The Chicago Cubs have a number of questions to answer this offseason. The Cubs reached the postseason this year but were unable to make it out of the National League Wild Card round. They still feature a talented roster but pitching will be an area of the team that will need to be addressed. According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, Clay Holmes and Matthew Boyd will join multiple other pitchers in MLB free agency after declining their contract options.

“Cubs off season will be busy on the mound. Clay Holmes and Matthew Boyd are turning down their player options to become free agents. Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman and David Peterson are FA’s as well. Have to rebuild the staff. Guess is 1-2 of above could return,” Rogers shared on X, formerly Twitter.

Holmes, 33, was acquired by the Cubs from the Mets during the 2026 season. Through 18 total starts between the teams, he recorded a 3.29 ERA. However, he turned in an underwhelming 4.25 ERA in nine starts with Chicago.

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Boyd, a 35-year-old southpaw, recorded a 3.91 ERA across 22 outings with the Cubs. The veteran spent the 2025 and 2026 seasons in Chicago, earning a 2025 All-Star selection (which was the first of his career).

Now, both pitchers are set to enter free agency. The Cubs could look to bring one or even both of them back. Re-signing Imanaga, Gausman and Peterson will be options as well. Of course, the team has been linked to a potential Tarik Skubal free agency pursuit. Skubal's free agency decision could certainly impact Chicago's potential pursuits of the aforementioned five pitchers.