With the World Series ending on Saturday, one of the first procedural moves of the offseason is players declaring for free agency. It's mostly a housekeeping item for the players with expiring contracts, and of course, all eyes are on Kyle Tucker. The Chicago Cubs' All-Star was among the Cubs players to be declared a free agent on Sunday.
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137 Players Become XX(B) Free Agentshttps://t.co/0el3P8uqjE pic.twitter.com/9NrsvXRxLr
The other Cubs that are now free agents are Ryan Brasier, Willi Castro, Aaron Civale, Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, Taylor Rogers, Carlos Santana, Mike Soroka, and Caleb Thielbar.
Option decisions remain for Justin Turner, Colin Rea, Shota Imanaga, and Andrew Kittredge. Turner's is a mutual option, so it's just a formality before he becomes a free agent. Rea has a $6MM club option, and in an offseason where the Cubs are looking to add to their pitching depth, it would make sense for the team to pick it up. Kittredge has a $9MM club option, and the guess here is that the Cubs decline it, making the veteran a free agent.
Imanaga is a complex decision, considering his club option essentially is a three-year extension worth $57MM. Given the struggles he had at the end of the season, the Cubs may decline the option, which then converts the decision to a $15MM player option. If Imanaga declines, he will become a free agent, and the Cubs almost certainly would extend a qualifying offer.
Cubs News: Pete Crow-Armstrong among the Gold Glove Award winners
Run prevention was the theme of the Cubs' 2025 season, and that was made evident by their six Gold Glove Award nominations. Matthew Boyd, Carson Kelly, Nico Hoerner, Matt Shaw, Ian Happ, and Pete Crow-Armstrong were all finalists at their respective positions
The winners were revealed on Sunday, with Hoerner, Happ, and Crow-Armstrong all adding some hardware to their collection. It is Crow-Armstrong's first Gold Glove of his career, while Hoerner is taking home the honor for the second time in his career, and the fourth time for Ian Happ in the outfield.
Cubs News: Michael King declines mutual option with Padres, becomes a free agent
We already have our eyes on Michael King as a potential target for the Cubs this offseason, and after declining his mutual option with the San Diego Padres on Sunday, King will indeed be on the free-agent market this winter.
King is expected to be in the tier of starting pitchers the Cubs usually prefer--not exactly an ace-caliber arm, but when right, a starting pitcher with the upside of being towards the top of a rotation. Assuming the Cubs shy away from Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez because of their price, King may be their best option in terms of upgrades via free agency.
