Chicago Cubs Predicted to Trade for Mariners Star Pitcher to Bolster Rotation

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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 11: George Kirby #68 of the Seattle Mariners pitches in the bottom of the first inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on September 11, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs should be one of baseball’s busiest teams this offseason.

After a disappointing postseason run, the Cubs should be on the hunt for new talent. They have multiple areas on their roster that could use improvement. Thus, they will be a team to watch very closely during this offseason.

Now, with the offseason looming, the Cubs are being linked to a star pitcher from the Seattle Mariners.

Chicago Cubs Predicted to Trade for Seattle Mariners Star Pitcher George Kirby

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Zachary D. Rymer predicted that the Cubs will trade for Mariners star pitcher George Kirby this offseason.

“Given their previous interest in Kirby, this is where the Cubs could come in,” Rymer wrote. “They stand to lose basically an entire rotation’s worth of starters to free agency, including Kevin Gausman, Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga. They should look to re-sign some guys, but bringing in fresh blood via trade is likewise a good idea.”

With the Cubs needing pitching help, it would make sense for them to target Kirby. He would give them another star pitcher to work with for the top half of their rotation. This would be huge for Chicago, as there is no question that they need to upgrade their pitching.

Thus, it would be understandable if Chicago made a serious run to acquire Kirby. He would be an outstanding fit on their roster, so they should be watched in the sweepstakes this offseason.

Kirby Could Bounce Back With the Cubs If Acquired

Kirby had a bit of a down year for his standards in 2026. In 30 games with the Mariners this season, he had a 9-11 record and a 4.33 ERA. This was after he had a 10-8 record and a 4.21 ERA in 23 games with Seattle in 2025.

Yet, when looking at Kirby’s previous seasons, there is clear reason to believe that he would bounce back if acquired by the Cubs. From 2022 to 2024, he had a 3.53 ERA or lower in each season. This included in 2023, when he had a 13-10 record and a 3.35 ERA as an All-Star.

With this, the Cubs would be very wise to take a gamble on Kirby this offseason. He is a star when pitching at his best and could help them tremendously. It will be interesting to see if the Cubs end up trading for him this offseason because of it.