The Chicago Cubs have plenty of work to do this offseason, and rebuilding their starting rotation needs to be a top priority. With several pitchers potentially leaving in free agency and Cade Horton recovering from an injury, the Cubs may have to revisit some familiar names to fill out their staff.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers identified Clay Holmes and David Peterson as two potential reunion candidates for Chicago. Rogers noted that the Cubs will need to be active in free agency just to field a pitching staff, meaning the organization could consider many options as they look to add depth.

The need is clear. Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd are also both free agents, leaving Chicago with major questions about its rotation. Edward Cabrera is one of the few options available, while Horton will need time to return from his injury. That leaves the Cubs with plenty of innings to replace. Even if Chicago manages to bring back some of its current free agents, the rotation needs more reliable arms capable of handling a full season.

Rogers also mentioned the possibility of the Seattle Mariners reshaping their roster after a disappointing season, which could create additional opportunities for Chicago to explore the market.

Article Continues Below

The Cubs are coming off a season that showed they need more pitching depth to compete. They cannot afford to enter another year with major uncertainty surrounding the rotation. The rotation got exposed by the San Diego Padres in the 2026 NL Wild Card.

Whether this means bringing back Holmes or Peterson or pursuing other starters, the Cubs need to add multiple arms if they want to build a rotation capable of carrying them through 2027.