The Cubs may not have made a splashy free-agent signing or blockbuster trade yet this offseason, but they just made a move that could have a serious long-term impact on the organization – and it didn’t involve a player at all. Over the weekend, the Cubs promoted Tyler Zombro to vice president of pitching, a title that comes with more influence, more responsibility, and a clear signal: this is someone the Cubs believe in, and they’re not letting him walk out the door.

Zombro, 31, has been with the organization for just a year, but his impact is already being felt across the pitching department. Originally hired as a special pitching assistant, Zombro brought with him a reputation as one of the sharpest minds in pitching development. He never reached the majors during his time as a minor leaguer with the Rays and Rangers from 2017 to 2023, but his work off the field – particularly with his own training facility, which eventually merged with Tread Athletics – quickly earned him respect throughout the baseball world.

Inside the industry, Zombro’s name has been mentioned in the same breath as some of the game’s top pitching innovators. That kind of buzz doesn’t go unnoticed.

According to reports, the Washington Nationals were ready to bring him aboard as their MLB pitching coach this offseason. The Cubs, recognizing what they had, stepped in and shut that down – and then elevated him into a more prominent leadership role within Jed Hoyer’s front office.

This isn’t just a title bump for optics. Zombro is stepping into a role previously held by Ryan Otero, who left to join Craig Breslow’s new-look front office in Boston. That’s a big seat to fill, and the Cubs clearly believe Zombro is the right voice to lead their pitching infrastructure moving forward.

And there’s already a track record to point to. Zombro is credited with identifying Brad Keller as a bounce-back candidate last offseason, helping bring him into the Cubs organization on a minor league deal.

That move paid off in a big way. After several seasons of decline, Keller found new life in Chicago, posting a 2.07 ERA over 68 appearances in 2025.

Now, he’s one of the more intriguing relief options on the free-agent market – and Zombro’s fingerprints are all over that turnaround.

While fans understandably want to see marquee names added to the roster, moves like this one – retaining and promoting a key architect behind the scenes – matter just as much. Building a sustainable pitching pipeline takes more than just signing arms; it takes vision, development, and leadership. Zombro brings all three.

So no, the Cubs haven’t landed that headline-grabbing piece just yet. But keeping Zombro in-house and giving him the reins to shape the future of Cubs pitching?

That’s a win. Maybe even the biggest one of the offseason so far.