Cubs Eye Pitching Overhaul as Lockout Looms
Chicago's front office heads to the MLB GM meetings in Las Vegas as the Cubs' rotation enters free agency.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Baseball
Cubs president Jed Hoyer attended the MLB GM meetings in Las Vegas, the week of November 9, 2026, as a lengthy lockout looms. All five pitchers who finished the season in the Cubs rotation are now free agents, following a sweep in the wild-card round.
Why it matters
The Cubs were swept out of the wild-card round and face a lockout that could freeze roster moves, making the offseason pitching market a central test for the front office. Chicago fans will be watching whether the team can rebuild a rotation after last winter's bullpen plan fell short.
Alex Bregman's $175 million free-agent deal signed last offseason sits alongside five unsigned rotation pitchers, a gap that will define the Cubs' winter. The length of the expected lockout is not yet known, leaving the timing of any signings unclear.
The players
Jed Hoyer
Jed Hoyer is the president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs, overseeing the club's roster construction and trade strategy.
Alex Bregman
Alex Bregman is an infielder who signed a $175 million free-agent contract with the Chicago Cubs last offseason.
Seiya Suzuki
Seiya Suzuki is a Cubs outfielder who received a qualifying offer from the club last week and is a potential free-agent departure.
The details
Hoyer attended the GM meetings while the Cubs' rotation pitchers are all free agents, and the club shipped top prospects in win-now trades over the last calendar year to acquire Edward Cabrera, Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes. The team also extended a qualifying offer to Seiya Suzuki last week, and Ian Happ and Suzuki are potentially departing as free agents.
Timeline
Last winter: Cubs bullpen construction did not work out.
Last offseason: Cubs signed Alex Bregman to a $175 million free-agent contract.
Over the last calendar year: Cubs made win-now trades, shipping away top prospects.
Last week: Cubs extended a qualifying offer to Seiya Suzuki.
This week (November 2026): MLB GM meetings held in Las Vegas.
Season Trajectory
The expected lockout follows the pattern of the 2021-22 work stoppage, which froze free-agent activity during a critical winter period. For the Cubs, that means the pitching overhaul must happen on a compressed or delayed timetable after a sweep in the wild-card round.
The Cubs' five free-agent rotation pitchers mean fantasy managers will need to track which arms sign and where before the lockout halts transactions. A lockout could delay signings and leave rotation spots unfilled well into the season.
The takeaway
Fans should track free-agent signings closely once the lockout begins, since transactions may stall. The Cubs' rebuild will depend on how quickly the front office can act once the freeze ends.
Further reading
For more on the team's winter plans, see Chicago Baseball coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Chicago Sun-Times.
