As the Cubs push toward October, the focus naturally starts to split in two. There’s the push for the postseason, sure, but there’s also the reality waiting on the other side of the final game: an offseason that could get messy fast if the looming CBA situation freezes the market.
ESPN recently polled players, and the consensus was that a lockout is coming once the CBA expires on December 1. That would slam the brakes on offseason business, which means clubs have a window to move before everything gets stuck in place. It’s the same kind of scramble that played out the last time the CBA expired, when the Cubs jumped early and signed Marcus Stroman to a three-year deal on the day the previous agreement ran out in 2021.
For Chicago, the priority list is pretty clear.
The first order of business should be Seiya Suzuki. There may be a player or two willing to gamble on what the market looks like after the new CBA, but Suzuki doesn’t fit that mold.
He isn’t represented by Scott Boras, and the sense here is that he values comfort enough to want his free agency settled before the uncertainty hits. He’s still in line for a strong payday, and the Cubs ought to be pushing hard to make that happen.
Clay Holmes has to be next.
If Tarik Skubal gets his deal done before the current CBA expires, Holmes could follow quickly. If Skubal waits, Holmes probably waits too.
Either way, Holmes needs to sit at the top of the Cubs’ list. Chicago has holes all over the pitching staff, and getting Holmes back early would give the front office at least one piece of stability while it works through the search for starting pitching.
Then there’s catcher, where the Cubs should be looking for a veteran addition.
The ideal outcome would be a reunion with Carson Kelly. Even with Suzuki and Holmes ahead of him in the pecking order, that feels like a real possibility, especially given the kind of success Kelly has had over the last two seasons.
A healthy multi-year deal is likely waiting for him somewhere. The Cubs may feel fine looking ahead to a Miguel Amaya and Owen Ayers tandem in 2027, but Amaya’s struggles over the last month are a reminder that they need more at the position.
And no matter how quickly Ayers develops, Chicago can’t go into the future thin there.
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For Cubs followers eyeing the broader National League picture, the appeal is familiar because this is the same kind of spotlight Pete Crow-Armstrong and Fernando Tatis Jr. often attract. Anthonys recent run has made him part of that discussion, with the article weighing his current production against the pitching he is set to face and leaving the question of whether the moment turns into another long ball tease or something more to play out. [Read more 🡒]
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Edward Cabrera has added another layer to the mix, though his recent minor league work has not been especially smooth as he adjusts to relief. For a Chicago staff that is trying to map out innings with the regular season winding down, the question is no longer just who is healthy enough to return, but which of these arms can actually give the Cubs a usable late-season bullpen answer when they need it most. [Read more 🡒]
Seiya Suzuki Is Forcing A Big Cubs Decision In Right Field
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The challenge is that the alternatives inside the organization are not especially comforting, which leaves the front office weighing outside help against the cost of keeping a bat like Suzukis in house. His next contract could land in the same neighborhood as comparable hitters such as Cody Bellinger, and the Cubs will have to decide how aggressively they want to pay for certainty in an outfield that already has another pending free agent and little obvious replacement depth behind them. Add in the financial haze of a possible lockout on the horizon, and this could become one of the more important calls Chicago makes over the next couple of seasons. [Read more 🡒]