Cubs connected to intriguing new trade target amid rampant rumors

The Chicago Cubs have been linked to a variety of players this offseason, ranging from Tatsuya Imai to Edward Cabrera to Alex Bregman.

Imai ultimately signed with the Houston Astros, the Miami Marlins’ asking price for Cabrera is probably too high and while Bregman is still available, it doesn’t seem like the Cubs are being overly aggressive in their pursuit of the All-Star third baseman.

So what exactly will Chicago do this winter, if anything?

Well, one thing is for sure: the Cubs need some pitching depth, and while Cabrera may prove too costly, there are certainly some other candidates for Chicago to target, such as Washington Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore.

But could another less popular name surface as a potential target for the Cubbies?

Paul Niemiec of North Side Baseball thinks so, floating San Diego Padres hurler Nick Pivetta as a possibility.

Could the Chicago Cubs swing a trade for Nick Pivetta?

Pivetta is interesting, to say the least.

The 32-year-old went 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA while allowing 129 hits and racking up 190 strikeouts over 181.2 innings of work in 2025. He was so impressive, as a matter of fact, that he finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting.

Pivetta also has an interesting contract situation. He will earn $20.5 million in 2026 and has three years remaining on his deal overall, but his pact includes opt outs after 2026 and 2027.

“Though the Padres are still trying to compete, they’ve made it known they’re willing to sell high on Pivetta in order to add some MLB-ready talent,” Niemiec wrote. “He does have an opt-out after this season, so if he pitches well again, this will likely turn into a rental deal. The best case for the Cubs would be a situation where Pivetta remains an ace-level pitcher for this season, helps them make a deep playoff run, and opts out, leaving the Cubs free of paying $32 million over the last two years of the deal.”

While Chicago would be stuck paying his $20.5 million salary for 2026, Pivetta could serve as a potential one-year rental, especially if he pitches nearly as well as he did last season.

Of course, there are concerns with the right-hander, as he had never even logged a sub-4.00 ERA in eight big-league campaigns prior to 2025. Pivetta has been a solid pitcher for several years and has averaged 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings over the course of his big-league tenure, but there is definitely reason to believe he won’t replicate his 2025 showing.

That being said, the veteran would still represent a great depth piece for the Cubs and probably wouldn’t cost too much in terms of prospect capital.

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