What's Next for the Cubs in 2026?

Expiring contracts, prospects knocking on the door of the bigs, and how to get back to October are on Hoyer’s list of priorities fresh off a new extension.  How will he maneuver this season the position the Cubs in a spot for contention

The 2025 Cubs enjoyed a successful season, winning 92 games, taking a playoff series, and falling just one game shy of an NLCS berth.  Young players such as Pete Crow-Armsttrong and Cade Horton thrived, veteran pitchers Matthew Boyd and Brad Keller found new life, and Michael Busch and Daniel Palencia established themselves as true major league contributors. But as the postseason rolls forward and the Cubs move into the offseason, one major question looms large:

What is next for the Cubs in 2026?

The goal for every GM and President of Baseball Operations shouldn’t just be to win the fall classic (although it is the main goal), but to achieve continued, year-to-year success.  The Yankees and Dodgers have had a long history of maintaining success and winning championships (35 between the two of them), and after 2016, it seemed the Cubs were poised to have a run such as the 1990s Yankees or the 2020s Dodgers. 

That 2016 core etched their names into Cubs lore after breaking the infamous Billy Goat curse, but will always leave a sour taste in many cubs’ fans' mouths. They never made it back to the world series, winning only four playoff games after being crowned champs, and never reaching that period of sustained success.  The 2025 season was a great building block. Now, Hoyer and GM Carter Hawkins are looking to achieve that sustained success—or as many call it, a "dynasty"—but how will they do it?

The next group of North Side stars, such as PCA, Matt Shaw, Mo Ballesteros, Kevin Alcantara, Cade Horton, and Owen Caissie, all have multiple years of control, giving Jed and Co. a strong foundation to supplement talent around. While the offense was never categorized as poor (ranking fifth in runs scored), they did have prolonged periods of lackluster performance, which was one reason they lost a season-high 6.5-game lead over the Brewers. The other reason was the starting rotation, which also wasn't as bad as many had feared (boasting the eighth-best starting rotation ERA at 3.83). While the rotation's lack of a true "ace" was a topic of conversation heading into 2025, it is an even bigger one as we move into 2026. However, the main area of concern is right fielder Kyle Tucker.

Seen as one of best bats in the league, Tucker's arrival in Chicago was met with rave reviews.  While they gave up a talented prospect in Cam Smith, a versatile  arm in Hayden Wesneski and pull-power hitter Isaac Paredes for the southpaw, many applauded Jed for the move and wondered if an extension was in the works to keep Tucker around for the foreseeable future. When one didn’t come in the days following, Cubs fans waited, waited some more, and now are left wondering if one is going to be made or was ever going to be made.

Spotrac.com’s market value puts Tucker's contract in the $400 million range over 10 years, which would more than double the franchise's most lucrative deal—fellow right fielder Jason Heyward's $184 million contract given in 2015. Given the Cubs front office’s unwillingness to sign massive deals such as Tucker's potential contract, many believe that Tucker will be heading to the open market. Some project the slugger to make his way to the Dodgers or possibly the Yankees. MLB. com Senior National Reporter Mark Feinsand suggested that if the Yankees lose Cody Bellinger or Trent Grisham to free agency, the Yankees could shift their focus from bolstering their bullpen to bringing Tucker to the Bronx.  Feinsand also noted San Francisco as a contender as the Giants try to find a running mate for Rafael Devers.

Whether to sign Kyle Tucker or not will headline the Cubs offseason strategy in the coming weeks, but they will also look to try and add more pitching.  In Hoyer’s end-of-the-year press conference, he mentioned that adding more starting pitching depth is a priority this offseason—an area the Cubs were lacking all season.  Injuries to Steele, Imanaga, Assad and Tallion left the Cubs scrambling for answers when the deadline came around, as Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks struggled in limited time this season.  

As the market for starting pitching at the deadline heated up, and prices for arms such as MacKienze Gore and Joe Ryan soared, Hoyer made a move for Michael Soroka instead and viewed him as an option in the rotation.  Unfortunately, Soroka left his Cubs debut with a shoulder strain, leaving the Cubs back at square one.  Cade Horton did provide a much-needed spark to a rotation running on fumes, but even the rookie sensation could only provide so much, as Horton was on a soft pitch count and was, like most of the Cubs staff at some point, injured and couldn’t finish the season.

All of the aforementioned names, outside of Soroka (due to his lack of a contract as of Oct. 18), will be ready for Opening Day 2026. However, with Steele coming off Tommy John Surgery and Shota Imanaga's option decision imminent, the Cubs are in a position to acquire an arm or two as not only contingencies if Steele and Imanaga either aren’t ready or move on to a different club, but add the depth Hoyer has been looking for. But who are those potential arms?

There will be a plethora of starters out there who bring experience and a track record of success. The Cubs will more than likely stray away from the bigger names such as Framber Valdez and Michael King due to how much money it will require to lure those names in.  But names such as Merrill Kelly, Dylan Cease, and Tyler Mahle will more than likely be linked to the Cubs.  While the rotation is in need of both talent and depth, the rotation has five arms who are more than capable of holding their own.  But unless Jed gets aggressive and changes his approach to acquiring starting pitching, the Cubs will likely look to acquire good, not great,  starters.

One other area to look to for the Cubs to improve is on the bench.  The season started with Amaya, Turner, Berti and Brujan on the Opening Day roster as the bench options. Turner, however, was the only one to make it through the season, as Amaya got hurt and Berti and Brujan were DFA’d in the middle of the year.  The Cubs could fill these spots in with prospects like Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, Christian Hernandez and Kevin Alcantara, but veteran names such as Yoan Moncada, Wilmer Flores, and Luis Rengifo are also likely to be linked to the Cubs.

Following a 92-win campaign, Jed Hoyer’s commitment to building a sustained winner has a tangible starting point. Hoyer wants to leverage their controllable, young foundation to achieve the "dynasty" status they missed after 2016. But with the decision to extend Kyle Tucker looming large and acquiring quality starting pitching and depth, it is easier said than done. Nevertheless, there is cause for optimism. Since taking over in 2021, Hoyer has rebuilt the roster from the ground up by acquiring proven free agents like Seiya Suzuki, Shota Imanaga and Dansby Swanson, drafted and traded for potential stars like Cade Horton and Pete Crow-Armstrong, and made savvy signings like Jameson Tallion and Matthew Boyd. Having seen the full spectrum—from 100-loss seasons to World Series Championships—Hoyer is in a position to begin the next great era for the North Siders in 2026.