For the Cubs, the Mason Miller conversation starts with a simple truth: fixing the bullpen is going to cost a lot.
Chicago’s offseason priority is obvious after an early playoff exit and a September slide that cost the club the top NL Wild Card spot to the San Diego Padres. And once the Padres handled Craig Counsell’s team in short order, the Cubs were left staring at two problems at once. The offense went quiet, but the pitching staff was also exposed as a major weak point.
That’s why the idea of landing Padres All-Star closer Mason Miller keeps resurfacing as a potential answer. He’s exactly the kind of late-game weapon the Cubs have been missing, and he’d be under control through 2029.
A recent FanSided trade proposal had Chicago sending two notable prospects to San Diego: Josiah Hartshorn and Jaxon Wiggins.
At first glance, that kind of deal does not feel like enough.
Wiggins is the easier name to part with in the hypothetical. The right-hander’s health history has already tempered expectations, and he didn’t exactly post eye-popping numbers this season.
He got a late start, then made 22 appearances, including 11 starts, across three levels, with most of his work coming at Iowa. In Triple-A, he logged a 7.83 ERA over 33 1/3 innings.
He did strike out more than a batter per inning, but control was a problem. The piece suggests he’d likely begin the 2027 season back in Des Moines in search of better consistency.
Hartshorn is the harder pill to swallow. He made a major jump in prospect standing this year, moving from A-ball to Double-A and putting together a strong offensive season along the way. In 562 plate appearances, he hit .284/.407/.518 with 23 home runs, 26 doubles and 112 RBI.
That’s the kind of prospect the Cubs could build around, alongside likely 2026 NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong. But if Chicago really wants a premier bullpen fix, that’s the price range it has to enter. Any serious pursuit of Miller is going to require the Cubs’ top prospect and more.
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Cubs Offseason Wish List Starts With A World Series Shortlist
The Cubs offseason shopping list is already starting to take shape, and it begins with a familiar type of target: players who just spent October on the biggest stage. If Chicago wants to add pitching and a little more offensive depth, the pool could include arms and bats from clubs that reached the World Series, giving the front office a chance to shop for proven talent without wandering too far outside the top tier of the market.
Freddy Peralta, Dustin May and Griffin Jax all fit the kind of pitching conversation the Cubs are likely to have, while Jake Bauers offers a different angle as a left-handed bat with some familiarity in a postseason environment. None of those names come with simple answers, since contract status and availability will shape what is actually realistic, but that is exactly why this part of the winter matters for Chicago. The Cubs do not need a long wish list so much as the right short list, and these are the kinds of names that can quickly move from speculation to real pursuit. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cubs Pitcher Ended Up With Championship Hardware Somehow
Jake Woodfords 2026 season turned into one of those strange baseball footnotes that only make sense after the parade ends. The right-hander logged brief stints with the Brewers, Cubs and Rays, moving through three clubs in a year where little went his way on the mound, and his overall numbers reflected the struggle with a 7.81 ERA and 4.51 FIP across 19 appearances.
Even so, the season ended with a twist few would have forecast at the start. Woodford wound up in the Rays organization just in time to collect championship hardware when Tampa Bay won the World Series, giving the former Cubs pitcher a ring from a year that otherwise looked like a grind from beginning to end. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs May Have Found A Left Field Fix With One Big Catch
The Cubs have spent the winter searching for a cleaner answer in left field, and Steven Kwan is the kind of name that naturally fits their wish list. The Guardians outfielder brings the sort of steady defense and on-base reliability that can stabilize a corner spot, and he also comes with the kind of affordability that can matter when a front office is trying to balance upgrades across the roster.
Kwan is not a loud fit on paper, though, which is exactly why this idea has some nuance. The bat comes with limitations, and any trade pursuit would force the Cubs to decide how much they value the glove and the discipline at the plate over more impact in the lineup. For now, it remains a realistic conversation rather than a finished deal, but it is the type of swing that could tell you a lot about how aggressively Chicago wants to solve left field. [Read more 🡒]