As the offseason begins, the Chicago Cubs are going for pitchers. They want to bolster their struggling starting rotation and bullpen while keeping their current arms.

Among those they want to keep are former New York Mets pitchers Clay Holmes and David Peterson, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

At season's end, Holmes declined a player option, and fellow pitcher Matthew Boyd also declined, allowing them to declare for free agency. Meanwhile, Peterson declared for free agency immediately after the season ended. The Mets traded Peterson to the Cubs in June, and he finished the season 9-8 with a 4.80 ERA and 137 strikeouts.

In August, the Cubs acquired Holmes from the Mets in a trade. Altogether, Holmes finished the season at 6-8 with a 3.32 ERA and 78 strikeouts.

Ultimately, the San Diego Padres eliminated Chicago in the NL Wild Card series. Overall, injuries and rotation inconsistency plagued Chicago's pitching. Cade Horton, Justin Steele, and Ben Brown dealt with injuries. Horton underwent Tommy John surgery in April and is expected to return next year.

Other pitchers Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, and Kevin Gausman are also free agents.

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At the same time, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett, and Javier Assad are battling for rotation spots rather than being handed guaranteed roles by general manager Carter Hawkins. The Cubs may also be eyeing Tarik Skubal, the most high-profile free agent and a two-time Cy-Young Award winner.

Meanwhile, MLB is trying to secure the 2027 season amid CBA negotiations.

Either way, Chicago is focused on what it needs most: pitching.