Rea will start Sunday's game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

EDGE Analysis

After covering 5.1 scoreless innings across his three relief appearances to begin the season, Rea will pick up his first start of the season Sunday and could be in line for an extended stay in the rotation. Manager Craig Counsell announced Sunday that Justin Steele -- who was placed on the injured list earlier in the week -- would require season-ending elbow surgery, creating a permanent opening in the rotation that will at least temporarily fall to Rea until Javier Assad (oblique) completes his rehab assignment and is activated from the IL. Since Rea maxed out at 65 pitches over his three relief appearances and three Cactus League appearances, he'll likely be slightly limited from a workload perspective Sunday, but he should be capable of handling a traditional starting role in any additional outings that follow.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters Saturday that Rea is "likely" to start in Sunday's series finale against the Dodgers, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rea served in the Brewers' rotation for the past two seasons, but after signing with the Cubs in January, he earned the spot on the 26-man roster as a long reliever. However, with Justin Steele (elbow) joining Javier Assad (oblique) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, the Cubs are turning to Rea to make some starts to give the starting rotation the five-day break it needs. Rea appeared in 32 regular-season games (27 starts) for the Brewers in 2024, posting a 12-6 record with a 4.29 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 135:43 K:BB across 167.2 innings.

Rea earned a save against the Athletics on Monday, pitching three scoreless innings during which he gave up four hits and struck out one batter.

EDGE Analysis

Rea had a 16-3 cushion when he entered in the seventh inning, so he didn't experience much pressure. Still, the veteran righty looked good on the mound, yielding just four singles over four scoreless frames. Rea lost out to Monday's starter Ben Brown for a season-opening spot in Chicago's rotation, and he doesn't figure to see many more save chances since he'll likely work mostly in middle and long relief.

Rea is expected to begin the season working as a reliever after Ben Brown was named the Cubs' No. 5 starter Tuesday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rea appeared to have the upper hand for Chicago's final rotation spot after Jordan Wicks was optioned to Triple-A Iowa last week, but Ben Brown will instead get the nod with Javier Assad (oblique) on the shelf. Rea is likely to receive some starts at some point this season, but his 4.29 ERA and 7.2 K/9 across 167.2 regular-season innings with Milwaukee last year suggest he won't have much fantasy relevance.

With Jordan Wicks optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Rea appears locked into the fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation.

EDGE Analysis

Wicks was on Chicago's roster for its two-game set against the Dodgers in Tokyo, but he'll head to Triple-A once the domestic regular season gets underway later this month. That should leave Rea as the fifth starter, at least until Javier Assad (oblique) is able to return. Rea should get a boost in fantasy value as a result, though he's probably best used only in favorable matchups as he doesn't offer overpowering stuff. The veteran righty posted a 4.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 27 starts for the Brewers during the 2024 regular season.

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.

EDGE Analysis

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.

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.

EDGE Analysis

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.

Rea could pivot between the rotation and bullpen this season as a swing man for the Cubs, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

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 to 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.

The Cubs agreed to terms on a one-year, $5 million contract with Rea on Friday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

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.

The Brewers declined Rea's $5.5 million club option for 2025 on Monday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

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.