The Chicago Cubs had a solid regular season, but it did not translate over to the playoffs.
The Cubs were swept by the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card series. Now, with this, there is no question that Chicago needs to make several moves this offseason. They are simply not good enough right now if they want to be true contenders.
One of the most obvious areas that the Cubs need to improve this offseason is their pitching rotation. Because of this, they are being urged to make a serious push for one of this year’s top pending unrestricted free agent starting pitchers.
Chicago Cubs Urged to Sign Padres Star Pitcher Michael King
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Kerry Miller named the Cubs among the top potential landing spots for Padres star pitcher Michael King this offseason.
“Curiously enough, Michael King has only made one appearance at Wrigley Field in his career, that coming in Game 3 of last year’s wild card series, when he consecutively struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson and Matt Shaw in his lone inning of work. But he could be a fixture within the friendly confines over the next few years,” Miller wrote.
With King being one of this year’s top UFA pitchers, it would make sense if the Cubs targeted him. He would be a significant addition to their pitching rotation if signed, as he is a major difference-maker. Thus, the Cubs are a team that fans should be keeping a close eye on in the King sweepstakes.
King would not solve all of the Cubs’ pitching problems, but he would undoubtedly improve them. He would be a perfect fit in the front half of their pitching rotation. Thus, it would not be surprising if the Cubs pursue him this winter.
King Had Another Strong Regular Season for the Padres
King was once again one of the Padres’ most important players this regular season. In 32 regular season appearances for San Diego in 2026, he posted a 12-10 record, a 3.21 ERA, and 159 strikeouts. With numbers like these, he would be a very good pitcher for the Cubs to add to their roster.
King also had an ERA under 3.00 from 2022 to 2024, so he has shown that he can be even better. Due to this, the Cubs should not be afraid to make a big push for the eight-year MLB veteran. If signed, he would give the Cubs another star pitcher to work with. This is undoubtedly a big need for a Cubs team that is looking to be contenders in 2027.
Chicago Cubs Urged to Sign Padres Star Starting Pitcher in Major Move