The Cubs were supposed to be in the Tarik Skubal business. Now, they look like they’re backing away from the table.
That shift matters not just in Chicago, but in St. Louis too. The Cardinals and Cubs have spent years circling each other in the National League Central, and this latest decision only sharpens the contrast between how the two clubs are choosing to operate.
According to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, Chicago is unlikely to jump into the bidding for the two-time Cy Young Award winner. “Amid a backdrop of labor uncertainty and with so many holes to fill on their roster, the Cubs appear unlikely to enter the bidding war for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal,” wrote Sharma.
That leaves the Cubs looking elsewhere for rotation help. They are still expected to at least check in on other free-agent starters, with Michael King, Sonny Gray, and Freddy Peralta mentioned as the next group of arms on the market.
The timing is notable because Chicago has a lot of innings to replace. Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, David Peterson, Matthew Boyd, and Aaron Civale are all headed to free agency, and the projected 2027 rotation is thin: Justin Steele, returning from Tommy John Surgery, Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown, Javier Assad, and Braxton Garrett. For a club trying to contend for a pennant in the National League, that’s not much to work with.
For Cardinals fans, the Cubs’ hesitation fits a familiar pattern. These two clubs have long been linked by division races and payroll philosophy, from 2002 to 2009 and again from 2013 through 2017, when every National League Central winner came from St.
Louis or Chicago. The Cardinals did it with a moderate payroll and a homegrown core.
The Cubs, more often than not, had the bigger budget and the advantages that come with being in a major city.
And yet, even with those advantages, Chicago keeps passing on the kind of top-end spending that should come with its market size and TV deal. Instead of pushing into the highest tier of free agency, the Cubs keep drifting toward the middle.
That’s where St. Louis sees an opening.
The Cardinals aren’t about to go on a spending spree themselves, but their ability to stay competitive with a payroll that is one-third of Chicago’s says plenty about what happens if and when they do decide to spend. They can lean on Jordan Walker, JJ Wetherholt, Liam Doyle, and other young players on relatively cheap contracts, then add proven veterans in free agency.
If Chicago keeps operating like a mid-market club, that mix could give St. Louis the edge.
In Other News...
Cardinals Face A Delicate Pitching Balance This Offseason
The Cardinals are heading into the offseason with a fairly clear pitching checklist, even if the exact names remain fluid. The rotation has a promising young core, but St. Louis is still expected to shop for a starter with upside while also looking at one or two veteran relievers to steady the bullpen. It is the kind of balancing act front offices face when they want to improve now without boxing out the younger arms they hope will matter down the line.
There is also a specific opening to address after the departure of Dustin May, which adds a little urgency to the search. Free agency has already produced a familiar list of possibilities for the Cardinals, including Kris Bubic, Casey Mize, Shota Imanaga and Jack Flaherty, but no moves have been made yet. For now, the plan seems to be as much about fit and timing as it is about talent, with St. Louis trying to strengthen the staff without clogging the path for its next wave of pitchers. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Could Have A Rare Shot At A Superstar Bat
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There are plenty of hurdles before anything like that becomes real, starting with Tatis no-trade protection and the sheer difficulty of prying a player of his stature loose. Still, the new collective bargaining agreement and the Cardinals roster situation make this one worth keeping on the radar, even if it remains only a possibility for now. For a team that could use impact talent, the mere fact that this conversation exists says plenty about how unusual the market might become if San Diegos uncertainty deepens. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Interest In J.P. Crawford Sparks A Bigger Third Base Debate
The Cardinals search for help at third base has opened the door to an interesting possibility in J.P. Crawford, whose bat against right-handed pitching makes him a plausible platoon fit. On paper, he would give St. Louis a more established option at a spot where the club has been weighing short-term stability against long-term development.
But any move in that direction would come with a familiar cost: fewer reps for Blaze Jordan and Thomas Saggese, two young players the organization seems intent on evaluating. Crawford could make the lineup look cleaner in the moment, yet the Cardinals may decide the bigger priority is keeping those at-bats available for the younger group rather than narrowing the path with another veteran stopgap. [Read more 🡒]