Seven games behind the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs have comfortably secured a postseason spot. With a 59-46 record, they hold the top NL Wild Card position, despite navigating an injury-plagued starting rotation. Even so, the Cubs have shown they are unwilling to tolerate underperformance and inconsistency, and their latest decision to part ways with their $68 million right-hander is proof of that. Following the move, manager Craig Counsell explained the reasoning behind the decision.

“Essentially, we just had to make a hard decision as to whether we thought Jameson was going to pitch again,” Counsell told Marquee Sports Network, as posted on X after the Cubs DFA’d Jameson Taillon. “And with where we’re at in the season and with what’s going on in his season, we just didn’t feel like it was going to happen again. So those are hard decisions.”

Jameson Taillon’s inconsistency has been a liability for the Cubs’ already struggling rotation. So, following a disastrous outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, the Cubs designated him for assignment the next day, ahead of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Taillon surrendered 7 earned runs on 6 hits across 4.0 innings during Chicago’s 8-7 loss to the Pirates. The loss spiked his ERA to 5.92 across 15 starts as he gave up three home runs and two walks during his outing. This season, the 34-year-old has surrendered 25 homers in total, which is the most in the National League, per MLB.com.

After the Cubs DFA’d him, Taillon reportedly said:

“I feel pressure to do better, for myself especially, but I’ve been around long enough to know that I’m hurting the team and have been for a little while now. So, I’m not naïve to that at all.”

In the last two seasons, the starting pitcher had been one of the Cubs’ top rotation arms, posting a 3.47 ERA across 51 starts. He also played a crucial role in the Cubs’ postseason run last year. Taillon threw four scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series. He again helped the Cubs secure a 4-3 win in Game 3 of the Division Series against the Brewers by giving up two earned runs.

However, his performance has taken a hit this season. Furthermore, Taillon’s already difficult season was impacted by injury. He suffered a left hamstring strain, and the Cubs placed him on the 15-day IL in June. After the Cubs activated him on July 20, he has surrendered 5 homers and 11 earned runs in 8.1 innings. These outings further pushed the Cubs to make a decision.

Taillon is under a four-year, $68 million deal with the Cubs. The franchise owes him the remainder of his $18 million base salary in 2026, and he is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season.  

Notably, the club promoted Andrew Wantz from Triple-A Iowa to replace Taillon on the active roster.

The Cubs already needed starting pitching reinforcements. Now they have another reason to shop for reliable arms before the trade deadline.