Cubs Predicted to Land Premier Free Agent Pitcher
The Chicago Cubs have some major holes to fill ahead of the 2026 season. Potentially replacing Kyle Tucker, the top hitter in the free agent market, will be a daunting task for the team. After all, the star outfielder either ranked first or second on the team in OBP, OPS, and runs during 2025. Tucker is being heavily linked with a move away from Wrigley Field.
The Cubs are also likely to lose Shota Imanaga. The starting pitcher is expected to reject Chicago’s pending one-year qualifying offer. Instead, Imanaga will be looking for a multi-year contract, whether that is from the Cubs or another team. Chicago execs, however, may not want to tie up too much long-term money in the pitcher.
Bleacher Report is now predicting that the Cubs will turn to soon-to-be former Houston Astros star Framber Valdez to replace Imanaga. Valdez is the consensus top starting pitcher in the free agent market. The news outlet estimates an agreement between the Cubs and Valdez could be a four-year, $114 million deal. A potential fit would make sense as both Imanaga and Valdez are lefties.
Framber Valdez has Been Linked with Chicago Cubs Before
GettyFramber Valdez is widely viewed as the top starting pitcher in free agency.
Bleacher Report does not seem to be just taking a shot in the dark. Although Valdez’s future is still up in the air, CBS Sports reporter Mike Axisa also recently linked him with the Cubs. The journalist envisioned on November 11 that Chicago would eventually land Valdez later in the winter.
“I’ll put [Valdez] down for the Cubs, who walked away from Shota Imanaga and have a pretty big hole in the rotation with Justin Steele still rehabbing from elbow surgery,” wrote Axisa. “I think Valdez is the free agent most likely to sign with a Mystery Team in January or February.”
Along with Valdez, Dylan Cease has also been linked with a move to the North Side of Chicago. Outside of journalistic reports, rumors connecting Cease with the Cubs have been led by the player’s agent. Scott Boras proclaimed on November 12 that his client has been “dominant” at Wrigley Field. Cease has not allowed an earned run in his last two starts in the historic stadium.
Valdez Would Give Cubs Much-Needed Playoff Experience
Chicago’s pursuit of pitching, particularly starters, should not exactly surprise anyone. The Athletic reported on November 14 that team officials have made it clear that “pitching is absolutely the club’s top priority.” The outlet claimed that team execs felt that they were at least one starting pitcher short during the 2025 playoffs.
Chicago was ultimately bounced out of the recent postseason by the Milwaukee Brewers in the divisional round. Throughout the playoffs, the Cubs only had two pitchers start multiple games: Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon. Imanaga only managed to start one game during the postseason and surrendered a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning against the San Diego Padres.
Valdez certainly has plenty of playoff experience with the Astros. The star has pitched in 17 postseason games and previously collected a World Series ring with Houston in 2022. Not only did he hoist the trophy, but Valdez was a standout player on that team. In his four appearances, he allowed just four earned runs in 25 total innings to go undefeated on the mound.
Lions' Tyleik Williams Dillema Isn't Going Away After Performance in Week 11
The days leading up to the Detroit Lions’ showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles were eventful for Tyleik Williams. The Lions’ first-round pick from last April’s draft began his week with Dan Campbell suggesting he needed to pay his dues and learn from the veterans in front of him before getting on the field. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard sang a different tune, suggesting Williams could see the field more beginning with Sunday night’s game.
Whatever conversations Campbell and Sheppard had regarding the rookie must have gone in the defensive coordinator’s favor. Williams turned in one of his best overall efforts of the season in the 16-9 loss to Philadelphia and could have earned more opportunities moving forward.
While the rookie's stock appears to be going up, it could come at the expense of Alim McNeill, who may have opened the door for Williams to steal more snaps and continue the dilemma for the coaching staff as they try to figure out how to get everyone involved.
Williams Reshaping Lions’ D-Line Rotation After SNF Showing vs. Eagles
The Lions are happy to have McNeill back as he returned quickly from a torn ACL suffered last December. While his return drew plenty of enthusiasm from Campbell, he hasn’t been able to reacclimate himself to the field, posting overall Pro Football Focus grades of 39.0 in a Week 9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and a 45.4 overall grade in a Week 10 victory over the Washington Commanders.
McNeill didn’t lose any of his snaps in Sunday’s game against the Eagles, but there’s an argument that the Lions should have held him back. A 63.2 overall grade was his highest since he made his debut in Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he was also inefficient in the pass rush, generating just one pressure on 32 pass-rushing snaps.
While Williams didn’t have more luck as a pass rusher with one pressure on 12 snaps, he made a big impact in the running game with a pair of run stops and a season-high 74.7 grade on 24 snaps.
Part of Williams's usage could have been due to the opponent, as the Eagles have a run-heavy offense featuring running back Saquon Barkley and dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts. But it’s also notable as his 36 total snaps were more than the past two weeks combined, and his most since he played 39 snaps in a Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns
With Roy Lopez and DJ Reader also in the rotation, Williams made a case to stay there moving forward. While the Lions would probably like to keep using McNeill prominently, it makes more sense to get Williams more involved.
Having more bodies along the defensive line can only help the Lions moving forward and could provide the depth they didn’t have when their playoff run ended one season ago.
