Chicago Cubs Predicted to Sign Cy Young Award Winner in Offseason

The Chicago Cubs have to land a few high-end players in the upcoming offseason for multiple reasons.

Mar 28, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) delivers a pitch against the Oakland Athletics during the third inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs have been playing better baseball in recent weeks, a promising sign after what they showed for much of the campaign. They've lost two straight games, which isn't ideal, but if they can get back on track shortly, they still have an outside chance of making the postseason. It doesn't seem likely, given they're five games out in the Wild Card in the middle of August, but much crazier has happened. 

At the very least, the Cubs have to find a way to get some momentum rolling into 2025. Jed Hoyer, President of Baseball Operations, indicated during the trade deadline that he was looking to improve the team for the 2025 season and did just that with some of his moves. 

However, what he does during the offseason will ultimately be the reason the team does or doesn't find success next year. 

Looking back at some of the moves he made during the offseason in 2023, it isn't too surprising why Chicago has struggled the way they have. They didn't do enough, even though they were linked to many of the top players on the market. This time around, they can't fail and lose out on guys.

Michael Brakebill of FanSided doesn't believe that'll be the case, predicting that they'll sign Shane Bieber.

"The Chicago Cubs will have enough money coming off the books this winter to spend on two relievers and a starting pitcher. They are not a team that likes to go over the luxury tax, and if it wasn't for their bullpen woes earlier in the year, they are likely in the thick of the Wild Card race at the very least at this juncture. 

"The Cubs aren't as far away from contention as their record would indicate; they are 20-12 in their last 32 and currently just 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Once healthy, adding a frontline starter in Shane Bieber will be the perfect compliment to pair with Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga. The Cubs were loosely connected last winter, but Cleveland opted to hold on."

Bieber has been one of the better pitchers in Major League Baseball over the past few years, but he's also dealt with multiple injuries in that span. He's been out since April after undergoing UCL surgery and won't pitch again in 2024.

When healthy, there's a strong argument that he's one of the best in baseball. He won a Cy Young in 2020, where he struck out 122 hitters in 77 1/3 innings pitched. His other best campaign came in 2022, where he struck out 198 hitters in 200 innings pitched.

The Cubs have a decent starting rotation, but finding another top-of-the-line guy is never a bad idea, so expect them to be in the mix for one in the offseason.