The Cubs came up short again – this time in the Tatsuya Imai sweepstakes. The Japanese right-hander inked a three-year, $64 million deal with the Houston Astros, a number that came in well below most projections.

And once again, Chicago was reportedly in the mix until the very end but couldn’t close the deal. It’s a familiar storyline under Jed Hoyer’s tenure as president of baseball operations: close, but not quite.

Still, the offseason is far from over, and the Cubs have plenty of opportunity to shift the narrative. There are difference-making arms still on the board, and if Chicago wants to keep pace in a rapidly improving National League, the time to act is now. The need for a frontline starter remains glaring, and with the calendar flipping to January, the urgency is only increasing.

Here are three starting pitchers the Cubs should be pursuing – not just monitoring – with serious intent.

Framber Valdez: The Durable Ace

Framber Valdez is the kind of pitcher who doesn’t just fill a rotation spot – he anchors it. The lefty has been a model of consistency for the Astros, earning two All-Star nods and routinely pushing toward the 200-inning mark. That kind of workload has been elusive for the Cubs in recent years, and Valdez’s ability to take the ball every fifth day and go deep into games could be a game-changer for a rotation that needs stability and top-end talent.

In 2025, Valdez logged 192 innings with a 3.37 FIP – numbers that speak to both volume and quality. He’s entering his age-32 season, and while that might give some front offices pause, his track record suggests there’s still plenty left in the tank.

Of course, that kind of production doesn’t come cheap. Valdez is expected to command a deal north of $150 million, and given the way the market has trended, that price tag feels justified.

Whether the Cubs are willing to go that high is another question. But if they’re serious about contending, Valdez is exactly the kind of arm they need to be in on – not just as a courtesy call, but as a legitimate suitor.

Zac Gallen: The Bounce-Back Bet

For a brief moment back in early December, it looked like Zac Gallen might be on his way to Wrigley. That didn’t materialize, but the fit still makes a lot of sense. Gallen is coming off a down year – a 4.83 ERA across just under 200 innings – but his overall body of work suggests that 2025 was more of a blip than a breakdown.

From 2022 to 2024, Gallen was one of the best pitchers in the National League, averaging 180 innings with a 3.20 ERA and finishing in the top five of Cy Young voting twice. That kind of resume doesn’t just disappear overnight. And for a Cubs front office that has historically loved to buy low on high-upside arms, Gallen checks a lot of boxes.

He’s younger than Valdez, likely to cost less, and has the kind of competitive edge that would play well in a rotation looking to establish an identity. If Hoyer is looking for a high-upside addition who won’t completely break the bank, Gallen might be the best bet on the board.

Ranger Suárez: The Under-the-Radar Star

Ranger Suárez doesn’t light up the radar gun, but he gets outs – and lots of them. Since 2021, the Phillies left-hander has quietly put together a stretch of 3.25 ERA ball across nearly 800 innings. That’s the kind of consistency that tends to fly under the radar, but not for long.

What makes Suárez particularly intriguing is how he does it. He doesn’t overpower hitters – his fastball sits in the low 90s – but he ranks in the 98th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 95th percentile in average exit velocity.

Translation: hitters just don’t square him up. That skillset, combined with his pitch mix and command, gives him a chance to age well even as velocity trends downward.

For the Cubs, Suárez offers a different kind of value. He’s not the traditional ace, but he fits the mold of a rotation stabilizer with upside. And while he’s likely to command a deal in the five-year range, his style of pitching suggests he could provide value throughout the life of the contract.

The Clock Is Ticking

The Cubs have made it clear they’re in the market for a top-tier starter. Missing out on Imai stings, but it doesn’t have to define their offseason. There’s still time to make a splash – but the clock is ticking.

Valdez brings durability and dominance. Gallen offers upside and a potential bargain.

Suárez delivers consistency and craft. All three would elevate the Cubs’ rotation in different ways, and all three are still available – for now.

If Chicago wants to move from “almost” to “all-in,” the path is right in front of them. It’s up to Hoyer and company to take that next step.