The surprising starting pitcher the Cubs could put on the trade block this offseason

When you think about the most crucial members of the Chicago Cubs' (all too brief) postseason run in 2025, how many starting pitchers are on the list?

Shota Imanga was a home run waiting to happen every time he took the mound, and Matthew Boyd interspersed strong outings with bullpen-wrecking blowups. A few members of the bullpen — namely Daniel Palencia and Brad Keller — had their moments, but in truth, Jameson Taillon was probably the most reliable pitcher on Craig Counsell's staff in October.

And now the Cubs should take advantage of that fact and trade him.

Why the Cubs should trade Jameson Taillon in the 2025-26 offseason

Let's start with the obvious. Taillon, who turns 34 in November, is heading into the final year of his contract. He's owed $18 million in salary ($17 million for luxury tax purposes) and is due to be a free agent next offseason.

That's true for an alarming percentage of the Cubs' current core as well. Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, and others are all slated to hit free agency in the 2026-27 offseason, which (not so coincidentally) happens to coincide with the rumored lockout when the current CBA expires.

The Cubs don't have a great path to replacing any of those guys on offense in 2026, but they can feasibly replace Taillon while avoiding a scenario in which they lose a majority of their best players for nothing.

Now, that's not to say that finding a replacement for the right-hander would be easy. Despite dealing with separate calf and groin strains in the second half, Taillon was brilliant after the All-Star break. He authored a 1.57 ERA in 34 1/3 second-half innings, and opponents slashed just .194/.237/.298 against him. He continued that pace in the postseason, allowing just two runs in eight innings across two starts.

That's one heck of a valuable pitcher, especially on an eminently reasonable one-year deal.

Still, improved health from Cade Horton and Justin Steele should help fill out the top of the Cubs' rotation next year, and the presence of prospects like Jaxon Wiggins, Connor Noland, and (when healthy) Brandon Birdsell offers immediate hope for a deeper rotation than the team was able to field in 2025.

There's a scenario in play where the Cubs trade Taillon for a young, MLB-ready contributor (perhaps in the bullpen, or a utility player off the bench) and reinvest their savings in a better starting pitcher, or maybe even a Kyle Tucker extension. It'd be forward-thinking, even if it would require quite a few steps to pull off.

Then again, starting pitching depth is wildly valuable, as the Cubs found out yet again in the postseason this year. Trading Taillon shouldn't be a priority, but if the chance presents itself to reshape the roster with more long-term pieces, the team shouldn't hesitate to strike.