Former Brewers starting pitcher to remain with division rival for 2026 season

Despite the National League Central having three playoff teams in 2025, the competition for the division crown was really only ever a two-horse race. After a first half that was dominated by the Chicago Cubs, the Milwaukee Brewers quickly flipped the script with an 11-game winning streak that flanked the midseason All-Star Break. Maintaining that lead through the end of the season, the Brewers waited for the Cubs in the NLDS after earning a first-round bye, resulting in one of the most memorable postseason series in franchise history.

While the Cincinnati Reds certainly aren't going anywhere, and will look for modest upgrades this winter after announcing they plan to have a similar payroll in 2026, most of the NL Central-interested eyes this offseason will be on the Cubs and Brewers. Though it's the Brewers' division to lose, and they have three consecutive NL Central crowns to prove it, the margins are razor thin, and an aggressive offseason from Jed Hoyer and the Cubs' front office could tilt the scales in favor of the North Siders.

However, less than a week after the official start of the MLB offseason, the Cubs' approach has been anything but aggressive. The team declined what once appeared to be an incredibly team-friendly three-year option on Shota Imanaga's contract after the 2024 All-Star finished the 2025 campaign in uninspiring fashion. Then, the Cubs saved even more money by shipping reliever Andrew Kittredge and his $9 million club option to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations. Then, just yesterday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reported that Hoyer and company are not expected to be active in the top tier relief pitcher market this winter, despite the team having several relievers departing in free agency.

Now, after shipping two pitchers away and closing the door on several more to begin the offseason, the Cubs have decided to bring back a starting pitcher, who Brewers fans should be more than familiar with, for the 2026 season, giving at least some shape to their offseason plans.

Cubs bring back Colin Rea on a one-year restructured deal

According to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors, the Cubs and Colin Rea have agreed to a one-year, $6.5 million contract with a club option for the 2027 season. Chicago previously held a $6 million club option on Rea for the 2026 season, so the extra $500k that the former Brewers starting pitcher will make in 2026 is the tradeoff for the extra year of team control that the Cubs receive.

Rea remains one of the better values on the starting pitcher market. Despite making 32 appearances and 27 starts a season ago with a solid 3.95 ERA, Rea will earn a modest $6.5 million salary in a market where fellow starting pitchers who are much less reliable than the 35-year-old right-hander are earning contracts worth more than $15 million a year. He won't ever overpower an opposing lineup or post more than a strikeout per inning pitched, but Rea can keep even the best hitters off-balance with his deep arsenal of pitches and pinpoint command.

With Imanaga out and Rea in, the Cubs’ current group of rostered starting pitchers includes Rea, Javier Assad, Matthew Boyd, Ben Brown, Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, Jordan Wicks, and, notably, Justin Steele, who is expected to be back early in the season after undergoing elbow surgery last April. With so many options, it's possible Rea doesn't crack the Opening Day starting rotation but rather serves as a multi-inning reliever and a starting depth piece should injuries occur. Regardless, the Cubs return a reliable arm who has covered more than 100 innings in each of the last three seasons.