Veteran reliever Andrew Kittredge finished the 2025 season tied for the second most saves for the Chicago Cubs and although that number was only five, they all came down the stretch as the Cubs were trying to clinch their first real playoff berth since 2018. Kittredge was by far the team's best trade deadline acquisition and became a key member in Craig Counsell's bullpen entering the postseason, but he won't be back with the Cubs in 2026.
Kittredge had a club option worth $9 million for next season that also included a $1 million buyout. On Tuesday, the Cubs traded the right-handed reliever back to the Baltimore Orioles, who dealt him to Chicago back in July.
The Cubs are now off the hook for the $9 million option and although it wasn't detailed the cash saved was most likely the $1 million buyout that the Orioles exchanged.
Kittredge made 23 relief appearances with the Cubs after he was traded and he was better than the 3.32 ERA that he recorded in 21.1 innings. Four of the eight earned runs that he allowed came in one game. Kittredge was a workhorse in the postseason, as he pitched in all three of the team's Wild Card round games against the San Diego Padres and then made two more appearances in the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The veteran was on the mound and recorded the final out against the Padres, clinching the first playoff series win for the Cubs since 2017.
Besides Kittredge, Shōta Imanaga's declined options were also a huge storyline for the Cubs this week. The left-handed starter is now a free agent. Still no word if the Cubs will offer the Japanese pitcher the qualifying offer.
Colin Rea and Justin Turner are the other two players that have options attached to them heading into 2026.
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It was crazy to think about the Chicago Cubs at the start of 2025, but as we recently discussed that no longer seems like the team's obvious choice. Instead, there's a chance that Imanaga either pitches for the Cubs in 2026 on a one-year deal or he becomes a free agent and goes off elsewhere. We'll keep an eye on that decision, but the Cubs have a handful of other options that they must decide on as the offseason kicks off following the World Series.
Justin Turner, Colin Rea and Andrew Kittredge are the other players who could potentially return to the Cubs in 2026 based on options to their contracts besides Imanaga. Let's take a look at who will most likely return to least likely.
Most Likely to Return: Colin Rea
The Cubs signed veteran righty Colin Rea and most fans weren't too pleased as the then 34-year-old ended up being the final pitcher added to the starting mix heading into the 2025 season. While the numbers weren't overwhelming and there were certainly different times throughout the year that Rea wasn't competitive, his signing came out as a win for the front office.
Justin Steele, Javier Assad and Imanaga all missed significant time with injury in 2025, while rising prospect Brandon Birdsell was also shut down for most of the year with a shoulder issue. The Cubs needed Rea to step up and he did as the veteran recorded a 3.95 ERA in 159.1 innings. That'll definitely do at the back end of the starting rotation and out of Rea's 27 starts he allowed three runs or fewer in 19 of them.
Rea finished the season strong, posting a 3.56 ERA in his last 86 innings on the mound.
Not bad to have as your fifth starter in case of emergency. So, the Cubs will most likely pick up a $6 million player option to bring Rea back for the 2026 season. If they don't, the Cubs will pay a $750,000 buyout to Rea.
50/50: Andrew Kittredge
Veteran reliever Andrew Kittredge ended up being the best trade deadline move by the Cubs. He had one brutal appearance early on with the Cubs after he joined the bullpen, but overall Kittredge was great for Craig Counsell in the final two months of the regular season. Eventually, Kittredge became the team's closer after Daniel Palencia went on the injured list in September.
In 23 games with the Cubs Kittredge posted a 3.32 ERA with an incredible 32/3 strikeout to walk ratio in 21.1 innings. The right-hander had 15 holds and five saves out of the bullpen and has pretty much been recording solid numbers since 2020.
However, we know the Cubs don't necessarily like to spend big chunks of payroll on relievers and they may be more adverse to paying an aging reliever after the disasters that were Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly the past two years. Kittredge hasn't shown many signs of slowing down as he's entered his mid-30s, but I guess his shaky performance in the postseason could raise a red flag.
He'll be 36-years-old in 2026, and if the Cubs pick up his option, then that will be a $9 million commitment. If not, the Cubs will pay a $1 million buyout to Kittredge. I can see arguments either way on Kittredge, but given the team's history and plethora of free agent relievers, I do think they'll move on from the veteran this offseason.
Justin Turner
Yeah, this one is pretty easy, the Cubs are not going to pay soon to be 41-year-old Justin Turner $10 million to return in 2026. This is actually a mutual option, which was pretty much used by the Cubs to break up Turner's guaranteed money over two years. He earned $4 million in 2025, and will get another $2 million as part of a buyout for 2026.
The veteran bat had a brutal start to the year, but eventually his numbers against left-handed pitching justified his presence on the club. Turner slashed .276/.330/.429, in 109 plate appearances vs. LHP, as he got most of his playing time filling in for Michael Busch at first base against southpaws.
Turner was also praised for his leadership in the clubhouse and the guidance he gave to younger players, especially Pete Crow-Armstrong.
