Is it the end of the road for Jameson Taillon with the Cubs?

When the Cubs needed pitching help going into the 2023 season, there were not too many options on the free-agent market.

• Jacob deGrom was the biggest name, signing a 5-year, $185M deal with the Rangers, where he’s produced 6.0 bWAR in the first 4 seasons, primarily due to injury.
• Carlos Rodon went for 6 years and $162M for the Yankees (6.6 bWAR so far).
• Justin Verlander signed a 2-year, $86M contract with the Mets, but was dealt back to the Astros in 2023, compiling a 3.2 bWAR over those 2 seasons.
• Even Taijuan Walker got a 4-year, $72M deal, producing a 1.9 bWAR

When looking at those results, the 4-year, $68M deal for Jameson Taillon doesn’t look too bad. His bWAR is 2.3, and thats taking into account the -0.9 he has posted in 2026. He had one really good season in 2024 (3.27 ERA), one pretty good season in 2025 (3.68 ERA), one bad season in 2023 (4.84 ERA) and a horrible season this year with a 5.92 ERA.

He also gave the Cubs 8 innings of work in two postseason victories in 2025, giving up only 2 earned runs. At a time when none of the Cubs starters were pitching very well, it would have been an even shorter run if he hadn’t come through. Many were calling for him to be traded in 2024, but it was nice to have him available in the stretch run of 2025, when starting pitching was so expensive at the deadline.

But with that being said, I think it’s time for the Cubs to move on. This is a team that is fighting for a playoff spot, and what Taillon has been able to provide this year is just not good enough. It seems like a minor victory when he can give up several runs, but then settle down and go 4 or 5 innings.

There were a few good moments this season:

• 4.2 innings and no earned runs on 3/31 versus the Angels – although he allowed 2 hits and 4 walks
• 1 ER allowed over 6 innings against the Mets on 4/18
• 7 innings (!) and only 3 ER against the Padres on 4/29
• 3 ER over 11 innings in 2 starts on 5/5 and 5/10, when he brough his season ERA down to 3.94
• 2 ER over 6.1 innings on 6/2, just before he got injured.

Most of the rest of the season has not been good, as he’s given up 4 or more earned runs in 7 starts.

And he’s always been a guy prone to giving up home runs. His HR/9 from 2021-2025 were 1.5, 1.3, 1.6, 1.1, 1.7 and 3.0 this year. The average across MLB for starters for those four years were 1.3, 1.2, 1.3, 1.2, and 1.2, But this season he has been off the charts, allowing 3.0 home runs per 9 innings pitched. Jeffrey Springs of Atlanta is the next worst in the league for pitchers with 70 innings, at 2.3 HR/9.

So what do the Cubs do? Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation lays out the options here, and it’s trickier than one might think:

https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2026/07/27/the-jameson-taillon-crossroads-we-never-quite-left-them

Also, it sounds like he’s a really good guy in the clubhouse, and a good dude overall. Cutting a popular veteran could have implications beyond what we see on the field, so I think there is a chance the Cubs give him one more chance to start this Friday, while they get ready for the trade deadline. Fortunately, I don’t think I’ll be able to watch that game, if it happens.

If he does head to the bullpen, it might be a temporary move, as they will need to make room for any trade acquisitions on the 3rd of August. And if the reports are true on Palencia and Harvey, we might see them in mid or late August.

But lots can change, as we know.