Colin Rea is returning to the Cubs on a reworked one-year extension

Facing major questions about the starting rotation, especially in the wake of Shota Imanaga hitting free agency, the Chicago Cubs took a first step toward solidifying the pitching staff on Thursday, ironining out a restructured one-year deal with right-hander Colin Rea.

The new contract, which comes with a $6.5 million guarantee for 2026 and a club option for 2027 - and replaces his prior deal with the team. It essentially boils down to an added $500K for Rea and a potential added year of control for the Cubs, a win-win for both sides.

Rea was a godsend for an injury-plagued Chicago staff this season, throwing more innings than everyone but Matthew Boyd, finishing the year with a 3.95 ERA/4.11 FIP across 159 1/3 frames. That, more or less, falls in line with his body of work since the start of the 2023 campaign, which clearly gives the Cubs some confidence he'll provide value for the team in 2026.

Colin Rea reunion won't stop the Cubs from getting a top-end arm

This reunion shouldn't impact any other pursuits Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins may have in mind this winter. After all, Rea was penciled in as the team's swing man heading into the 2025 campaign and it was simply out of sheer necessity he was thrust into the rotation spotlight when Justin Steele went down with a season-ending injury.

Depth at the back end of the rotation isn't where most expect the Cubs to focus. This is a team that, even ahead of the trade deadline, had a clear need at the top of the staff - a true bona fide ace capable of going toe-to-toe with another team's ace come October. Asking prices were deemed too high and Chicago pieced it together before things ultimately fell apart during the NLDS.

As things currently stand (again, this will change between now and when the team reports to Arizona in the spring), the Cubs rotation projects as Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Cade Horton and Rea, with Steele targeting an early season return. With a ton of payroll and 40-man flexibility, everything is lining up for Hoyer to finally make his big pitching splash.