Royals lefty Kris Bubic, boasting an elite ERA and whiff rate, surfaces as a prime trade target. Could he be the Cubs' missing piece?
There’s no question that the Chicago Cubs are seeking a top-of-the-line starting pitcher this offseason. That could result in the front office signing someone like Dylan Cease/Framber Valdez, or making a splash in the trade market.
Multiple reporters have thrown out names like MacKenzie Gore, Joe Ryan, and Sandy Alcantara as potential pitchers who could be traded this offseason. We can add another pitcher to that list, as Kansas City Royals left-hander Kris Bubic is reportedly available.
According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, Bubic is garnering trade interest from multiple teams. He then went on to say that the Royals are open to the possibility of trading the 28-year-old this winter.
Therefore, Bubic could be playing for a new team in 2026. Although he only has one year left on his deal, the southpaw should immediately move to the top of the Cubs’ wish list this offseason. That’s how well he would fit in this Chicago rotation next year.
The 28-year-old is coming off a breakout campaign with the Royals in which he finished with a 2.55 ERA and 116 strikeouts across 116 ⅓ innings pitched. Bubic was also one of the best pitchers in baseball across the first two and a half months of the season.
He had a 1.43 ERA and 79 strikeouts in his first 12 starts and allowed one run or fewer in nine of those 12 outings. During this stretch, Bubic had an insane run from May 8 to June 1, where he allowed just three runs across 34 ⅓ innings (0.79 ERA).
While a shoulder injury ended his 2025 campaign early, this is a pitcher the Cubs should try to get this offseason. His metrics across the board were elite -- with a .223 expected batting average against, a 32.4% chase rate, a 28.8% whiff rate, and a 6.6% barrel rate -- and he likely won’t cost as much as other available pitchers on the trade market like Gore or Ryan.
However, it appears the Royals are only interested in trading away Bubic if they acquire an outfielder.
“To be clear, there is a path in which the Royals hold onto Bubic,” Sammon wrote. “Their rotation is a strength, and Bubic is among the reasons why. Trading him, however, presents a logical way to net the kind of return that improves their lineup, particularly, perhaps in the outfield, an area where Kansas City wants to upgrade.”
Would the Cubs be willing to trade away someone like Ian Happ, who also only has one year of control left, to acquire an up-and-coming pitcher like Bubic?
That could be the starting point of a trade, but the wrinkle is that Happ has a full no-trade clause in his contract. So, the veteran outfielder would need to accept a trade to the Royals for anything to transpire.
Getting Bubic, though, would be a massive win for a Cubs’ rotation looking for help at the top.