SB Nation Reacts survey finds Cubs fans targeting Joe Ryan as next starter option

Cubs fans, at least in a recent national fan survey, have a clear preference for the team’s next starting-pitching target. In the latest SB Nation Reacts question, the prompt asked which starter fans would want if the Cubs cannot land the highest-profile name on the market. The response that stood out, according to the SB Nation Reacts write-up carried by Bleed Cubbie Blue, was Joe Ryan.

The survey is designed as an ongoing snapshot of supporter sentiment, not a transaction report. Still, the specific framing matters. The Cubs are described in the write-up as needing to add to their starting rotation, and the question is built around deadline decision-making: if Detroit’s rumored headline options do not come, who is the “next choice” for a front-of-the-rotation starter?

The baseline for the conversation is that Chicago has already added at least one rotation arm, David Peterson, a left-hander acquired from the Mets, and his early Cubs usage is referenced as encouraging. In the SB Nation Reacts coverage, Peterson’s first start in a Cubs uniform is characterized as solid, with the write-up crediting improved support from the Cubs’ defense. That context sets up why the fan base would still keep pushing for more depth and upside in the rotation as the summer stretches toward the deadline.

Against that backdrop, Ryan is presented as the preferred fallback plan. The reasoning offered in the Bleed Cubbie Blue reprint is that Ryan profiles as a legitimate starter-caliber pitcher while also carrying an important asset in team control. The write-up argues the advantage with Ryan is not just performance, but that he is under contract for at least one more year beyond the current season, meaning any move for him would be more than a short-term “rental” in the way the author contrasts with other pitchers who might not extend beyond the immediate window.

The survey also highlights alternative names that could emerge depending on what negotiations look like. The same coverage flags Tarik Skubal as a clear top target if Detroit becomes a seller, while also listing other plausible candidates in the event Skubal is unavailable or another club outbids. One other name discussed as intriguing in the write-up is Reid Detmers, with the author pointing to age and longer-term cost-control as part of the appeal. Ryan, however, is treated as the primary choice from Cubs fans in this specific week’s SB Nation Reacts poll setup.

It is worth emphasizing what this does and does not tell you. A fan survey can show priorities, but it cannot predict who the Cubs will actually pursue, how the market will price quality pitchers, or whether other contenders will block Chicago’s path to a particular target. The SB Nation Reacts framing makes it especially clear that the answer is meant for the “if not him” scenario, not an assurance that the Cubs will land a specific pitcher before the deadline.

Still, the fan preference for a team-controlled, rotation-ready option points to the general shape of what Chicago’s supporters want to see: a starter who can stabilize the innings load and fit into the team’s timeline. The next step for fans is to watch how the Cubs’ front office plays out the deadline calculus, and whether the organization leans toward Ryan-like profiles, pivots to younger upside, or ends up prioritizing a different kind of starter need as negotiations progress.