What we’re hearing about the Cubs’ pitching pursuits, from Dylan Cease to Michael King

LAS VEGAS — If there was any doubt about what their focus would be this offseason, Chicago Cubs executives Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins spelled it out this week during Major League Baseball’s GM meetings. They won’t discuss payroll specifics, and the market for trades and free agents is still developing. But pitching is absolutely the club’s top priority.

With Shota Imanaga looking for the next challenge and the bullpen needing an overhaul, Chicago’s front office wants to build more pitching depth, both at the top of the rotation and throughout the organization.

The Cubs watched their team in the playoffs and felt they were at least one starting pitcher short, if not two. Yes, rookie Cade Horton’s rib injury prevented him from being part of that postseason group. Justin Steele’s elbow surgery did the same to him. But after talking to baseball officials at The Cosmopolitan hotel, it’s obvious that the Cubs are not simply hoping for internal improvements.

Here’s the latest on those pursuits, based on information from team and league sources:

• Now that the Cubs are signaling a willingness to sign a player attached to a qualifying offer and pay the associated costs, right-hander Dylan Cease stands out even more. Hoyer and Hawkins insist they’re just looking for pitchers who can consistently get outs. They trust that with a strong pitching infrastructure — led by longtime pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and an elite infield defense – the club can maximize talent.

But there’s something to be said for missing bats.

Cease does that better than almost anyone in baseball. Of pitchers who have logged at least 600 innings since 2021, Cease is third behind only Blake Snell and Gerrit Cole with a 29.7% strikeout rate. Cease can also eat innings, and there’s a belief that as he enters his 30s, his stuff will hold and he can still produce at a high level.

• The Cubs like Tatsuya Imai, the Japanese right-hander who burst onto the scene with dominant performances in Nippon Professional Baseball across the last two seasons. But do they love him enough to pay some of the numbers that are being bandied about? Perhaps not. There are questions about Imai’s fastball, which is a bit flat, and some evaluators believe his breaking ball isn’t that special.

That’s not to say the Cubs aren’t interested. They are expected to be involved when Imai, 27, formally enters the posting system later this month. It’s just that these are the kinds of hypercritical evaluations that take place when the contract projections start to get into the nine-figure area.

Scott Boras, the high-profile agent who represents Imai, compared Imai’s NPB profile to Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s resume before he signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and blossomed into a World Series MVP.

• Michael King is another pitcher the Cubs have on their radar, viewing him as a starter with big upside when healthy. His work ethic, intelligence and feel for pitching are attributes that the Cubs previously targeted with free agents such as Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd.

King’s right shoulder became an issue this year, limiting him to just 15 starts with the San Diego Padres. In terms of process, the Cubs can point to their work with Michael Soroka this year. It’s not a perfect example — Soroka went on the injured list with a shoulder problem almost immediately after the Cubs acquired him at the trade deadline. But by the end of the season, Soroka had made some slight delivery tweaks and boosted his velocity back toward peak levels.

As a former reliever who lobbied to become a starter, the 30-year-old could have his best seasons ahead of him in the right environment.

• It would be surprising if the Cubs didn’t rekindle trade talks with the Miami Marlins, an organization that’s flush with pitching talent and looking to turn the corner into playoff contention.

The Cubs spiked a deal for Jesús Luzardo during the medical review portion last winter, and then circled back to the Marlins at the trade deadline. Multiple names were discussed, but the Cubs showed the most interest in Edward Cabrera.

Cabrera is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, and is currently under club control through the 2028 season. This year, he logged 137 2/3 innings, posted a 3.53 ERA and a 25.3% strikeout rate. He also sharpened his command with a career-best 8.3% walk rate.

The Cubs envision another level Cabrera could reach, especially through multiple years of working together in the same system.

• In reconstructing their bullpen, the Cubs recognize that they can’t only offer one-year contracts to relievers. It’s possible that they will invest multiple years in the right late-inning arms.

That doesn’t mean signing All-Star closer Edwin Díaz to a $100 million contract. Devin Williams, who closed for Cubs manager Craig Counsell during their time with the Milwaukee Brewers, is generating enough early interest to suggest that his next deal will go beyond Chicago’s comfort zone.

But the Cubs are planning to spread their resources around and provide Counsell with several viable options. Pete Fairbanks, the former closer for the Tampa Bay Rays, is a name to keep in mind. A reunion with Brad Keller, who thoroughly enjoyed his time in Chicago, also can’t be ruled out quite yet.

• The argument could be made that, with Kyle Tucker likely headed elsewhere, the Cubs have to find an impact bat as well. But availability plays a role here. There are multiple top-tier starters available through trades and free agency. After Tucker, the options on the position-player side become limited.

The Cubs also believe they have most of their spots in the lineup already filled. They would be happy to give young players such as Owen Caissie and Moisés Ballesteros a chance to show what they can do at the highest level.

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