3 Starting Pitchers Who Fit Chicago Cubs Mold They Can Target in Free Agency

Who could the Chicago Cubs target this offseason to help bolster their starting pitching rotation?

Apr 26, 2022; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Truist Park. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs feel like a team that is on the cusp of being playoff contenders in the National League.

Had their bullpen figured things out a little earlier or it didn’t take their lineup so long to warm up, they could have certainly been in a better position for a wild card spot. Alas, they matched their win total from 2023 and missed the playoffs for a fourth straight year.

One part of the team that was clicking throughout the campaign was their starting rotation. The Cubs received stellar production from all of their key long-term pieces such as Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad.

Veteran Kyle Hendricks struggled and will likely not be brought back. That leaves a spot in the rotation open, one that the team should aggressively look to fill.

Who could fit the bill? Chicago has a very specific mold of starting pitchers they seek out, and these three players could fit it.

Nathan Eovaldi

It certainly wouldn’t hurt to bring in another experienced option with extensive playoff and championship experience. Hendricks’s production slipped, but there was still a lot of positives he brought to the clubhouse.

Eovaldi would help compensate for those losses. He will be 35 during the 2025 campaign, making him a bit of a stopgap option. But he would be a nice addition given his high-level consistency.

A two-time World Series champ, he would bring reliability to a rotation lacking postseason experience.

Max Fried

The Cubs have arguably the best left-handed duo with Steele and Imanaga; why not turn that into the best left-handed trio? The Atlanta Braves star is coming off a very strong year, earning his first All-Star appearance.

Like Eovaldi, Fried also has World Series experience, arguably the toughest thing to replace should Hendricks leave. Chicago poached one Braves star a few years ago in free agency signing shortstop Dansby Swanson; can they do it again?

He would be costly but worth the price as he is in the middle of his prime.

Walker Buehler

If the Cubs want to take a swing on a high-upside pitcher who has provided ace production previously, the Los Angeles Dodgers star is their guy. His market will be a fascinating one to keep an eye on.

Buehler has two All-Stars and a World Series ring on his resume; he will be helping his team try and capture a second this year. But he has made only 28 regular season starts in the last three campaigns.

He has been knocking off the rust in the playoffs, making two starts. In his most recent against the New York Mets, he showed that top-of-the-rotation talent. Another start like that against the New York Yankees and multi-year offers could start piling up in free agency.