As the World Series plays out, the Chicago Cubs have more than a rooting interest. They also have a front-row seat to a free-agent market that could give them some answers on the mound in a matter of months. With money to spend, Chicago is expected to be active, and two names from teams in the Series stand out as possible targets: Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff.
Peralta is hardly a new Cubs rumor. He has been linked to Chicago for close to a year, and that conversation only picked up when he faded with the New York Mets after being sent there in January as part of one of the winter’s biggest deals.
Things went sideways quickly in New York, where a loaded club stumbled out of the gate and Peralta’s numbers followed. He struggled to keep his ERA under 5.00 across 22 starts, the swing-and-miss that usually defines him wasn’t showing up, and his hard-hit rate kept heading in the wrong direction.
That rough stretch made another move feel inevitable, and the Cubs were a natural fit when the trade deadline approached. They needed help, and Craig Counsell’s connection to Peralta from their time together in Milwaukee only added fuel to the idea. But Tampa Bay got there first, and the Rays wasted no time straightening him out.
Peralta’s work with the Rays looked much more like the pitcher teams remember. Over 10 starts, he posted a 3.25 ERA, cut his allowed slugging percentage from .448 to .330, and improved his walk numbers.
In the postseason, he has taken that form even further, making four appearances and working to a 1.08 ERA over 16.2 innings. He has given up just 2 earned runs and struck out 12.
For a Cubs club that needs rotation help, that kind of profile is going to get attention. Peralta isn’t the type of arm Chicago usually chases; he leans on whiffs, not ground balls, and the walks are part of the package.
But the upside is obvious, and so is the experience. The Cubs have needed a jolt on the mound, and Peralta would bring a different look along with proven October production.
Woodruff presents a different kind of appeal. He has spent years as a problem for the Cubs in a Brewers uniform, developing into one of Milwaukee’s best starters since the late 2010s. He has made two All-Star teams and owns a career ERA of 3.10.
This season, Woodruff was rolling again before injury interrupted the momentum. He made nine starts and turned in a 2.98 ERA, with a 27.0 percent strikeout rate and a 5.7 walk percentage.
What stands out most is how he adapted after shoulder surgery cost him all of 2024. When he came back, the fastball had less velocity, but the off-speed stuff became even more dangerous.
Like Peralta, Woodruff offers the kind of strikeout production the Cubs have been missing. He also brings a postseason résumé, having appeared in the playoffs four times, with this year possibly becoming his fifth.
The hesitation is obvious, though: the injury history. Woodruff has dealt with repeated shoulder setbacks, and after years of rotation health issues, Chicago may be wary of adding another arm with that kind of risk attached.
Even so, when Woodruff is on the mound, the results have usually been excellent. There’s also a chance his price tag lands in a range that makes the gamble easier to justify. Peralta still feels like the more likely Cubs target, but with the rotation needing help and the market still ahead, neither name can be dismissed yet.
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