Cubs predicted to trade away Matt Shaw to land Mariners' All-Star starter

The Chicago Cubs are heading into the 2026-2027 MLB offseason with a ton of work to do with the starting rotation and the outfield.

Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ are hitting free agency, while the Cubs' rotation will see Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, and Clay Holmes all hit the open market, assuming Holmes opts out, which seems likely.

So, the Cubs really need to upgrade their rotation this offseason. That's why Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report is predicting the Cubs will trade away infielder/outfielder Matt Shaw to land Seattle Mariners All-Star starter George Kirby this winter.

"The Chicago Cubs will trade for George Kirby," Rymer predicts. "A Kirby-for-Matt Shaw trade works on paper, even if it would require the Cubs to backfill Shaw's spot. To that end, re-signing Ian Happ and/or Seiya Suzuki would do the trick."

This Cubs' rotation is full of question marks heading into the offseason. Edward Cabrera, Justin Steele, and Cade Horton headline their returning starters next season. They clearly need some help at the top of the rotation.

So, adding someone like Kirby, a former All-Star starting pitcher who is 28 years old and under club control through the 2028 season, would make a lot of sense.

While he has struggled a bit the last two seasons, posting a 4.21 ERA in 2025 and a 4.33 ERA in 2026, there's still a lot of potential with Kirby.

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Considering how shaky this Cubs rotation is, any help is worth exploring. While the free agent market is robust, the Cubs could elect to turn to the trade market again for rotation help if the free agent options aren't to their liking.

Using Shaw as a trade chip makes a lot of sense, and sending the 24-year-old Shaw to Seattle for Kirby would be a fascinating move.

Shaw is under control for a while, through 2031, so the Cubs would need to get something great in return. Kirby would be just that, as a right-handed starter with a ton of potential.

This trade prediction from Rymer would be a risky one for the Cubs, but considering their huge rotation need, this potential trade would bolster a shaky rotation with a high-upside starter.