What we’re hearing about the Cubs: A lot of talk, little action at Winter Meetings

Posted December 11, 2025 11:06 am

By Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Chicago Cubs seemed to be all over the map during Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings, mentioned in trade rumors for pitching and offense, linked to several prominent free agents and questioned about their ability, or willingness, to spend money.

As the sport’s signature offseason event ended Wednesday, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer exited this Walt Disney World Resort complex and headed toward the airport without making a big move.

“We have a real focus in a lot of areas,” Hoyer said. “It will lead to activity. I can’t tell you when.”

Indeed, this week, most of the baseball industry stayed quiet.

Outside of Kyle Schwarber’s inevitable return to the Philadelphia Phillies (five years, $150 million), the Baltimore Orioles pivoting to Pete Alonso (five years, $155 million) and the Los Angeles Dodgers splurging for yet another closer (Edwin Díaz for three years and $69 million), activity was relatively muted.

“We could have an active December,” Hoyer said. “We could have an active January. I don’t know. We’re not going to do bad deals just to do something quick.”

Hoyer heard the noise after the 2023 season, when he shockingly fired David Ross and hired Craig Counsell away from the Milwaukee Brewers. Handing Counsell a five-year, $40 million contract to manage a big-market club was not necessarily a precursor.

That winter, Hoyer waited until nearly the start of Cubs Convention before signing Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga and acquiring first baseman Michael Busch from the Dodgers. That productive offseason stretched into spring training with the deal to bring back Cody Bellinger.

“It just came together later,” Hoyer said. “We try to approach everything the same every time. But you’re not going to push deals you don’t believe in.”

The Cubs have three-plus months before they actually have to play a real game. This roundup from the Winter Meetings is based on information from team and league sources.

• Nico Hoerner’s name has popped up in trade conversations, but those mentions do not mean the Cubs are looking to deal their Gold Glove second baseman.

It’s unlikely they would move an admired homegrown player who is coming off a 6.2 WAR season (per Baseball Reference) and a strong playoff performance (.419 batting average). The team’s current identity — pitching, defense, up-the-middle athleticism and clubhouse professionalism — is a reflection of Hoerner’s personality and production.

Although Hoerner can become a free agent after the 2026 season — when he will be 29 years old and able to market himself as a potential shortstop — he has already signed one contract extension with the Cubs. His appreciation for Wrigley Field and the franchise’s history is genuine.

Nevertheless, this front office operates without much sentiment and uses the offseason to gauge the value of virtually every player on the roster.

• With a belief that Edward Cabrera is just scratching the surface of his potential, the Cubs are among a handful of teams that have shown interest in the Miami Marlins’ pitcher.

Cabrera, 27, is coming off his best season (3.53 ERA in 26 starts), delivering a walk rate below 10% (8.3%) for the first time in his career and showing flashes of dominance.

The Baltimore Orioles are one team in the mix for Cabrera, whose medical file contains some red flags. He underwent an MRI on his right elbow in the middle of July, but he avoided a stint on the injured list at the time.

By September, the Marlins placed Cabrera on the injured list with a sprained right elbow. He returned in time to make two starts before the end of the season.

The Cubs nearly reached a deal with the Marlins for left-handed pitcher Jesús Luzardo last offseason, and then spiked the trade during the medical review, canceling what would have been an aggressive move for the rotation.

• When the Cubs were looking at minor-league deals for free agents last winter, one club official suggested they needed to find the next Collin Snider. That bounceback pitcher turned out to be Brad Keller, who will cash in after a brilliant 2025 season.

The real Snider enjoyed a breakout 2024 season with the Seattle Mariners, but he struggled this year. Sensing an opportunity, the Cubs finalized a minor-league deal with Snider, one of many smaller additions they will make to their bullpen mix as they hope for a few surprising arms to emerge.

Like in 2024, when Snider generated a 1.94 ERA with a 27.8% strikeout rate for the Mariners while walking just 7.7% of the batters he faced across 41⅔ innings.

The results, however, just weren’t there for Snider this year as his ERA ballooned to 5.47 and his strikeout rate dipped to 20.2%. That percentage was still better than what he had shown with the Kansas City Royals earlier in his career.

Bullpen performances are also inherently volatile. And the Cubs have ideas on how to boost his velocity and help him find his previous form.

In attempting to rebuild their bullpen, the Cubs have stayed in touch with Keller, who has fielded interest as both a high-leverage reliever and a versatile pitcher who could be stretched out again as a starter.

• Justin Steele will begin the 2026 season on the injured list, Counsell confirmed, as the All-Star pitcher continues his recovery from surgery on his left elbow and follows his throwing program.

The middle of April will mark one year out from that procedure, but the Cubs are focused on adding more pitching depth to get through October, and they will not rush Steele’s rehab process.

“It’s not going to be Opening Day,” Counsell said. “After that I really don’t want to speculate until we get to spring training and see where he’s at. I think we’ll know in spring training kind of a target area of dates there. It’s not going to be Opening Day, but I think it will be the first half of the season.”