The Cubs are staring at an uncomfortable reality before the offseason even really gets rolling. ESPN’s way-too-early MLB power rankings for 2027 dropped Chicago all the way to No. 17, a placement that serves as a blunt reminder of how far the gap still looks between the Cubs and the Brewers.
That gap was obvious in 2026. Milwaukee finished 14 games ahead of Chicago in the regular season, then backed it up in October by looking like the best team in baseball throughout the playoffs.
For the Cubs, closing that kind of distance was always going to be a tough assignment. ESPN’s list suggests it may be even tougher than that.
The biggest reason for the low ranking is simple: the projection leans heavily on who is actually under contract for 2027. And that picture is not especially flattering for Chicago. Every starter in the Cubs’ rotation at season’s end is headed for free agency, and the team also could be looking at life without Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, or Carson Kelly as its starting catcher.
That leaves the Cubs with a roster picture that looks thin on paper. FanGraphs’ RosterResource currently has Matt Shaw and BJ Murray Jr. as the starting outfielders, with Pedro Ramirez slotted in as the full-time DH. The bench, as projected there, includes Owen Ayers, Gabriel Arias, Kevin Alcantara, and Justin Dean.
The rotation projection is just as rough. It features Justin Steele, Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown, Javier Assad, and Braxton Garrett.
Like ESPN, FanGraphs is working from the players the Cubs have under control for 2027, not the roster the team is expected to have once the offseason moves start coming. That’s why these projections are more of a snapshot than a final verdict. The lineup, bench, and rotation figures to look different soon enough.
Still, the message is hard to miss. The Brewers have been ahead of the Cubs for much of the past decade, and if Jed Hoyer and company are going to change that pattern, this is the offseason to do it. If they miss, 2027 could end up being the final year of his current run leading the organization.
In Other News...
Cubs Face A Risky Offseason Debate They Cannot Afford To Botch
The Cubs are heading into an offseason where the usual free-agent shopping list may not offer much help, which is why the front office is likely to spend as much time weighing trades as it does scanning the market. That makes the prospect pool even more important. Chicago has spent years trying to build and preserve enough young talent to support the next winning core, and names like Josiah Hartshorn, Owen Ayers and Brooks Caple are the kind of pieces that can make a deal tempting and dangerous at the same time.
For a club that has already lived through the pain of trades that did not age well, the lesson is pretty clear: if the Cubs are going to move a top prospect, the return has to fit both the present and the future. Pitching depth is especially valuable with more arms moving toward free agency, and the organization cannot afford to strip away too much of it while trying to patch holes elsewhere. The challenge now is finding improvement without giving up the kind of young talent that could matter just as much a year or two from now. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs May Be Signaling A Bigger Bullpen Plan Overseas
The Cubs appear to be looking beyond the usual winter bullpen market, with reports tying them to Tseng Jyun-Yue, a 24-year-old closer from the Fubon Guardians in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. Chicago has been active in searching for relief help, and this kind of overseas interest suggests the front office is keeping an open mind as it tries to deepen a group that can never really have too much depth.
Tseng has built a strong track record in Taiwan, posting a career 2.36 ERA while handling the ninth inning for the Guardians, but he has not yet thrown a pitch in the major leagues. If the Cubs move forward, the expected structure is straightforward enough: a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, giving the organization a low-risk look at a pitcher who could become more than a flyer if the stuff translates. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Could Finally Target The Bullpen Fix Fans Have Wanted
The Cubs are heading into the winter with a familiar kind of need, and it starts on the mound. After the World Series, the front office is looking at ways to strengthen a pitching staff that already has some bullpen pieces back in place, while also dealing with open rotation spots after Matthew Boyd and Clay Holmes declined their options. That combination gives Chicago a chance to reshape the staff rather than simply patch it together.
One name that fits the conversation is Adrian Morejon, a reliever whose recent work has put him near the top of the free-agent market for teams looking to deepen the late innings. He checks a lot of the boxes the Cubs have been missing in the bullpen, and his profile suggests he could be a meaningful upgrade if they decide to get aggressive. The challenge, as always, is that a pitcher with that kind of appeal is unlikely to sit there for long, and Chicago may have to move quickly if it wants to be part of the bidding. [Read more 🡒]