The Chicago Cubs may not be front and center in the latest Kris Bubic trade chatter, but don’t be surprised if they quietly circle back to a name they’ve tracked before. The Kansas City Royals’ left-hander, coming off an All-Star campaign, is reportedly drawing interest around the league – and with good reason. Even with some injury baggage, Bubic’s upside makes him a compelling option for teams like the Cubs, who are shopping for rotation help this offseason.
Let’s start with what’s on the table. According to league sources, multiple clubs have reached out about Bubic’s availability, and the Royals aren’t shutting the door on moving him.
That’s notable. In a market where top-end starters are either unavailable or priced like gold, Bubic offers a rare blend of production, affordability, and short-term control – all wrapped in a left-handed starter who just posted a 2.55 ERA across 20 starts.
That number jumps off the page, and it wasn’t smoke and mirrors. Bubic struck out 24.4% of the batters he faced over 116.1 innings, while maintaining a clean 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. That’s the kind of profile that plays in any rotation, especially one like the Cubs’, which needs to reload with multiple arms this winter.
But here’s the catch – and it’s a big one. Bubic’s 2025 season ended prematurely just before the trade deadline due to a rotator cuff strain.
That’s the type of injury that raises red flags for any front office, especially when it comes to a pitcher who already has Tommy John surgery in his rearview mirror. The Cubs, or any suitor, would need to do a deep dive on his medicals before pulling the trigger.
Still, there’s a reason teams are sniffing around. Bubic is entering his final year of arbitration, projected to earn around $6 million – a modest number for a pitcher of his caliber, assuming he’s healthy.
Plus, with free agency looming after 2026, the cost to acquire him in a trade would likely be lower than what it would take to land bigger names like Joe Ryan, MacKenzie Gore, or Edward Cabrera. That kind of value – a possible mid-rotation arm at a budget-friendly price – is hard to ignore for a team like the Cubs that’s trying to stay competitive while keeping long-term flexibility intact.
And let’s not forget: the Cubs were linked to Bubic ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. At the time, Bubic was in the midst of an elite stretch, ranking fourth in the American League with a 2.38 ERA as of late July.
The Cubs reportedly checked in with the Royals, but Kansas City seemed more inclined to move veteran Seth Lugo than their All-Star lefty. Then came the injury news – Bubic was placed on the 15-day injured list, and not long after, the Royals announced he’d miss the remainder of the season.
In hindsight, the Cubs may have dodged a bullet by not making a move then. But now, with Bubic’s price potentially dipping due to the injury, the calculus changes.
If the medicals check out, the upside here is real. He’s still just 28, and his 2025 performance – when healthy – showed he’s capable of anchoring a rotation.
That’s not something you find every day on the trade market, especially at a discount.
The Royals’ willingness to entertain offers for Bubic is intriguing in its own right. They’re not exactly in teardown mode, and Bubic looked like a foundational piece of their rotation.
So why move him now? It could be a signal that Kansas City is looking to reallocate resources – maybe to boost an offense that struggled – or it could simply be a case of selling high on a pitcher with injury risk and one year of control left.
Either way, it’s a situation worth monitoring. The Cubs have a clear need for rotation depth, and Bubic fits the mold of the kind of pitcher they could take a calculated risk on. He won’t be the flashiest name on the market, but if he returns to form, he could be one of the most impactful.
For now, it’s wait and see. But don’t be surprised if Jed Hoyer and company revisit this one.
The interest was there in July. It might just resurface this winter.
