The Chicago Cubs are looking to bolster their roster this offseason, but they may not be in the market to aggressively spend like some of the other top markets. The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Toronto Blue Jays are expected to be very aggressive with their money while the Cubs may not be. Because of this, it’s hard to imagine the Cubs signing stars like Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Willy Adames, Blake Snell, or Corbin Burnes. Instead, Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer predicts the Cubs to sign a “third tier option” starting pitcher to a three-year, $30 million contract this winter.

“This year was a disaster for (Walker) Buehler until, suddenly, it wasn’t. He came up huge in his last three playoff outings for the Dodgers, pitching 10 scoreless innings and ultimately throwing the pitch that sealed the deal on their title,” Rymer wrote. “It’s even possible to imagine him scoring a multi-year deal from a team in need of a high-upside starter.” Rymer predicts Buehler to the Cubs on a three-year deal; honestly, I don’t hate it. In order to set Buehler’s value accurately, we must remember how disastrous his regular season was. He posted a 5.38 ERA and a -1.3 WAR while holding a 1-6 record with the powerhouse Dodgers.

With Los Angeles expected to be in on Japanese star Roki Sasaki as well as top arms like Jack Flaherty, Burnes, and others, it’s understandable they may let Buehler walk. Chicago is the perfect place to land for him. He gets his money from a good organization that can compete if they can put the pieces together in 2025.