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• Cubs' Colin Rea: Inside track on No. 5 spot?

  11D ago • By RotoWire

  With Javier Assad (oblique) set to miss the beginning of the regular season, Rea may be the next player up to fill the Cubs' final rotation spot, Cole Bradley of MLB.com reports. Chicago figures to break camp with Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd entrenched in the rotation, and Assad had the early inside track on the No. 5 spot, but he won't be ready for Opening Day due to an oblique strain. The veteran Rea makes for a steady plug-and-play option, though youngsters Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks are also competing for the spot. The latter two players may offer a bit more upside in the long run, but Rea's MLB experience as a starter could give manager Craig Counsell some comfort to start the year. Rea offers some potential streaming appeal for however long he's in Chicago's rotation.

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• Cubs' Colin Rea: Could slide into rotation

  02/11/2025 • By RotoWire

  With Javier Assad (oblique) set to potentially miss some time, Rea may end up as the Cubs' fifth starter out of camp, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. Assad is dealing with oblique soreness and was scheduled to undergo imaging Monday. It's unclear how long he might be out, but the MRI makes it seem like he could be on the shelf for a bit. If that ends up being the case, Rea would be a natural option to step in. The veteran righty has plenty of starting experience at the MLB level, including 27 starts for the Brewers last year. Rea turned in a 4.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 167.2 innings in 2024.

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• Cubs' Colin Rea: Swing role on tap?

  02/07/2025 • By RotoWire

  Rea could pivot between the rotation and bullpen this season as a swingman for the Cubs, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. This basically confirms the assumption when Rea signed with Chicago back on Jan. 10, which was that there isn't a clear spot for him in the rotation. The veteran righty has mostly served as a starter the past few seasons, however, and he made 27 starts for the Brewers last year. Rea's experience gives the Cubs some depth in case another starter stumbles or goes down with injury. For now, Javier Assad figures to slot in as the team's fifth starter, though that could change during camp. If Rea doesn't snag a rotation spot right away, he figures to pitch in long relief or make some spot starts.

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• Cubs' Colin Rea: Agrees to deal with North Siders

  01/10/2025 • By RotoWire

  The Cubs agreed to terms on a one-year, $5 million contract with Rea on Friday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. The deal also includes a club option for 2026. The Brewers declined Rea's $5.5 million club option for 2025 back in November, but between his $1 million buyout and new deal with the Cubs, he'll wind up with a little more than had the option been picked up. Rea posted a 4.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 32 regular-season appearances (27 starts), but he had a 3.70 ERA through the end of August before a rough September. The Cubs already have at least five starters that are probably better than Rea, so he might pitch in long relief initially.

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• Colin Rea: Club option declined for 2025

  11/04/2024 • By RotoWire

  The Brewers declined Rea's $5.5 million club option for 2025 on Monday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. Rea passed through waivers unclaimed, and now the Brewers will pay him a $1 million buyout as he heads into free agency. The right-hander held a 3.70 ERA heading into September this season, but he posted an 8.31 ERA that month and didn't appear for Milwaukee during the postseason. Rea shouldn't have trouble landing a rotation job somewhere this winter.

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