The Chicago Cubs know the offseason has to bring more than fine-tuning.
Jed Hoyer has already said the roster is unbalanced and needs work, and after a season that showed plenty of promise but still fell short of the World Series, the Cubs are facing decisions in more than one area. Pitching has been the loudest need, but there are also choices to make on the position-player side. Free agency will be part of the plan, but the trade market could be where Chicago looks for a real jolt.
One place the Cubs could upgrade is behind the plate. The catching group was adequate this season, with Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya splitting the workload, but Kelly is now a free agent. That opens the door to a bigger swing, and Hunter Goodman is the kind of name that makes sense if Chicago wants to chase upside.
Goodman is coming off a career year with the Colorado Rockies, and it came in the middle of a brutal season for that club, which finished 58-104. Goodman, though, was excellent.
He hit 41 home runs in 2026, becoming just the 7th catcher in MLB history to do that in a season. A trade for him would give the Cubs a clear answer at catcher, even if it would take a significant package to pry him loose.
It would also give Chicago a lineup boost that is hard to ignore. The idea of pairing Goodman with Pete Crow-Armstrong gives the Cubs two 40-home-run bats, which is part of why his appeal is so obvious. If the Cubs made that move, they could build out a catching group that includes Goodman, Amaya, and possibly call-up Owen Ayers.
Pitching, though, is the real center of gravity here, and the Cubs need help both in the rotation and the bullpen. The team tried to stabilize things by trading for Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman, but there’s no guarantee either returns. Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels has drawn plenty of attention, and Shane McClanahan is another arm worth watching.
McClanahan would check a major box for Chicago: left-handed pitching. In 2026, he went 10-7 with a 3.36 ERA and 106 strikeouts.
His injury history is part of the equation, but that also makes him more attainable, especially with the Tampa Bay Rays’ pitching depth. If the Cubs landed him, he would fit as a third- or fourth-starter type and give the rotation a clear lift.
If Chicago wants a difference-maker at the back end of games, Mason Miller is the name that jumps off the page. The San Diego Padres’ bullpen was one of the best in baseball, and Miller was a huge part of that run. He’s 28, in his prime, and he put together a 2026 season with 38 saves and a 1.67 ERA.
Miller would give the Cubs exactly what they have been missing since Aroldis Chapman: a true high-end closer. That move would also let Daniel Palenica slide into a setup role, which may suit him better after a rough 2026-27. A healthy Palenica working the seventh and eighth innings with Miller finishing games would instantly reshape the bullpen.
The appeal is obvious. Miller throws triple-digit heat, and the raw stuff is as nasty as it gets. The Cubs have long lacked that kind of arm, and if they want to compete at the highest level, it’s the sort of move that can change the feel of an entire bullpen.
Then there’s Logan Gilbert, who brings a different kind of value. The Seattle Mariners right-hander struck out 200 batters this season for the second time in his career, and that kind of swing-and-miss profile is something the Cubs have not typically chased. Chicago has usually leaned toward groundball pitchers, but Gilbert’s arsenal could make them reconsider.
His splitter and sweeping slider do most of the heavy lifting, and he can also reach high heat with his fastball. Last season, he went 12-11 with a 3.73 ERA and 205 strikeouts.
The record doesn’t tell the whole story, and his ability to miss bats would make him a strong addition. If the Cubs go after pitching upgrades, Gilbert could slot in as a reliable fourth or fifth starter.
In Other News...
David Ross Is Facing A Tough Test To Get Another Shot
David Ross has spent the past couple of seasons away from the dugout, settling into his role as an MLB analyst for ESPN after being dismissed by the Cubs in 2023. Still, his name is back in circulation as the Mariners look for a new manager following their split with Dan Wilson, and that alone says plenty about how Ross remains viewed around the game despite his time away from coaching.
Rosss four years on the North Side produced a 262-284 regular-season record, along with a division title in 2020, a rsum that gives him both a point of pride and a few questions to answer if he wants another shot. If Seattle does move forward with him among its candidates, the conversation will be less about what he was in Chicago and more about whether he is the right fit to guide a club trying to reset after a managerial change. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Offseason Search For Proven October Help Could Reshape This Roster
The Cubs are headed into an offseason that figures to be more about targeted change than minor tweaks after their Wild Card exit. Chicagos front office is expected to look for ways to add more proven October presence, and that means weighing names with real postseason track records as it tries to build a roster better suited for pressure games in the spring and fall.
Nathan Eovaldi, Bryce Harper and Teoscar Hernandez have surfaced as the kinds of players who could alter the conversation around this team, even if they are not all equally attainable. Harper may be a long shot, but Eovaldi and Hernandez look like more realistic possibilities, which is where the real intrigue starts for the Cubs. If they want to close the gap between a playoff berth and a deeper run, the next few months could bring some bold swings. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cubs Infielders Just Reopened An Old Roster Debate
Miles Mastrobuoni and Vidal Brujan have both hit minor-league free agency, according to the MiLB transactions log, and that alone reopens a familiar Cubs roster debate about depth in the infield. Both players spent time in Chicago as utility options, the sort of move that can look useful in the moment but rarely settles the bigger question of whether the club has enough dependable bench help when the season turns.
Brujan arrived in a December 2024 trade, was designated for assignment in July 2025, and has since moved through the Orioles, Braves and Mets organizations. Mastrobuoni, who debuted with the Rays in 2022 before coming to the Cubs, has seen his offense trend the wrong way, which helps explain why both are likely headed toward minor-league deals this winter rather than clearer paths back onto a big-league roster. [Read more 🡒]