​Why Cubs’ biggest priority in offseason is not their beloved free agent outfielders originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.After two embarrassing losses, the Chicago Cubs have been eliminated from the MLB postseason in 2026. Now, the team must look forward to the offseason.Jed Hoyer is going to be very busy this winter, as the Cubs are going to have some massive decisions to make on a ton of very key players. Things could get ugly for the Cubs this offseason.But ESPN’s Jesse Rogers believes the top priority for the Cubs won’t involve outfielders Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ. Instead, the Cubs’ biggest issues to resolve are in the starting rotation and bullpen.Cubs’ top priority this offseason is about pitching, not Happ or Suzuki”The Cubs need to rebuild their pitching staff, and that includes both their rotation and bullpen,” Rogers writes. “The good news is they can concentrate on that part of their team because they have enough position players to fill the void left by Happ and Suzuki, who are both likely to leave the team via free agency.”With the Cubs looking likely to lose both Happ and Suzuki, a pair of beloved star outfielders, they’re likely to need more outfield help.But thanks to some quality depth within the organization with Kevin Alcantara, Matt Shaw, and others, the Cubs might instead look to focus on their pitching staff.Considering how much of a liability it was in 2026, and the massive group of pitchers departing in free agency this upcoming offseason, it makes sense that the top priority is all about pitching.Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and plenty of others are set to hit the open market following the 2026 MLB season’s completion.MORE: Dodgers’ $5.5M postseason hero Miguel Rojas may not retire under one conditionWith the Cubs needing to fill at least three starting rotation spots, if not more depending on how confident they are in Justin Steele and Cade Horton, the Cubs are going to have to be very busy this winter.They could make a run at Tarik Skubal, Michael King, Robbie Ray, Nick Pivetta, Casey Mize, Freddy Peralta, Tyler Mahle, Foster Griffin, Dustin May, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Sonny Gray, and many others this upcoming offseason.Plus, there’s bound to be plenty of trade targets worth exploring, like Hunter Brown, Joe Ryan, or Sandy Alcantara. Regardless of who they pursue, starting pitching and even bullpen help are must-haves for the Cubs this winter.But this focus on the pitching staff means that Suzuki and Happ are likely to depart this offseason. While it’d be a shame to lose both, considering the major need in the rotation, moving on from both, unfortunately, makes some sense.More MLB news:Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski makes all kinds of MLB history with 1,000 pitches of 100 mphWhite Sox reportedly have ‘no urgency’ to sign Munetaka Murakami to an extensionPirates urged to re-sign Brandon Lowe if they ‘want to be taken seri