Cubs now have an obvious move after Cade Horton Tommy John reveal

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Cade Horton won't just miss the remainder of the 2026 season; he's going to miss a healthy amount of the 2027 season. Horton underwent Tommy John surgery on Thursday, and with it being the second time that he's had the surgery, the recovery timeline is 15-16 months.

The news doesn't change the outlook of the Cubs' 2026 season. Even before the type of surgery Horton needed was revealed, it was clear the Cubs needed more pitching depth. Matthew Boyd should be back in the rotation within the next week, and Jordan Wicks is making his season debut with the Iowa Cubs this weekend, but a question mark surrounds the health of Jaxon Wiggins, Hunter Harvey, and Phil Maton.

Assuming the plan for stabilizing the bullpen includes moving Colin Rea back into a swing role, the smart move for the Cubs would be to sign Lucas Giolito. Specifically for this season, Giolito's placement at the backend of the rotation would provide needed stability for the entire pitching staff.

Cade Horton's recovery timeline makes one thing clear

The immediate focus is going to be on the 2026 season and Jed Hoyer and Co. making sure the team has enough pitching depth. Beyond that, Horton's recovery timeline alters the outlook for the starting rotation beyond this season. As of now, the only knowns in the Cubs' rotation next season are Justin Steele and Edward Cabrera. That's assuming both pitchers are healthy by the end of the 2026 season.

Pitching is going to be the focus for the Cubs at the MLB trade deadline, and it likely will be the priority next offseason. Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon are all free agents at the end of the season.

Considering that reality, and now factoring in Horton's recovery, the next move for the front office is clear: prioritize a new contract for Imanaga. As crazy as it would have sounded during spring training, the Cubs may soon question if rejecting his three-year club option during the offseason was the right move.

Of course, in the moment, it was the clear decision to make, but that speaks to how good Imanaga has looked through his first four starts this season. He has an ERA of 2.45 while striking out over 37% of the hitters he faced. His fastball velocity is up to 92.2 MPH, and his Baseball Savant page is dripping red for his whiff rate and chase rate.

This current version of Imanaga is better than any version the Cubs have had in past years. So good that with Horton now out until the second half of the 2027 season, finding a way to keep Imanaga in Chicago beyond this season needs to be the priority.

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