With the final National League Wild Card spot slipping out of reach, the Chicago Cubs are increasingly focused on next season.

After signing 31-year-old pitcher Shota Imanaga to a four-year deal, trading for five-year veteran Isaac Paredes at the deadline and opening the door to a $32 million return for Cody Bellinger, the team seems poised to aggressively pursue a return to the playoffs in 2025. And that is might include a major addition to the rotation.

“The Cubs will explore ways to upgrade their rotation and leverage the team’s pitching infrastructure,” Patrick Mooney reported for The Athletic. “That could mean making a long-term commitment to an All-Star such as Max Fried.”

Poised for free agency after making his second career All-Star Team this season, Fried is likely to earn a major financial commitment for next year and beyond. Steve Adams and Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors listed him as a top-10 pending free agent and projected his payday to fall in the range of $140 million to $162 million.

Fried has a career 3.11 ERA over eight big-league seasons, with a 3.46 ERA across 153.2 innings so far this year. Perhaps most appealing is the fact that Fried has started 26 games this season, demonstrating the kind of durability that has eluded him in seasons past and which could be paramount for a team like the Cubs.

“If the Cubs identify another starter with high-level skills, a track record of durability and good composure … they should pursue him with conviction,” Mooney added. “Ideally, the Cubs would use their cluster of young, talented and largely unproven pitchers — names like Ben Brown, Hayden Wesneski, Jordan Wicks and Cade Horton — to strengthen their bullpen and provide depth at Triple-A Iowa until the inevitable injuries happen.”

The Cubs can blame their disappointing season largely on the offense, which ranks in Major League Baseball’s bottom half for hits, batting average and slugging percentage. But after a promising rookie year for Imanaga and with ace Justin Steele returning from injury, the team could have one of baseball’s stronger rotations next year with an addition like Fried.

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