The Chicago Cubs believe that the Dodgers’ star elite pitcher could become a star.

The MLB offseason has begun and two moves have already been finalized for the Chicago Cubs.

Cody Bellinger has decided to opt out of his contract to remain with the Cubs. He will earn $27.5 million through the 2025 season. Chicago also decided to part ways with veteran left-hander Drew Smyly, declining his contract option.

Moving forward, the Cubs need to find a way to improve their roster enough to become a contender.

A lot of the speculation surrounding Chicago is that the front office is looking to add another star pitcher. Names such as Corbin Burns and Blake Snell have been floated as potential targets.

However, there is another name to add to the list of players the Cubs could pursue if they truly want to add another big starter.

Christian Papillon from Cot suggested the team should consider acquiring Los Angeles Dodgers free agent and World Series champion Jack Flaherty.

“Flaherty has been inconsistent from a health standpoint since 2024 was his first qualifying season since 2019. The Cubs should try to sign Flaherty to a short-term deal with a higher AAV. Such a deal would bolster Flaherty’s credibility without asking too much. risk to his overall longevity.”

The question now becomes: Does Flaherty’s move make sense?

In a short term trade this would make a lot of sense. Flaherty has been an elite pitcher throughout the 2024 campaign. If he could perform at that level for Chicago, he would help them form perhaps the best rotation in baseball.

Flaherty will join Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad in the starting lineup. This kind of rotation would be ridiculously beneficial for the Cubs.

During the 2024 MLB season, Flaherty started 28 games. He compiled a 13-7 record, along with a 3.17 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 194 strikeouts, 38 walks and 162.0 innings pitched.

Chicago is rumored to be looking to add to those numbers.

Most fans would prefer to see the Cubs go after the big bat. Their mass production could use a little help.

However, adding elite weapons would certainly make them more dangerous.

Expect Chicago to be in discussions with quite a few free agents. Jed Hoyer wants to get the Cubs back into contention in 2025, and Flaherty would be a solid addition to help them achieve that goal.