There is a possibility that the Chicago Cubs will have to overhaul their entire starting rotation this offseason. Matthew Boyd, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Shota Imanaga are all going to be free agents and even if the Cubs are able to bring a couple of them back, they are likely still going to have some rotational holes that need to be filled.
The Cubs could be players at the top end of the free agent market and make a run at a big name like Tarik Skubal, but if they fail in those pursuits then they need to have a Plan B. That’s where the Seattle Mariners come into play.
Seattle is coming off a really disappointing season in which it failed to make the playoffs which was a big letdown considering the Mariners made it to the ALCS in 2025 and had a very good shot to advance to the World Series. Their offense was really poor in 2026 as they were one of the worst MLB teams in runs scored per game.
They could definitely use a boost on offense while the Cubs could use an infusion in the pitching department which just so happens to be Seattle’s strong suit. Buster Olney of ESPN writes that: “I’ve heard Seattle is poking around to assess how its surplus in pitching might be used to add a bat.”
Cubs should trade a hitter to Mariners for a pitcher
The Mariners have a lot of interesting pitchers who could potentially be dealt. Whether it is Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby, or Emerson Hancock, they have arms that could be solid No. 3 or No. 4 options in just about any rotation in MLB so that has to catch the attention of a team like the Cubs.
The question is what Chicago might be interested in giving up for a pitcher. The Mariners are looking for bats and maybe they would be interested in Matt Shaw. The soon-to-be 25-year-old hit .237/.327/.410 in 2026 with five home runs and 24 runs batted in across 77 games. In 2025 he hit 13 home runs and slashed .226/.295/.394 so he has some pop in his bat.
The Cubs may not want to give up on a promising young player like Shaw, but if that is what it takes to acquire one of the controllable young arms Seattle possesses then that may be a tradeoff they have to make especially if they aren’t able to land their preferred targets in free agency.
Cubs-Mariners Trade Feels Inevitable Given Chicago’s Acute Pitching Need