Cubs Could Solve Pitching Problem in Unconventional Way

The Chicago Cubs should be one of baseball's more active teams this winter.

Chicago has a competitive roster, one that's made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but also has an aging core of veterans that is at risk of missing its window.

The Cubs also play in a division with baseball's best team, the reigning World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers, who don't seem to be going anywhere. And when you combine that with a long list of impactful Cubs players hitting free agency, Jed Hoyer and Chicago's front office certainly have a lot of work to do.

One area that specifically needs to be addressed is the starting rotation. Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and Clay Holmes are all free agents. For the time being, that leaves the Cubs with very little in the way of reliable starting pitching.

And while Chicago is expected to be among the active suitors for the top arms on the market, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, the Cubs need multiple additions to their starting rotation. And the latest rumor suggests they could address that need in a very unconventional way.

The Cubs have recently been tied to free agent left-handed pitcher Adrian Morejon, who has made a name for himself over the last few seasons as a lights-out setup man for the San Diego Padres. Morejon first debuted back in 2019 but didn't really catch on in Major League Baseball until the 2024 season.

Over the last three years, he's 25-11 with a 2.58 ERA and 248 strikeouts in 223.1 innings pitched out of San Diego's bullpen. Morejon has been the perfect complement to lights-out closer Mason Miller. And when the Padres have the lead late, they hardly ever lose thanks to those two guys.

It's quite possible that Morejon's numbers, as good as they are, don't fully do justice to how filthy he is on the mound. In 2026, he was in the 99th percentile in expected ERA, the 99th percentile in chase rate, the 97th percentile in whiff rate, the 99th percentile in barrel rate, and the 98th percentile in ground ball rate. He was also among the top 10% of pitchers in expected batting average, average exit velocity, strikeout rate, and hard-hit percentage.

Morejon is lights out. And he throws a sinker 47% of the time that induces ground balls and would be incredibly effective with the Chicago Cubs' infield defense behind him.

Now, you may think he's a perfect target for the Cubs to fix their bullpen and add a high-leverage reliever. But what if Morejon could actually be the answer to Chicago's starting pitching needs?

According to Mike Axisa of CBS Sports, there are rumblings around baseball that Morejon wants to start in 2027. Reports indicate there are more than a few teams that would be willing to give him that opportunity.

Morejon has already been issued the qualifying offer, which is worth $23.15 million for the 2027 season should he accept it. But maybe, if you're the Cubs, you pay him something close to that average annual salary on a long-term contract, betting on Morejon's ability to transition to the starting rotation.

At the very least, you know you have the floor of a lights-out relief pitcher who'd be getting paid like one of the best closers in the game.

Chicago needs pitching. Starting pitching, relief pitching, any kind of pitching. And what we do know about Adrian Morejon is that he can pitch. He's one of the best in the game.

It may be an unconventional strategy, but we've seen it work with teams before. Clay Holmes was once a closer for the New York Yankees before he transitioned into a starting pitcher on a multi-year contract with the New York Mets.

So, for a team in need of multiple additions to the starting rotation, perhaps it's a gamble worth taking.

At worst, the Cubs are slightly overpaying for a high-leverage relief pitcher that they desperately need. But they can enter the 2027 season with confidence that Morejon's stuff will play at Wrigley Field with a great infield defense behind him.

This can't be the only move the Cubs make for their rotation. It's not a reliable enough fix to count on by itself. But if Chicago makes that signing along with another big move for a front-end starting pitcher, the rotation could end up looking like a real strength for 2027.