You know, I would love to believe these rumors, buy in to the hype and be as optimistic of a fan as possible, but I’ve also witnessed how the Chicago Cubs have operated in free agency under Jed Hoyer and the Ricketts. So yeah, the rumors might be growing, but it doesn’t make them any more true.

But hey, I won’t deny you or any other fan any feelings of excitement over the possibility that the Cubs do end up making a serious pursuit of free agent starting pitcher Dylan Cease. Chicago baseball insider Bruce Levine already linked the Cubs to Cease and now USA Today’s Bob Nightengale has some additional intel from industry sources, who forecast a huge addition to the Cubs’ starting rotation.

On Monday, Nightengale called the Cubs the biggest sleepers of the offseason and relayed the following whispers coming from front office executives.

Via USA Today.

The Chicago Cubs know that finishing second to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central every year is inexcusable, and with Tucker expected to depart for greater riches, they’ll have plenty of money to burn. They want another corner outfielder, and will be shopping in the expensive aisle for starting pitching, with fellow GMs predicting they could land Framber Valdez and/or Dylan Cease.

Hey, that would be great, however they are not signing Cease AND Framber Valdez. That kind of puts the whole prediction further into question, but it’s kind of obvious why other GMs think the Cubs would be in this market.

I mean, the Cubs should be spending on top free agents and they have the need in the starting rotation. Cease seems like a perfect fit to add to the current rotation and given some of the success by the pitching staff for the Cubs, you’d be led to believe that Cease could elevate his game after a down 2025 season.

But the big question is will the Cubs actually go out and pursue Cease, who is projected to land a deal that guarantees him about $30 million annually over five years at the minimum. The Cubs have not signed a pitcher to a contract worth more than $100 million since 2018, when Theo Epstein signed Yu Darvish to a six-year, $120 million deal.

Meanwhile, if you prefer Valdez as a Cubs target in free agency, he’s also projected to sign a deal between $150 million and $200 million this offseason.

I wish I had more confidence in the team actually giving it a shot with these type of free agents, but seeing the track record by Hoyer, it’s unlikely unless something dramatically changes in the team’s ideology when it comes to free agency. The only route I can realistically see Cease becoming an option for the Cubs is if his market doesn’t end up being as rich as he thought and suddenly becomes more inclined to sign a shorter deal.

Prove us wrong, Cubs. Dylan Cease would be a great signing for this team.

Bruce Levine Sparks Dylan Cease Cubs Rumors

You knew it was only a matter of time before the Chicago Cubs were going to be connected to some big names in free agency and on Saturday Bruce Levine linked the Cubs to a very familiar name in Chicago.

It’s really no surprise that the Cubs will have interest in free agent Dylan Cease as the team has reportedly been trying to get their hands on him since last offseason via trade. There was some smoke in January, when the San Diego Padres were supposedly looking to cut more payroll and the Cubs came up as a potential trade partner. Then, in July the Cubs were one of a handful of teams that checked in with the Padres on the availability of the 2022 Cy Young runner up.

The Cubs have been attempting to add another top of the line pitcher to their starting rotation for a year and Cease will be on their radar this offseason according to Levine.

Cease’s 2025 season was certainly a step back in quality for the right-hander. He was healthy, making 32 starts with San Diego, but Cease struggled to go deep in games, logging a total of 168 innings. That was his lowest innings-total in a season since 2021. Cease only recorded eight quality starts as he ended the year with a 4.55 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a career high 21 home runs allowed.

On the flip side, Cease didn’t necessarily lose quality in his skill set. He struck out 29.8 percent of the batters he faced, had an expected ERA of 3.46 with a 3.56 FIP.

Including his start in the Wild Card Series against the Cubs, Cease finished the 2025 season with a 2.73 ERA over six starts, striking out 37 batters in 29.2 innings.

By now I think most Cubs fans feel like the team won’t ever actually sign pitchers to huge deals and seeing that Cease is represented by Scott Boras no one is expecting some sweet heart deal. So, how could the Cubs actually be a serious suitor for Cease in free agency? Well, being represented by Borad could end up working out for the Cubs. The super agent will hold out for the biggest deals for his clients, but sometimes that backfires.

It’s not necessarily a loss for the players as they’ll still get paid one way or another, but sometimes they have to wait an extra year or two to capitalize. We’ve seen it recently with Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell, who all signed shorter deals with opt outs heading into the 2024 season. Last offseason Pete Alonso went unsigned until February before the slugger signed a three-year deal with the New York Mets that also included opt outs in his contract.

That’s probably where the Cubs will have interest in signing Cease. I’m sure he was looking forward to a mega payday, but there’s no denying that his down 2025 season will create doubt in the market. Before Carlos Rodon, Cease’s former teammate with the White Sox, signed his $162 million contract with the New York Yankees, the left-handed starter signed a two-year, $44 million contract with the San Francisco Giants that as you guessed it included an opt out.

Maybe Cease holds out, looking for a guaranteed longterm deal, but if his market isn’t as strong as he believes, then the Cubs probably do become extremely interested in signing him to a two or three-year deal with a high AAV that gives Cease the opportunity to opt out if he has a great 2026 season.

We’ll see how the Cubs end up factoring into Cease’s free agent market this offseason.

There were whispers near the end of the 2025 season that Chicago Cubs World Series champion Kyle Hendricks was going to retire and now Sun-Times reporter Maddie Lee has confirmed the news.

Hendricks, who pitched for the Los Angeles Angels in 2025, is calling it a career, and retiring after 12 seasons in MLB. The right-hander pitched 11 of those years with the Cubs, making his MLB debut on July 10, 2014. Hendricks recorded a 3.68 ERA in 1,580.1 innings with the Cubs. His best season came in 2016, when Hendricks was the ERA leader among all MLB starting pitchers and then helped the Cubs win the World Series.

Hendricks recorded a 1.42 ERA in five starts during the 2016 postseason, including a masterful performance in Game 6 of the NLCS that clinched the pennant for the Cubs. He also started Game 7 of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians.

Hendricks, 35, was selected in the eighth round of 2011 MLB Draft out of Dartmouth by the Texas Rangers. The Cubs acquired Hendricks at the 2012 trade deadline in a deal that sent Ryan Dempster to the Rangers.

Kyle Hendricks Signs with Angels

Kyle Hendricks has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal for the 2025 season, officially moving on from the Chicago Cubs. 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine first said Hendricks was close to signing a contract and ESPN’s Jesse Rogers confirmed that the beloved Cubs starting pitcher will be with the Los Angeles Angels next season.

According to Rogers, Hendricks and the Angels have agreed to a $2.5 million deal for 2025. Hendricks, who spent 11 seasons with the Cubs, will now go back to the team that originally drafted him out of high school. The Angels selected Hendricks in the 39th round of the 2008 MLB Draft, but Hendricks ultimately turned them down to go to college.

Kyle Hendricks is in agreement with the Angels on a one year, $2.5 million deal, sources tell ESPN. With a young pitching staff, the Angels were very interested in Hendricks helping them along and are hopeful he can find consistency in his game. @MLBBruceLevine first said they…

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) November 6, 2024

This seems like an ideal spot for Hendricks. The soon-to-be 35-year-old was raised in Southern California, so now he’ll be closer to home on a team with low expectations and the ability to mentor an inexperienced pitching staff.

While the overall numbers look ugly for Hendricks in 2024, much of the struggles came in the first couple months of the season before the right-hander went on the injured list with a lower back issue. From June through the end of the season, Hendricks posted a 4.29 ERA in 94.1 innings. His final five starts of the season might have been Hendricks’ best stretch, finishing the year with a 2.89 ERA in 28 innings during September.

It was great to see Hendricks still have something left in the gas tank, but at the same time it’s a good time for both sides to part ways. The Cubs are expected to add to their rotation in free agency, while the fifth spot will be up for grabs among several young pitchers already in the organization.

Hendricks ends his Cubs career with a 3.68 ERA in 1,580.1 innings. He made 11 postseason starts with the Cubs, recording a 3.12 ERA in 57.2 innings, which included an incredible 2016 playoff run when Hendricks had a 1.42 ERA in five starts.

While Hendricks was never an All-Star with the Cubs, he was one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball during his prime. He made his debut on July 10, 2014, and from that date through the 2020 season, the crafty righty posted a 3.12 ERA, which ranked 7th best among all qualified pitchers.

In 2016, Hendricks made 31 starts and logged 190 innings and won the regular season ERA title at 2.13.

Forever a Cubs legend, a World Series hero and all-around good guy. Good luck to The Professor.

Chicago Cubs free agent Justin Turner was a late bloomer, breaking out in the majors until 2014, in his age-29 season and now the veteran hitter is eyeing an 18th season playing in MLB. After a mediocre year with the Cubs in 2025, Turner still believes he has something left in the tank despite his 41st birthday coming up at the end of November.

The Cubs signed Turner to a one-year deal that included a mutual option for 2026. That clause was mainly used to spread out Turner’s $6 million guaranteed salary that included $4 million for the 2025 season and a $2 million buyout for his 2026 option.

Turner was fine in his role as a bench bat for the Cubs, mostly getting playing time against left-handed pitching. While the bat wasn’t as potent as the team would have liked there’s no doubt that Turner’s presence in the clubhouse helped as he also embraced a leadership role and served as a mentor to the young players on the Cubs.

Overall in 2025, Turner had a slash line of .219/.288/.314, with three home runs in 80 games.

Turner was the fifth oldest player in MLB during the 2025 season.

Cubs Sign Justin Turner

Not necessarily a backup plan to Alex Bregman, but after losing out on him the Cubs have pivoted to veteran hitter Justin Turner, reportedly signing the two-time all-star and World Series champion to a free agent deal.

The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney was first to report on Tuesday that the two sides were close to an agreement.

The Chicago Cubs are close to an agreement with Justin Turner, a source briefed on the negotiations told The Athletic. Turner, 40, is a highly accomplished hitter who wants to play in Chicago and will bring extensive playoff experience to the club.

— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) February 18, 2025

ESPN 1000’s David Kaplan and Bleacher Nation’s Michael Cerami confirmed the signing a few minutes later.

Justin Turner to the Cubs is done. Per me and @Michael_Cerami More on @ESPN1000 at 9:00 a.m.

— David Kaplan (@thekapman) February 18, 2025

Turner, who turned 40-years-old in November, has still been good at the plate in the later stages of his career. In 2024 he played for the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. The right-handed hitter ended the season with a 117 wRC+, slashing .259/.354/.383, and after Turner was traded to the Mariners he raised his numbers to the tune of a .766 OPS with a slash line of .264/.363/.403.

Mooney reports that it’s a $6 million deal for Turner.

Source: The Chicago Cubs are finalizing a one-year, $6 million agreement with Justin Turner, adding a solid, established hitter as part of their post-Alex Bregman pivot. https://t.co/gfwc4r7zwm

— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) February 18, 2025

Turner will now serve as a great bench bat for the Cubs, while also having the ability to backup Michael Busch at first base.

2024 Justin Turner Pursuit

Justin Turner was linked to the Chicago Cubs on Monday, but one of the other interested teams has come away with the 39-year-old hitter. According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, Turner is signing a one-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Turner hit 23 home runs with the Boston Red Sox in 2023, posting a 114 wRC+ in 146 games. The veteran slugger, who is now primarily a designated hitter, declined a player option to return to the Red Sox this offseason, passing up $13.4 million and receiving a $6.7 million buyout from Boston to once again test free agency.

As discussed below, the Cubs mention from Morosi on Monday for Turner’s services didn’t exactly match up with previous reports of what the team has been targeting in free agency. While the Cubs need to add at least one more proven hitter, the team and sources around the league have indicated that they are trying to acquire left-handed hitting.

Also, at this point it would also be advantageous to add a legit threat at the plate who can play third base. While Turner has been solid even in his later years, he is no longer a viable option to play the hot corner anymore, at least not on semi-regular basis. Turner started a total of seven games at third base last year in Boston.

(Previous Update)

This was an interesting link Monday morning. Apparently veteran hitter and now primary DH, Justin Turner is seemingly close to signing a free agent deal and the Chicago Cubs were brought up by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.

Turner, now 39-years-old, signed with the Boston Red Sox for the 2023 season and turned in a solid year at the plate. The right-handed hitter slashed .276/.345/.455, with 23 home runs in 146 games. Despite a bit of regression, Turner finished 2023 with a 114 wRC+. He may not be the beast that he once was with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Turner has certainly been a productive hitter later in his career.

However, would this still be a good fit for the Cubs in 2024? After trading for Michael Busch and the front office making it clear that the former top Dodgers prospect will be getting every-day playing time with the Cubs to begin the season, right-handed first baseman Rhys Hoskins suddenly fell off the team’s radar.

Hoskins ended up signing a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Busch is expected to get the majority of his playing time at first base with the Cubs. Turner, who was once a cornerstone at third base with the Dodgers through the 2010s, is pretty much a full-time DH nowadays, while also getting into the lineup at first base. During the 2023 season with the Red Sox, Turner started 98 games at DH, 35 at first, 7 at third base and 4 at second base.

So, if the Cubs pretty much passed on Hoskins to come in as a backup first baseman and DH option, would they pay up for a 39-year-old Justin Turner?

Last offseason, Turner signed a one-year deal with Boston that included a player option worth $13.4 million for 2024. Turner declined the option for this season and instead took a $6.7 million buyout after earning a base salary of $8.3 million in 2023.

I’m assuming Turner is after another one-year deal and will probably want $10+ million.

If the Cubs really are interested, then what happens to Christopher Morel? Does it mean the Cubs have confidence in him playing good enough defense at third base to get consistent playing time? Does it mean the Cubs are actually going to give Busch more run at third base after his own defensive struggles at the hot corner and open up more at-bats at first base for Turner?

This Cubs connection just doesn’t completely line up with what the Cubs have been publicly saying they are looking for in free agency. All we’ve seen is how the Cubs want another left-handed hitter and Cody Bellinger remains at the top of that wishlist.

I obviously wouldn’t mind the addition of Turner, but if the Cubs go that direction, I’d prefer the better and a few years younger slugger J.D. Martinez instead.

We’ll see how real this inclusion of the Cubs in the Justin Turner bidding really is and that might be sooner rather than later.