The Chicago Cubs saw Shota Imanaga opt out of his contract and then accept a qualifying offer. And while he will be back next season, the Cubs are still looking to add to the rotation.
During an appearance on “Hot Stove,” MLB insider Jon Morosi revealed that the Cubs are targeting both Michael King and Dylan Cease in free agency, despite retaining Imanaga.
“There is going to be one more significant pitcher added to this list between now and Opening Day,” Morosi said, referencing the Cubs’ rotation options. “Michael King has been on the Cubs’ mind. Dylan Cease has been on their mind.”
Both Cease and King rejected qualifying offers from the Padres and would be upgrades over some of the Cubs’ current rotation options. Along with Imanaga, Justin Steele is expected to be back, Matthew Boyd will look to build on an All-Star season, and Cade Horton will look to build on a strong rookie season. However, Cease and King would be upgrades over Colin Rea, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad.
Cease did not have his best season this year, but still managed to strike out 215 batters. He has been a Cy Young Award candidate twice in his career and has made at least 30 starts in each of the last five seasons. He leads all of baseball in strikeouts since 2022.
King’s first full year as a starter was in 2024. He had a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts a year ago and received Cy Young Award votes for the first time in his career. However, last season, he only made 15 starts and dealt with injuries for most of the year. He had a 3.44 ERA, but he can still be an effective starter.
Morosi noted that both pitchers are on the Cubs’ minds. Either one would upgrade their rotation as a whole, but both will be expensive. Since they declined the qualifying offer, on top of paying either one, the Cubs would lose draft picks.
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