The Cubs’ offseason has already started to take shape on the pitching side, and the first move is a familiar kind of bet from Jed Hoyer.
Chicago signed Gabe Klobosits to a minor-league deal over the weekend, bringing back a pitcher who spent last summer with the Iowa Cubs. Klobosits made 27 appearances for the I-Cubs and posted a 3.51 ERA.
He missed bats at a strong clip, striking out nearly 27% of the hitters he faced, but the command still needs work after he walked more than 13% of those batters. With more refinement, he could turn into a bullpen project for 2027.
Klobosits is not on the Cubs’ 40-man roster, which matters because it would allow the team to communicate with him this offseason if a work stoppage is in effect on December 2.
Chicago is expected to spend this winter in the market for pitching help, with Tarik Skubal among the names the Cubs are expected to pursue. Michael King and Freddy Peralta also figure to be in that conversation, but Hoyer is also likely to keep looking for lower-cost arms with upside.
Elsewhere, a former Cub just landed a massive payday overseas.
Franmil Reyes, who spent time with Chicago in 2022, signed a four-year, $40 million deal with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. That makes him the highest-paid player in NPB history. Reyes has turned into a home run machine in Japan, launching 89 homers over his last three seasons there.
His major league career never settled into a clear shape. Reyes showed real pop, including two seasons with more than 30 home runs between 2019 and 2021, but that power faded later on. In his Cubs stint, he hit .234/.301/.389 with five home runs in 193 plate appearances.
There’s also still some uncertainty around Clay Holmes. Thursday brought word that he declined his $12 million player option and became a free agent, but the Cubs transaction log over the weekend and MLBPA press releases have not yet shown him officially as one.
That could simply be a paperwork delay. It could also mean the Cubs and Holmes are working on an extension that would include him picking up his player option for 2027. Either way, the situation should be cleared up by Monday.
In Other News...
Cubs Interest In Tarik Skubal Raises A Frustrating Offseason Question
The Cubs are at least in the conversation for the biggest name on the pitching market, with Jeff Passan reporting interest in Tarik Skubal as the left-hander heads toward free agency. Skubal sits atop this offseasons class and is expected to land a contract that could reset the market, which naturally puts Chicago in a familiar spot: intrigued by the fit, but aware of the price tag.
For a team still looking to strengthen its rotation, the appeal is obvious. The frustration is just as clear, because the Cubs acknowledge they may not be able to keep pace with the kind of bidding that figures to come from clubs such as the Dodgers and Mets before the Dec. 1 lockout. That leaves Chicago weighing ambition against reality, and wondering whether being linked to the markets best pitcher will amount to anything more than a brief, expensive flirtation. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Suddenly Look Like A Serious Threat In This Rotation Chase
The Cubs are staring at a winter that could reshape their rotation in a hurry, with much of the staff headed toward free agency and a long list of familiar names potentially on the move. That reality has pushed Chicago into the market for high-end pitching, and it has naturally led to Tarik Skubal, the kind of ace who could anchor a staff for years if a team is willing to pay the price.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Cubs have interest in Skubal, but the expected cost could be the sticking point. A deal in the range of more than $300 million would put Chicago in a difficult spot, especially with the Dodgers and Mets also looming as major players in the chase. For the Cubs, it is the kind of decision that could define not just the offseason, but the direction of the rotation for a long stretch beyond it. [Read more 🡒]
Druw Jones Is Giving Diamondbacks Fans Another Reason To Believe
The minor league Gold Glove awards handed out this week were a reminder that defensive value still matters, even in an era when prospect buzz often starts and ends with the bat. Among the nine winners recognized across different farm systems, the list included some of the games more closely watched young talents, from Franklin Arias to Josiah Hartshorn and Caden Bodine, but Druw Jones stood out for a different reason. He was honored for the second straight year, a sign that his glove continues to travel well as he works his way through the minors.
For Diamondbacks fans, that kind of consistency is easy to appreciate because Jones has long been viewed as one of the organizations most intriguing long-term pieces. The offensive upside will always be part of the conversation, but awards like this keep reinforcing the idea that his defensive profile is already carrying real weight. Arizona is still waiting to see how all of it comes together, and this latest recognition gives the fan base another reason to keep believing there is more coming. [Read more 🡒]