One Cubs trade target from July might already be off the table this offseason

Chicago Cubs fans don't need a reminder of Jed Hoyer's underwhelming showing at this summer's trade deadline, when the team's only addition to the rotation came in the form of Michael Soroka, who didn't even make it out of his debut with the team unscathed, immediately hitting the IL and missing the next five weeks.

That wasn't exactly the shot in the arm the Cubs were looking for as they scoured the trade market, passing on more prominent names like Sandy Alcantara, MacKenzie Gore and Joe Ryan after they (and the rest of the league) found asking prices to be astronomical. That wasn't an all-encompassing list, though, and Chicago was also rumored to have interest in Kansas City Royals left-hander Kris Bubic.

Kris Bubic isn't a top focus for the Cubs at this point in the winter

That no longer appears to be the case, though - or, perhaps I should say, there are higher quality options that are better fits in regards to what the Cubs are looking for this winter. A new mailbag from Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required) covers the topic of a prospective Bubic trade, pointing to his lack of swing-and-miss and the fact he's a pure rental as reasons Hoyer will likely look elsewhere first.

Last season, Bubic was a key piece for the Royals, making 20 starts and working to a 2.55 ERA in 116 1/3 innings of work. Dating back to the start of the 2024 campaign, he boasts a 2.58 ERA (160 ERA+) across those 20 starts and 27 relief appearances and will hit free agency next fall heading into his age-29 season.

Maybe the Cubs will circle back on Bubic as a free agent. Remember: after the 2026 season, Jameson Taillon and Shota Imanaga are both free agents, so there could be some openings in the rotation. But, at least for the time being, it seems like Hoyer is aiming higher than Bubic and, barring a complete whiff on their preferred targets, he's not a likely Cubs trade target in the coming months.