Cubs Reportedly Interested in All-Star Free Agent Pitcher

It's no secret what the Chicago Cubs are trying to get done this offseason. The goal is to add starting pitching, potentially an entire rotation's worth of arms. And while the Cubs are reportedly not interested in adding star left-hander Tarik Skubal or heavily coveted right-hander Michael King, it's all but a foregone conclusion that Jed Hoyer has conducted conversations with some of the top starting pitchers on the market.

According to Cubs writer Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, the Cubs have shown early interest in free agent left-handed pitcher Trevor Rogers.

Friday was Rogers' 29th birthday. And while his 10-11 record and 4.03 ERA over 30 starts with the Baltimore Orioles in 2026 don't scream frontline upside, there's plenty of reason to be bullish on what Rogers could bring to the Cubs' rotation.

The full-season numbers don't fully capture how strong Rogers was for the majority of 2026. He had a tough beginning but went on to post a 2.90 ERA over his final 20 starts, beginning June 4.

Rogers was in the 92nd percentile among MLB pitchers in both chase rate and walk rate. He doesn't allow many free passes, and when he does throw pitches out of the strike zone, he's deceptive enough to generate swings. He also has a legitimate five-pitch mix, including a sweeper that opponents hit just .183 against last season.

Baltimore extended a qualifying offer to Rogers, giving him a chance to return in 2027 at $23.15 million. He has until November 17 to accept or decline that offer, but assuming he declines, the Cubs would have to forfeit some draft capital to get a deal done.

It would still be well worth it if Chicago believes Rogers is the right fit for its starting rotation.

It's hard not to be intrigued by Rogers. The metrics suggest his performance is sustainable, and we've already seen the upside on display. He was 9-3 with a 1.81 ERA in 2025 and has accumulated 7.3 fWAR over the last two seasons in Baltimore.

Back in 2021, Rogers was an NL All-Star. And having just turned 29 years old, he should still have his prime years ahead of him, to the point where a long-term contract could lock up a reliable left-handed starting pitcher for the Cubs for many years to come.

He doesn't solve the problem on his own, but this would be a very solid move by Jed Hoyer and a building block toward the Cubs getting back into contention in the NL Central.

It won't come cheap. Spotrac's market value projection has Rogers landing a six-year contract worth close to $160 million. It would likely be one of the four or five most expensive pitching contracts handed out this winter, but it could ultimately be the centerpiece of the Cubs' offseason that allows the rest of the rotation to fall into place.