This article takes a hard look at how the Chicago Cubs’ feelings about Cade Horton have shifted—from cautious optimism to, honestly, a bit of regret. Horton’s become one of the most electric young pitchers in baseball, but the Cubs’ lack of upper-level pitching depth has left them scrambling this offseason.
They’re in a spot where they pretty much have to find rotation help through trades or free agency. Otherwise, there’s a real risk they’ll waste a competitive window that’s already ticking.
Cade Horton: From Draft Question Mark to Potential Ace
When the Cubs picked right-hander Cade Horton in the 2022 MLB Draft, plenty of people were skeptical. Horton had just finished rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and didn’t have much of a pitching track record—scouts were working off a tiny sample size and some pretty uneven results.
Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins admits now that he undervalued Horton at the time. The doubts made sense: Horton had flashed as a third baseman, and his ERA on the mound was an ugly 7.92 at one point. That’s the kind of stat line that’ll make even the most seasoned evaluator hesitate.
The Breakout That Changed Everything
Then things flipped, and fast. Horton’s stuff finally came together, and he threw a jaw-dropping 13-strikeout game in the College World Series—his fastball-slider combo just overwhelmed hitters.
That performance didn’t just boost his draft stock; it made people rethink what he could be as a pro. Now, the numbers at the big-league level are matching the hype.
Horton dominated in the second half of his MLB season, putting up a ridiculous 1.03 ERA. That kind of number turns a pitcher from “interesting prospect” into “possible rotation anchor” pretty much overnight.
For a front office that hesitated, Horton’s become a vivid reminder of how thin the line is between risk and reward in pitching evaluations.
A Top Prospect Isn’t Enough: The Cubs’ Pitching Depth Problem
Horton’s rise is exciting, but it also highlights a troubling reality: the Cubs’ farm system is light—dangerously light—on high-upside, near-ready arms. One frontline starter doesn’t make a rotation, and behind Horton, there’s not much there.
Of the organization’s top 15 prospects, just three are pitchers, and each comes with real question marks:
The Next Wave: Wiggins, Birdsell, and Wing
The three notable arms in the system:
That’s a thin group, and it’s why Horton’s emergence doesn’t really fix the bigger problem. The Cubs just don’t have enough impact pitching coming up to cover the inevitable injuries and growing pains that come with relying on young arms.
Last Offseason’s Approach: Offense First, Pitching Later
The Cubs’ recent roster moves show them trying to juggle short-term competitiveness with long-term plans. Even after signing lefty Matthew Boyd last year, the front office kept searching for ways to upgrade the rotation, but their focus eventually shifted toward offense.
They landed star right fielder Kyle Tucker, adding some real power to the middle of the order. They also took a swing at Alex Bregman, though that didn’t pan out. So, the lineup got better, but the rotation stayed pretty exposed.
Injuries Expose the Rotation’s Fragility
The 2024 season really drove home how fragile the rotation was. Staff leader Justin Steele went down with a season-ending elbow injury, leaving a massive hole at the top.
The Cubs brought in righty Michael Soroka hoping he could bounce between the rotation and bullpen, but he also got hurt—shoulder issue, out for a while. All of this happened while the trade market for frontline starters was brutal, with prices sky-high for anyone with multiple years of control.
The Cubs didn’t want to pay that price and kept their prospect capital, but that left them thin on the mound when it mattered most.
The Market Heats Up: Pressure Mounts on Jed Hoyer
The rest of the league isn’t waiting around. The starting-pitching market has already started moving, and the Cubs are getting pushed toward a decision point.
Other contenders are shoring up their rotations aggressively, and every day Chicago waits, the list of real options gets shorter. Recent moves around the league just crank up the urgency even more.
Gray to Boston, Cease Cashes In, and the Cubs’ Next Move
The Red Sox just made a bold move, grabbing Sonny Gray in a trade. He’s a veteran workhorse, and now he’s set to anchor the front of their rotation.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays threw a massive $210 million contract at Dylan Cease. Clearly, teams are getting aggressive when it comes to top-end starting pitching.
Cubs president Jed Hoyer hasn’t exactly kept quiet about the team’s plans. He says the Cubs have to stay active in several areas.
For Chicago, it’s not just about adding arms for the sake of it. They’re aiming to build a pitching infrastructure that actually lasts.
Horton’s rise gives them a potential ace. What the front office does this winter might decide if he leads a real contender—or just stands out in a rotation that never quite got there.
Here is the source article for this story: The starting pitching market is churning
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