is expected to get — well in excess of $300 million, potentially in the $400 million-plus range. With Michael King and Nick Pivetta being free agents, the San Diego Padres need a rotation anchor, and arguably the best pitcher in baseball would more than suffice.”
There the Cubs are, right in the mix, sort of.
They “badly want” Skubal. They also might not be able to afford him.
That’s a harsh reality for as big a franchise as the Cubs are. Even for them, there’s a price point that’s too high.
Repeat of Last Offseason
The Cubs actually found themselves in a semi-similar situation last offseason.
Kyle Tucker was a free agent, and Chicago determined pretty early on that the bidding would go too high on Tucker.
The Dodgers ended up signing Tucker, and that didn’t work out as well for Los Angeles in year one as they would’ve hoped.
Maybe if the Cubs get knocked out of the bidding, it won’t hurt them too much — but Skubal seems like a different breed, a guy who won’t let down whatever team gives him a record contract.
Cubs ‘Badly Want’ Tarik Skubal, But There’s A Catch