The Chicago Cubs could have as many as 18 players from their roster become free agents heading into the 2027 season, and while some guys should return, let’s talk about the players who have no business coming back.
Caleb Thielbar ($6 million Mutual Option, $500k buyout)
Relief pitchers sure can be unpredictable, huh? Caleb Thielbar was nails for the 2025 Cubs, including five scoreless appearances in the postseason. The left-handed pitcher agreed to return, signing a one-year deal with the Cubs last offseason worth $4 million. Now, fans can’t wait to get rid of him after a disappointing 2026 season that ended with Thielbar off the Cubs’ postseason roster for their Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres.
In 2026, Thielbar missed time with a hamstring strain that could have affected his pitching throughout the season; after posting a 2.64 ERA and 0.88 WHIP last year, the lefty recorded a 4.86 ERA and 1.30 WHIP this year.
He’ll be 40 next season, and although Thielbar still generated a lot of strikeouts (28.3% strikeout rate), his numbers were down across the board. The walks increased, batters made harder contact at a higher rate, and the Cubs suffered. Thielbar allowed 11 home runs in 50 innings, compared to only five home runs in 58 innings last season.
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So, he’ll get a $500,000 buyout from the Cubs, who won’t think twice about the $6 million mutual option.
Hunter Harvey ($8 million mutual option, $1 million buyout)
Well, this move was a total failure. Hunter Harvey certainly had the stuff to excel out of the Cubs’ bullpen, but his injury history also added risk for the front office. Jed Hoyer took a gamble, and it backfired: Harvey threw only four innings for the Cubs in 2026 before landing on the injured list in early April with right triceps inflammation.
Harvey did not return for the Cubs after he was placed on the 60-day injured list in May. The right-handed pitcher never came close to a rehab stint either. His career 3.19 ERA, high-90s fastball, and 26.7% strikeout rate caught the Cubs’ attention enough to earn him $5 million in 2026, despite logging only 10.2 innings in 2025.
So, it’ll ultimately cost the Cubs $6 million, with Harvey’s $5 million guaranteed salary in 2026 and a $1 million buyout this offseason. The only, and I mean the only, scenario in which Harvey should come back is if he signs a minor league deal. Other than that, see ya.
Trent Thornton (Unrestricted Free Agent)
We have a classic case of a pitcher’s numbers looking way better than they actually were. All credit to Trent Thornton, who made his season debut in early May, returning to big-league action for the first time since July 31, 2025, when he tore his left Achilles.
The right-handed pitcher had a 3.35 ERA in 48.1 innings with the Cubs, but his strikeout rate was well below average at 15.8%. He just didn’t look good out there despite getting outs, and we’re not talking about a Javier Assad situation, where he at least can pitch 5-6 innings in a game and get out of jams. Thornton was extremely fortunate to have only a 3.35 ERA, given his poor metrics up and down his Baseball Savant page.
The Cubs need to get way better in the bullpen, and that starts with moving on from guys like Thornton.
Tyler Austin (Unrestricted Free Agent)
Well, at least this signing only cost the Cubs $1.25 million, but Tyler Austin was a complete non-factor for the team in 2026. He came over from Japan after he put up a few great seasons in the power department. The 35-year-old was supposed to be the backup first baseman, a potential platoon bat with Michael Busch, and maybe get an occasional start in left field, but Austin didn’t even make it to spring training action, undergoing surgery in February, a month after he signed with the Cubs.
Austin was never heard from again. The team was vague when it announced that Tyler had a debridement procedure on the patellar tendon in his right knee, saying he would be out for months but never giving a concrete recovery timeline. So, I guess we’ll never know whether Austin really made significant adjustments during his time playing in Japan to make an impact in MLB with the Cubs because there’s no way they’ll be committing more resources into an aging first baseman with a bum knee.
