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Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer
The Chicago Cubs are going to be in the market for some pitching this offseason. Already off the board is San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease, who is signing with the Toronto Blue Jays. They could kick the tires of Houston Astros free agent Framber Valdez, the next top free-agent arm.
Shota Imanaga is returning after accepting his qualifying offer, but there are questions surrounding the rest of the rotation. Ranger Suárez is another free-agent target they could look to land, but if not, they have been linked to former Padres and New York Yankees right-hander Michael King.
After the top of the free agent pitching market, the top-of-the-rotation arms thin out. King is someone who the Cubs continue to be linked to.
Should the Cubs Pursue Michael King in Free Agency?
Two years ago, King was traded from the Yankees to the Padres as part of the Juan Soto blockbuster. He pitched very well in 2024 for San Diego, earning Cy Young votes. This past season, injuries cut his season short with knee inflammation and a pinched nerve in his right shoulder.
Those injuries could factor into King’s free-agent market, but if he is healthy, he is certainly a low-risk, high-reward option. The Cubs are a team that should be willing to kick the tires on him, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
“Even with the return of Shota Imanaga via the qualifying offer, the Cubs are in the market for a frontline starter this offseason. King is one of the most talented arms available, and after missing a chunk of 2025 with a thoracic nerve injury and a knee issue, he could sign for fewer years than some of the other top starting pitchers,” wrote Feinsand.
In 2024, King went 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA for San Diego in a career-high 30 starts. He had a 4.1 WAR and struck out 203 and walked just 63 in 173.2 innings pitched. In 2025, before injuries ended his season early, he was 5-3 in 15 starts with a 3.44 ERA. He was turned into a starter by the Padres full-time after he worked out of the bullpen with the Yankees.
Cubs Continue to Be Linked to Michael King
Feinsand is the first to link King to the Cubs. Zack Mentz of Cleveland.com predicted that King will sign a two-year, $56 million contract. Would Chicago take a risk like that with King coming off an injury? If not, some contenders in desperate need of pitching would.
Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reported that King is someone who is on the Cubs’ radar at the General Managers’ meetings a couple of weeks ago.
“Michael King is another pitcher the Cubs have on their radar, viewing him as a starter with big upside when healthy. His work ethic, intelligence, and feel for pitching are attributes that the Cubs previously targeted with free agents such as Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd,” wrote Sharma and Mooney.
The Cubs need pitching; there is no doubt about that. They could look to add through a trade, but King is certainly someone who has a ton of upside. If healthy, he is worth the risk to solidify their rotation in 2026.
Scott Roche Scott Roche covers college football and the NFL for Heavy.com and has three decades of sports writing, covering everything from college to professional sports. More about Scott Roche
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