2 Cubs free agents worth another contract, 2 Chicago should move on from

There's been a subtle hint toward the offseason for the Chicago Cubs this week, considering recent reporting that has suggested that both Carson Kelly and Seiya Suzuki will be priced out of the team's interest level.

The clarification needed there is that the Cubs are expected to divert most of their resources--money and prospect capital--toward pitching, and that may not allow for the team to go to the top of the market to retain both Kelly and Suzuki.

2 Cubs free agents worth another contract

Based on current free-agent projections, Kelly is going to be one of the best catchers available, and Suzuki arguably the best bat. Sure, the Cubs would love to bring back both players, but the reality of their pitching staff after this season probably makes that unlikely.

It's obvious that both Kelly and Suzuki are worthy of new contracts with the Cubs, but for the purpose of this exercise, we're going to look at other impending free agents who have a chance of landing a new deal with the team.

Matthew Boyd

Matthew Boyd, Kevin Gausman, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, and Shota Imanaga are all free agents this offseason. In perfect world, the Cubs probably prefer to bring back two from that group. Boyd is probably at the top of the list. He tossed nearly 180 innings for the Cubs last year, but a pair of injuries is likely going to keep him around 100 innings pitched during the regular season this year. Boyd is 35, but there should still be miles left in his arm. Enough that the Cubs should act quickly to bring him back on a new deal.

Clay Holmes

Between Holmes and Gausman, the Cubs may lean toward the former in terms of who to potentially bring back next season. Holmes does have a $12 million player option for the 2027 season, but if he's healthy and pitches like he's capable of, free agency feels like a certainty. Before the trade to the Cubs, Holmes expressed interest in signing an extension with the Mets, and chances are a similar feeling may now exist with the Cubs.

2 Cubs free agents who should be shown the door

Ian Happ

The idea of Ian Happ returning to the Cubs isn't that farfetched. If his market becomes stunted, potentially because of a qualifying offer, there could be a path toward a team-friendly deal. That said, Happ shouldn't be viewed as a priority for the Cubs. In an ideal world, they find his replacement in free agency, and ideally someone who could bridge the gap until the likes of Josiah Hartshorn and Ethan Conrad are ready.

Colin Rea

Colin Rea has been the unsung hero for the pitching staff over the past two years, and the Cubs hold a $7.5 million club option for the 2027 season. Assuming health can be a dangerous thing, as the Cubs found out this year, but Javier Assad is primed to take over the role of the Swiss for the team's pitching staff and would be cheaper.

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