On the surface it appears as though the Chicago Cubs are done adding any significant player to their roster heading into spring training, but they reportedly remain involved on several fronts in the free agent market. Whether it’s filling out the bench by acquiring another outfielder or making a somewhat bigger splash by bringing in a former Cy Young candidate the Cubs could very likely sign one of the following three players.
Starting Pitcher Zac Gallen
Let’s begin with the biggest name as Zac Gallen has been connected to the Cubs since the Winter Meetings in early December and despite a plethora of arms already on the depth chart Gallen remains a top target for Jed Hoyer.
Gallen, 30, has a qualifying offer attached to him, which may be one factor negatively impacting his market this offseason. On top of that the right-handed pitcher had the worst year of his career in 2025 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and as the Cubs have done in the past Gallen might just fall into their lap.
What makes the Gallen rumors so intriguing is the amount of confidence that some insiders have about the Cubs signing him. One of the loudest voices in recent weeks reporting on Gallen and the Cubs is Bruce Levine, who once again expressed near certainty that Gallen will be pitching for the Cubs in 2026.
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You know the deal by now, if the Cubs do sign Gallen it’ll be because they believe they can recapture his success from previous seasons. This front office isn’t adding another starting pitcher for the sole purpose solidifying depth. If the Cubs are spending upwards of $20 million AAV on a 2-4 year contract for Gallen it’s because the team has a plan set in place to get the upside of Gallen.
If the Cubs wanted another starter just to add another arm, then they’d simply sign one of the many free agent pitchers who won’t command multi-year contracts in free agency.
OF/DH Andrew McCutchen
A few days ago the Cubs were specifically mentioned by Jon Heyman as one of the teams expressing interest in free agent outfielder Austin Hays. A few hours later the 30-year-old signed with the White Sox.
The Cubs have already signed a few other outfielders during the past month on minor league deals, adding Chas McCormick and Dylan Carlson as spring training competition. However, the Cubs are reportedly exploring more outfield options and veteran Andrew McCutchen could be a solid fit.
In 2025, McCutchen was slightly below average at the plate as he slashed .239/.333/.367, with 13 home runs in 551 plate appearances. He had a 95 wRC+ and while the right-handed hitter is removed from his All-Star days McCutchen still has a great eye at the plate, recording a 12.2 BB% and he was decent against left-handed pitching. McCutchen had a 104 wRC+ vs. lefties in 2025, with a slash line of .267/.353/.389.
Kind of seems like the perfect veteran presence any contending team would want on the active roster. If you can play him in the right matchups McCutchen can still be a productive hitter against left-handed pitching, while giving Craig Counsell the ability to be flexible in the outfield and maybe take some pressure of rookie Moises Ballesteros, who despite his great reputation as a pure hitter still struggled against lefties last season.
The biggest hurdle in pursuing McCutchen might be his role on the team. Hays ultimately signed with the White Sox, where he was guaranteed starting time, so playing time might be a factor that dissuades McCutchen away from the Cubs.
INF/OF Miguel Andujar
Similar to the McCutchen mention, Miguel Andujar can be an excellent bench piece for the Cubs in 2026, as a lefty masher. The 30-year-old had a fantastic bounce back season in 2025, as he slashed .318/.352/.470, with 10 home runs in 341 plate appearances. And here’s why the Cubs should be all over Andujar.
He crushed left-handers and while it was only a 93-plate appearance sample, Andujar had a 171 wRC+ vs. lefties in 2025, slashing .389/.409/.578. Dating back to the 2023 season, Andujar has combined to hit .374/.406/.560, in 192 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.
The defense may not be his calling card, but Andujar can play both corner positions in the infield and outfield.
