All but completely eliminated from playoff contention this season, the Chicago Cubs are expected to retool for contention in 2025.
As ever, a key to winning in Major League Baseball will be in assembling a deep and effective starting rotation. And while the Cubs have some integral pieces already, including Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic has reported that adding another veteran starter will be a priority for the team this winter.
Mooney added that impending free agent Walker Buehler could be the answer on a short-term contract.
“The Cubs will explore ways to upgrade their rotation and leverage the team’s pitching infrastructure,” Mooney projected. “It could involve offering a big one-year deal to a pitcher looking to prove he’s healthy and reestablish his high-end value, perhaps someone like Walker Buehler."
Following a disappointing 2024 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Buehler could be in line for a “prove-it” deal from another team next season. After logging All-Star campaigns in 2019 and 2021, he missed much of 2022 and all of 2023 with injury. This year, he’s missed significant time with injuries once again and has struggled to a 5.54 ERA in the 14 starts he has been able to make.
Still, there’s reason to believe the 30-year-old has something left in the tank. He has pitched for a 4.50 ERA in September and limited the Atlanta Braves to just three hits across six innings in his most recent start.
If Buehler is able to build on that latest start and make some significant contributions to a deep playoff run with the Dodgers, he might earn himself some significant interest in free agency. But, as it stands now, it seems like a “big” offer from the Cubs, even if it’s just for one season, could be enough to land the two-time All-Star.
“There are teams who could potentially buy low on Buehler and give him a one- or two-year deal so he can have a chance to improve his stock for the future,” Curt Bishop wrote for The Sporting News. “It will be interesting to see how … what his market will look like in the offseason.”
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