Chicago Cubs’ last move: Outfielder or pitcher?

The Chicago Cubs were very fortunate last year when it came to their position players. With the exception of right fielder Kyle Tucker, who sputtered and fell apart over the second half of the season, the team’s position players remained healthy and present for the entire year.

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And this WAS a fortunate thing, indeed, since the Cubs’ 2025 bench was thin and lacking in production.

Chicago’s pitching staff was not as lucky.

Ace Justin Steele went down for the season with an elbow injury after just four starts. Shota Imanaga went down for eight weeks with hamstring issues shortly after that. Jameson Taillon had two stints on the IL. Rookie revelation Cade Horton went from being the best pitcher in baseball over the second half of the season to down for the count with fractured ribs over the last part of the regular season and through the playoffs. Closer Daniel Palencia also saw significant down time at the end of the regular season with a shoulder injury.

2026 Cubs are focused on depth

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This coming season, the Cubs clearly see the possibility of them not being so lucky with their position players and being even more unlucky with their pitchers. It just stands to reason that someone among the position players is due for an injury and that a starting rotation full of durability question marks may suffer some degree of breakdown.

So, headed into a 2026 where expectations are high, the Cubs’ focus seems to be on depth.

Jed Hoyer and the front office have restocked a depleted bullpen, added emerging powerhouse starter Edward Cabrera via trade, signed third baseman Alex Bregman, and have added a virtual legion of backup possibilities via minor league deals and waver pickups.

With their budget close to being tapped out, the Cubs probably have room to make at least one more big or “biggish” acquisition. The question is, where do they make it.

They’d most definitely like more pitching depth, but there’s also a need to add a true, MLB-level fourth outfielder. Here’s a look at the case for each.

You can never have too much pitching

The Cubs still being linked to free agent starter Zac Gallen is surprising, but not all that much.

Starters Horton, Cabrera, and Boyd all have significant history of injury. Steele is coming off elbow surgery and may not be back until about mid-season. Imanaga and Taillon, meanwhile, also lost good chunks of last year due to injury.

The team is fortunate that they have quality swingmen Colin Rea and Javier Assad on the roster, as well as potentially serviceable options in Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks. But nobody will be walking into 2026 as a guarantee to be healthy and productive throughout the year.

Gallen has averaged 31.5 starts over the last four seasons and posted 192 innings last season, despite having a down year. A dependable workhorse in the middle of the rotation would be extreme insurance against the inherent uncertainty among the starting five.

The Cubs don’t have to go big in Gallen, however. There are some more modest free agent acquisitions, either starters or swingmen, still out there that may actually come at a budget price as spring training approaches. Pitchers like Nick Martinez, Chris Bassitt, Zack Littell, Patrick Corbin, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Lucas Giolito are among the best of the rest when it comes to available starters. All would look good in a Cubs uniform as high-end depth pieces.

The need for a fourth outfielder

Last season, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and left fielder Ian Happ played nearly every inning of every game– and their late season fizzle seemed to show some drain in their game because of it.

This year, with right fielder Kyle Tucker out of the picture and top prospect Owen Caissie traded away in the Cabrera deal, the outfield looks thinner than ever, even with Seiya Suzuki moving back to right from DH.

The Cubs need a quality fourth outfielder who can spell all three starters and maintain a decent level of productivity while doing so. The 23-year-old Kevin Alcantara and Dodgers castoff Justin Dean have been the favorites to land that fourth outfielder gig, with recent minor league contract signees Dylan Carson and Chas McCormick also competing for the spot. Former starting third baseman Matt Shaw may also get some outfield playing time in his new role as super utility player. But none of them are sure things.

The Cubs have been linked to free agent outfielder Miguel Andujar and have been encouraged to kick the tires on Andrew McCutchen and Austin Hays. Even former Cub Mike Tauchman could be an upgrade over fourth outfielder options already on hand. Best of all for a budget-watching Cubs team, though, is that none of the above options would break the bank. Andujar is projected at $6-$8 million a season. McCutchen and Hays at about $5 million, and Tauchman at likely under $3 million.

Chicago’s next significant move is likely their last of the offseason. Time (and market) will tell if that last move is towards pitching or an outfield bench asset.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-next-move-outfielder-pitcher-free-agent-2026-zac-gallen