Barring a setback, the Cubs should have Dansby Swanson back next weekend, and that’s a meaningful boost for a defense that already sits among the league’s best. The Gold Glove shortstop has missed time, but the glove has remained the constant through a season that’s had plenty of swings in the other direction.
Swanson’s year has been a little bit of everything. He pushed through one of the longest slumps of his major league career, then caught fire for a week in a stretch that landed in the record books, all while doing what he always does at shortstop: make it look routine.
That’s why the conversation around him this time of year gets interesting. As front offices start thinking about the offseason, bad contract swaps inevitably come up.
For the Cubs, the more obvious needs are in two outfield spots and a lot of pitching. Swanson’s deal still doesn’t really belong in the “bad” bucket yet, though if his offense slips again in 2027, that could change in a hurry.
Even so, a swap involving Swanson feels like a long shot.
Chicago’s 2027 pitching picture is messy enough already. Cade Horton is expected to miss most of that season, if not all of it.
Justin Steele is slated to return, but there are still questions attached. Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown both come with real health concerns, and that leaves the rotation anything but settled.
The bullpen doesn’t need much explanation; its problems have been picked apart all season. That area is going to be a major focus for Jed Hoyer this winter. But if the Cubs were to get creative with a bad-contract exchange, it would almost certainly have to be aimed at starting pitching, not relief help.
Spencer Strider could fit the idea, though the Cubs don’t need more uncertainty in the rotation. A Carlos Rodon swap could make some sense, especially with the Yankees’ questions in the middle infield. Still, both options bring their own baggage, and Swanson remains too important to the Cubs’ identity for this to feel realistic.
Hoyer isn’t likely to spend the winter shopping one of the most important veterans on the roster.
In Other News...
Cubs Have An October Bullpen Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Cubs look like a club built to be in October, especially once Dansby Swanson is back in the mix and the lineup can lean on its position-player depth. But for all the reasons this team has stayed in the race, the pitching staff still hangs over the picture, and the bullpen has become the clearest source of unease as the calendar turns toward the postseason.
Daniel Palencias recent dip has only sharpened the concern, because the late innings are where a contender has to feel steady and the Cubs have not quite reached that point. Even if the rest of the roster keeps trending in the right direction, this is the part of the season where Chicago may have to sort through alternative relief options quickly if the current group does not firm up. [Read more 🡒]
Which Cubs Bats Really Belong In The Teams Long Term Core
The Cubs young core has been a source of optimism all summer, and the conversation around who might still be standing when this group reaches its peak is starting to sharpen. Pete Crow-Armstrong sits at the center of it after a breakout trajectory that has him looking like the sort of player who can drive an offense for years, while Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch have given the lineup a more established middle-order feel. Add in Nico Hoerners consistency and the club has enough proven talent to make the long-term picture look a lot sturdier than it did not long ago.
What makes the discussion interesting is how many different timelines the Cubs are juggling at once. Alex Bregman brings a veteran layer to the mix, while Owen Ayers, Angel Cepeda, Ethan Conrad and Josiah Hartshorn represent the next wave of possibilities the organization is trying to sort through. If Crow-Armstrong keeps trending the way evaluators expect, and if the rest of the group continues to develop around him, the Cubs may soon have more than one player capable of turning award buzz into something that defines the rosters core for the next several seasons. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Bullpen Decision Is Suddenly Getting Harder To Ignore
Gavin Hollowell has quietly worked his way back into the Cubs bullpen conversation while finishing his recovery from right shoulder inflammation. The right-hander has already logged three rehab appearances with Triple-A Iowa, and that matters because Chicago has been forced to keep shuffling relief options as it tries to protect a staff that has been thinned out by injuries and constant coverage concerns.
Before the shoulder issue, Hollowell was giving the Cubs real reason to trust him, posting a 2.51 ERA in 14.1 innings and a 1.42 mark over his last 13 games. With Edward Cabrera activated from the injured list and Trent Thornton going onto the 15-day injured list, the roster picture has only gotten tighter, and Hollowell is now one of the names most likely to be pulled back into the mix alongside Javier Assad. [Read more 🡒]