Offseason moves will determine if the Cubs can overcome bleak 2026 World Series odds. Free agency and trades could significantly reshape their championship aspirations.
The 2025 MLB season is officially in the books. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday night. The Dodgers became the first team to repeat as champions since the New York Yankees won three straight World Series titles from 1998 to 2000.
With the season officially over, now is a good time to see where the Cubs might stand heading into the offseason. Players can start signing with teams five days after the World Series, meaning new signings could occur later this week.
But before free agency begins, the Cubs don’t have the best World Series odds right now.
According to ESPN BET, the Cubs enter the start of the offseason with only the 12th-best odds to win the World Series in 2026. They also have just the seventh-best odds to win the World Series from the National League.
Chicago is behind NL teams like the Dodgers (+375), Philadelphia Phillies (12-1), Atlanta Braves (14-1), New York Mets (15-1), Milwaukee Brewers (18-1), and the San Diego Padres (18-1) for those World Series odds.
The Cubs come in as 20-1 odds to win the World Series next year and have 10-1 odds to win the NL pennant. The North Siders have the same odds to win the title in 2026 as the Blue Jays at ESPN Bet.
Now, it makes sense why the Cubs might be lower than expected on World Series odds right now. That’s because there are some uncertainties surrounding this team as it enters a pivotal offseason.
The Cubs could lose Kyle Tucker to free agency, only one year after trading Cam Smith, Hayden Wesneski, and Isaac Paredes to the Houston Astros. That is likely a big reason why Chicago finds itself with the 12th-best World Series odds.
However, those odds could skyrocket in the next few weeks, depending on what the front office chooses to do in free agency and in the trade market. If the Cubs get a slugger like Kyle Schwarber and a star pitcher like Dylan Cease, there’s a strong chance those odds jump above some of those NL teams.
For now, though, the betting market doesn’t appear to like Chicago’s current roster. The Braves -- who missed the playoffs this past season -- have better odds to win it all, and a Padres team that lost to the Cubs in the Wild Card Round also has slightly better odds.
However, Cubs fans shouldn’t read too much into those World Series odds at this point in the offseason.