The Dylan Cease-to-Toronto deal might have included some deferred money to ease the present-day financial hit, but the message it sent was loud and clear: the Chicago Cubs were never truly in the running. Not because Cease wouldn’t have been a fit on the North Side, but because the Cubs’ front office seems to be playing a different game - one that leans toward value, cost control, and long-term flexibility over big-ticket free agent splashes.
That philosophy is becoming clearer by the day. Rather than throwing top dollar at an aging frontline starter like Framber Valdez or Ranger Suárez, the Cubs appear to be eyeing a more strategic path. Names like Tatsuya Imai have surfaced as potential targets, but early signs suggest Chicago isn’t thrilled with the financial demands tied to his market.
So if Cease wasn’t the move, and the Cubs are hesitant to dive into the deep end of the free-agent pool, where does that leave them? Likely targeting the next tier of arms - and that’s where Michael King enters the picture.
King has been pegged by many, including MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, as a near-perfect fit for the Cubs. And it’s easy to see why.
He checks a lot of boxes: upside, swing-and-miss stuff, and the ability to slot into the top half of a rotation. If Chicago’s goal is to land a pitcher who can grow with their core rather than age out of it, King might be the guy.
Now, let’s be clear - King isn’t without risk. He’s coming off a season where he logged over 170 innings, which was his first full campaign as a starter.
Prior to that, a pinched nerve limited him to just 15 starts with San Diego. That’s going to keep his price tag a little more reasonable than someone like Cease, but it also makes him a gamble - albeit one with a higher ceiling than, say, last offseason’s swing at Matthew Boyd.
What makes King particularly intriguing is his strikeout profile. He’s not just good - he’s elite when it comes to missing bats. With a career strikeout rate hovering around 27% and a swinging strike rate north of 30%, King brings something the Cubs rotation sorely lacks: electricity.
Right now, Chicago’s starting staff is built around inducing weak contact. It’s a strategy that can work over 162 games - until it doesn’t.
Come October, when lineups are deeper and mistakes get punished, you need arms that can miss bats in big moments. That was evident in the NLDS when Shota Imanaga’s ground-ball-heavy approach didn’t play in a win-or-go-home Game 5 against the Brewers.
Without the ability to dominate hitters, the Cubs were left without a true go-to arm in a critical spot.
That’s what makes King so appealing. He represents a shift in approach - a pitcher who can change the dynamic of the rotation with his stuff alone.
Financially, the Cubs still have room to work. They’re roughly $40 million under the first luxury tax threshold, giving them the flexibility to make King their marquee addition this winter without compromising future moves.
So while Cease might have been a name fans circled early, the Cubs’ front office seems to be playing the long game. And if that game ends with Michael King in a Cubs uniform, it could be a move that pays off not just in 2025 - but for years to come.