By Steve Adams | September 25, 2026, 3:00 pm CDT
- Hey there! You probably saw Monday that Anthony and I swapped schedules. He’s off today, so I’m your host for the weekend. Ready for some inside intel? Sorry in advance!
- Send any questions ahead of time; we’ll kick off at 3 p.m. CT.
- Hey everyone—enjoy the near‑weekend and the playoff baseball excitement!
- Let’s get started.
- The Cubs are losing Gausman, Holmes, Boyd and Imanaga to free agency. Their rotation depth includes many unknowns—Steele, Cabrera, Ben Brown, Horton. How should they rebuild the staff to stay a division threat next year?
- They need more arms, both starters and relievers. The market offers few long‑term options, which suits Chicago since they shy from lengthy pitching contracts. I doubt they’ll chase Tarik Skubal or Trevor Rogers. Targets like Gausman, Boyd, Holmes, Gray, Ray or Mahle make sense. Trade‑wise, Drew Rasmussen looks likely to move, and Reid Detmers could be on the table again. Seattle may entertain a starter—Kirby, Gilbert or Hancock could be available. For my money, the Cubs should prioritize a cheap, controllable starter over a big‑ticket free‑agent.
- With so many uncertainties, signing one pitcher and swapping another via trade seems prudent.
- Twins appear to have no plans for Trevor Larnach or Bailey Ober next season, leaving little trade value.
- Both look expendable. Larnach told the Star Tribune he expects to leave. With prospects like Buxton, Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez and others, the Twins can’t justify a $7 million arbitration year. They might fetch a reliever or low‑end prospect, but his value has slid since the deadline and his defense is limited, so a non‑tender is probable.
- Ober faces a similar fate. Chicago will have Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley and several promising arms—Abel, Prielipp, Matthews, Rojas. After swapping a prospect for Dean Kremer, who mirrors Ober’s cost and service time, the Twins may favor Kremer, whose stuff outshines Ober’s sub‑90 mph fastball.
- A straight non‑tender is possible, yet Ober could still be a useful fourth starter for a team needing innings. If the Twins can snag a top prospect from the A’s or Giants, they should pull the trigger.
- What will happen with Profar in 2027?
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