The Rundown: Steele’s Timeline Clarified Slightly, Counsell Wants Better Bullpen, Hoyer Seeking ‘Multiple Guys That Can Make Starts’
The Cubs’ search for pitching has been the theme of the offseason so far, and we got additional clarification on that front on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings in Orlando. While there’s still a very long way to go when it comes to exactly who the Cubs will bring in, both Craig Counsell and Jed Hoyer addressed a number of different topics with varying degrees of specificity.
Rather than fold anything into this preamble, I’m going to start the Rundown part earlier than usual.
Steele’s Rehab Timeline Clarified
Justin Steele made only four starts before losing his season to an elbow injury suffered against the Rangers, making it the second straight season in which Texas indirectly caused him to miss time. Rather than full-blown Tommy John, which Steele underwent several years ago in the minors, this was the newer internal brace procedure that uses sutures and special medical tape to reinforce the ulnar collateral ligament.
That means a much quicker return to competition for most pitchers, with some getting back in 10-12 months rather than 12-18. There was even some hope that Steele, who began a throwing program in October, could be ready by the start of the season. Based on the video he shared earlier this week, his progress sure seems to be coming along nicely.
— Justin Steele (@J_Steele21) December 8, 2025
Counsell threw a little cold water on that notion during his Tuesday press conference, however, indicating that the Cubs are going to be careful with the lefty. That makes sense given his injury history and his importance to the club, and we will discuss in the next section how Hoyer may look to reinforce the pitching staff to account for Steele’s delayed start.
“It’s not gonna be Opening Day,” Counsell told reporters in Orlando. “I really don’t wanna speculate until we get to spring training and see where he’s at…I think we’ll know in spring training kind of a target area of dates there. It’s not gonna be Opening Day, but I think it’ll be the first half of the season.”
Even though it’s not the most abbreviated timeline possible, getting Steele back by May or even April is a good bit more optimistic than a report from George Ofman — which was shared by Bruce Levine — saying the Cubs “likely” don’t expect Steele back until September. Like Ofman’s report about them being “stunned” by Shota Imanaga‘s decision to accept the qualifying offer, this appears to be ill-informed.
Ofman’s replies indicated that he believes Steele underwent TJ surgery, and it appears as though the information he got is based on that timeline. Unless Steele suffers a setback in his rehab, assuming a September return is just wildly out of line. This is yet another example of making sure you have context before taking a rumor or report at face value.
“Super-Motivated” Imanaga Working to Correct Issues
Yesterday, we looked at some comments from Yoshinobu Hasegawa, who runs Pacific Rim operations for Octagon, Shōta Imanaga’s agency. Hasegawa noted that the lefty has been working out at a Florida training facility also frequented by Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, later identified as Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Gardens. Eric Cressey and his staff have helped numerous pitchers level up and get their groove back, so there’s reason for confidence in Imanaga’s ability to rebound.
The Cubs felt good enough about that possibility to make something of a gamble by extending a $22.025 million qualifying offer to the same pitcher they opted not to extend. There’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal in Hoyer’s eyes, and this one could really pay off. As for the notion that they were stunned by Imanaga’s choice, well…
“We knew there was a possibility he would accept it,” Hoyer told reporters on Monday. “Clearly, we wouldn’t have offered it if we weren’t excited to have him back or if we were going to be handcuffed by it. We weren’t blindsided at all.”
Hoyer went on to echo Hasegawa’s comments about Imanaga identifying and working on changes to improve from last year’s performance. Adjustments can be hard to make on the fly, especially if you don’t even understand what needs to be changed. And even if Imanaga was fully healthy throughout the second half, it’s entirely possible that subconscious compensatory efforts by his body and/or brain led to his decreased performance.
Getting Imanaga back to more of his 2024 levels would be huge, especially if Steele can resume his high level of pitching, but the Cubs can’t bank on hope.
Hoyer Seeking Multiple Pitchers to Start Games
That wording is intentional, as I didn’t want to say the Cubs are seeking multiple starters. From the sounds of it, Hoyer wants to add one starting pitcher and at least one swingman type who can reinforce the rotation until Steele is ready.
“We’re definitely looking for another starter,” Hoyer said. “Could we add multiple guys that can make starts? Yes.”
Exactly how that plays out obviously remains to be seen, but it could mean anything from another Colin Rea type or perhaps a reliever who’s able to stretch out a little. There’s been a trend lately of high-leverage guys being signed as starters, though going that route probably isn’t in the cards for Hoyer. Starters typically get paid much more than relievers, which throws off the front office’s value calculations.
Sources and multiple outlets continue to identify Michael King, Tatsuya Imai, and Zac Gallen as the primary targets for that main addition. Now it’s just a matter of timing, as Imai has until January 2 to choose his destination. The Cubs, who are believed to be among his favorites, may have to decide whether to wait on that or jump on one of the other two.
King and Gallen project to cost less annually over a shorter period, but Imai is also younger with more upside. Either way, Hoyer needs to find someone else who can eat innings as either a starter or reliever.
Counsell Asks for Better Bullpen
Making an early splash to sign big-time strikeout pitcher Phil Maton to a multiyear deal clearly signaled a willingness to break with the standard piecemeal bullpen construction we’ve seen from the Cubs in recent years. They’ve generally had pretty good success with that, though two of their biggest additions in each of the last two seasons have flopped badly.
A year after signing former Astros closer Hector Neris to a $9 million deal, they traded for former Astros closer Ryan Pressly. Neither made it through August before being designated for assignment or released, and their early-season struggles forced Counsell to rework his high-leverage mixes on the fly. While there’s no such thing as a guarantee in the bullpen, the Cubs could really use a higher degree of certainty in that unit.
“What we thought about the bullpen going into the season, we were wrong,” Counsell explained. “We were pretty wrong on it. We ended up pitching pretty well, but at the start of the season, it wasn’t the guys we expected to do it.”
Complicating matters is the fact that several of those unexpected contributors — Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, and Caleb Thielbar — are no longer under contract. So not only does Hoyer have to replace them, but he’s also got to fill roles vacated by Andrew Kittredge, Taylor Rogers, and even Michael Soroka. Doing so with anyone other than minor leaguers and non-roster invitees means guaranteeing a little more of what precious little budget the Cubs have left.
Though $48 million might seem like a lot, it goes quickly if you’re truly in the market for someone like Alex Bregman. Unless they’re going to deal Jameson Taillon or another starter, signing Bregman and any of the starters above would effectively consume what most consider to be the Cubs’ spending limit. And that’s without adding a swingman, let alone other high-leverage options.
People criticize Hoyer for his seemingly passive approach to roster construction, but it’s important to recognize how all these moving parts need to fit together. It’s not as simple as just checking items off a wishlist, especially when it comes to trades. I get the sense that we could see more of a slow burn for a while before a few things fall in place somewhat quickly.
Other News and Notes
- The Orioles reportedly matched the Phillies’ offer for Kyle Schwarber, but Philly was a better fit all around.
- Matt Shaw remains a topic of conversation, which many people take to mean the Cubs are actively looking to displace him. Buster Olney shared a cryptic tweet that touted Shaw’s offense with zero additional context. Sounds a little like a potential negotiating tactic, but could be nothing.
- To that end, CI confirmed the report that the Cubs held a Zoom meeting with Alex Bregman in recent weeks.
- The White Sox were awarded the first pick in next summer’s draft via the lottery held Tuesday night. The Cubs pick 23rd.
- The Rule 5 Draft is today and the Cubs don’t figure to have anyone plucked from the organization. They might select someone, though, especially if they can identify a pitcher they think can give them innings. Last year saw them select third baseman Gage Workman, who achieved early cult status before ultimately falling out of favor and being traded to the South Side. After flailing there, he was returned to the Tigers.
- The Cubs are reportedly interested in Robert Suarez, the top available reliever on the market. That seems out of character for them, but they’ve been shopping near the top of the market and certainly need to solidify the bullpen. This makes a ton of sense if Kiley McDaniel’s projection of two years, $25 million is accurate.
- I think it’s funny that the Cubs have now been connected to all three free agents with the surname of Suárez (Eugenio and Ranger as well).
That’s already way too much, so no recs or reviews today.
