With Cade Horton sidelined, the Cubs must act. President Jed Hoyer should immediately pursue veteran free agent Lucas Giolito to bolster the rotation.
The Chicago Cubs' rotation took a massive blow on Tuesday as it was announced that Cade Horton will undergo season-ending elbow surgery.
This is obviously a big loss for the North Siders. Horton was coming into his own and was starting to emerge as an ace in the big leagues. For that reason, there is simply no pitcher who could replace Horton.
However, it’s clear what the Cubs must do now to replace Horton in this rotation. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer should be on the phone with starting pitcher Lucas Giolito.
Giolito remains a free agent after teams passed up on the opportunity to sign him this past offseason. His injury concerns, combined with his high salary demands, are part of the reason why the veteran finds himself without a team in early April.
None of that, though, should matter to the Cubs. Giolito gives the team the best shot to compete, and he should absolutely be on their radar. He’s an ideal free agent target after losing Horton for the season.
Giolito actually pitched well for the Red Sox last year, finishing with a 3.41 ERA, a 1.290 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts across 145 innings pitched. Those numbers came just one season after the right-hander underwent an internal brace procedure on his elbow in March of 2024.
Although it wasn’t all perfect for Giolito in his first season back from elbow surgery, he had plenty of strong starts in his only season with the Red Sox. He posted a quality start in 14 of his 26 starts, and his fastball velocity remained around the same from before his elbow injury.
Giolito's best start of the year came later in August against the Orioles when he threw eight scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. That’s why the Cubs should be going after the 31-year-old veteran.
Giolito has shown to be a consistent starter in the league before. He posted a sub-3.55 ERA in three consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2021 and finished the 2025 season with a 3.41 ERA. Another solid pitching campaign could be on the horizon for him.
Even though his whiff rate (22.9%) and strikeout rate (26.7%) were both extremely down last year, being now two full years removed from that elbow surgery could help Giolito regain that swing-and-miss stuff again on the mound.
With Horton down for the season and Matthew Boyd currently dealing with a left bicep strain, the Cubs' pitching depth is being tested early on. Bringing in Giolito feels like a no-brainer for a team that has World Series aspirations.
No pitcher is going to come in and replicate Horton’s numbers on the mound. But Giolito would be a solid veteran replacement.