Could Kris Bubic be the Cubs' affordable frontline starter fallback? Discover why his acquisition, despite talent, faces significant trade roadblocks.
It’s almost certain that the Chicago Cubs will add a top-of-the-line rotation arm this offseason.
The biggest name linked to the Cubs right now is right-hander Tatsuya Imai. It feels like Imai is No. 1 on the front office’s offseason big board, and the Japanese star would be a massive get for Chicago.
However, if the Cubs don’t land Imai, the team could look to add a frontline starter via the trade market. Both MacKenzie Gore and Edward Cabrera are the two biggest names that have been thrown around in trade rumors.
There’s another frontline starter, though, that appears to be available for trade this offseason. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Kansas City Royals are open to moving left-hander Kris Bubic.
“While the Royals are disinclined to trade their top starting pitchers, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Cole Ragans, they continue to get hit on a variety of others, including Bubic, lefty Noah Cameron and righties Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek and Luinder Avila,” Rosenthal wrote.
With there being a good chance the Royals will actually trade Bubic this winter, he should be the Cubs' top choice if they don’t sign Imai. The southpaw is coming off the best season of his career and would fit everything the team wants in a pitcher.
In his first season back as a full-time starter, Bubic finished with a 2.55 ERA and 116 strikeouts against 116 ⅓ innings pitched last year. He was also firmly in the American League Cy Young race before a rotator cuff strain knocked him out for the season in July.
That’s how good he was for the Royals in 2025. His chase rate (32.4%), whiff rate (28.8%), and strikeout rate (24.4%) all ranked in the upper half of the league, and Bubic delivered a quality start in 11 of his 20 starts.
While the asking price won’t be low for a pitcher of Bubic’s caliber, his price could be a bit cheaper than the likes of both Gore and Cabrera. That’s because he only has one year left on his deal before he enters free agency next offseason.
Therefore, the Cubs should see what it would take to acquire Bubic. He would be an upgrade for Chicago's rotation and would give the front office the frontline starter they have been looking for all offseason.
The problem, though, is that the North Siders likely don’t have the star power to send the Royals in any deal for Bubic. Kansas City has been known to be looking for a ready-now corner outfielder, and the Cubs simply don’t have that.
Ian Happ has a full no-trade clause, and it’s highly unlikely the team parts ways with Seiya Suzuki or Owen Caissie. The Cubs could offer someone like Kevin Alcantara as a starting point, but he almost certainly wouldn’t be the Royals' first choice in trade negotiations for Bubic.
So, it’s hard to imagine Chicago landing Bubic this offseason unless the front office is willing to discuss Caissie in trade talks.