Time for Cubs to get more pitching help before it's too late |
The longer Jed Hoyer and the Cubs sit back and do nothing, the less likely it will be that they land a big-name free agent this offseason. Not only have they lost out on Carlos Correa and the other shortstops, but they could have traded for Sean Murphy and remained quiet.
At this point, it seems like it is Dansby Swanson or bust, but when you look at the shortstop market, can you blame Hoyer for being quiet? I understand that the fans wanted the Cubs to grab a shortstop, but outside of Trea Turner, are Xander Bogaerts and Correa worth what they are getting? That is an issue for Swanson, as he will likely take on more money than he is worth. Let's say the Cubs choose to stand pat at the shortstop market and give the job to Nico Hoerner for the time being. That will save a ton of cash and create an opening for this team to address other needs. One of those areas is starting pitching, where guys like Carlos Rodon are still out there. According to reports, the Cubs have yet to speak to Rodon, which is puzzling when you look at their need. If he is out of the picture for whatever reason, Marcus Stroman goes into next season as their ace, and the Cubs may have to rely on a fallback option. What those options are remains to be seen, but the team does have three possible outcomes they could use. Ideally, this team would love to have an ace, but if the pitching market continues at its pace, they may not be willing to spend that kind of money. If that holds true, look for this team to add depth to their rotation, particularly the back end of it. That is where guys like Noah Syndergaard (just signed reportedly with the Dodgers after this article was written) and Corey Kluber come into play, as both are free agents and will most likely be seeking one-year deals. When it comes to Syndergaard, there was a time when he was arguably the most dominating pitcher in the game, and the Cubs found that out firsthand during the 2015 NLCS. Once known for his 98 MPH heater with plus-breaking stuff, Syndergaard has undergone several arm injuries and has seen a drastic decline in his overall performance.
He still sits in the 94-96 range, but has had to reinvent himself as a starter. Still, adding him as your No. 5 starter comes with perks, as the Cubs could flip him at the deadline for more pieces. The same can be said for Kluber, who is coming off a very good 2022 showing with the Rays. Like Syndergaard, Kluber was dominant seven years ago and gave the Cubs fits during the 2016 World Series.
Kluber went on to win a CY Young award and had all the makings of being an ace long-term. That is when the arm injuries settled in, nearly forcing him out of baseball altogether. Back in the mix, Kluber has had to work back into the rotation and has done so while pitching more like a finesse pitcher compared to a power pitcher.
This would be similar to bringing Drew Smyly, who is also available if the Cubs want to go back down that route.
If adding an ace is something the Cubs still want to do and don't want to spend for it, why not trade for it? There may not be many tradable aces on the market, but Max Fried is starting to see his name surface, and the Cubs need to be all over that. Make no mistake about it, Fried isn't going anywhere unless the Braves have an offer they can't refuse, but with Michael Soroka, Spencer Strider, and other young arms in the rotation, Fried could be the odd man out.
Not only does Fried fill the need for an ace for this team, but he is also a lefty which they lack, and is still just 27 years old. That is the perfect addition to this team and one the Cubs need to look into, even if the talk is just chatter. The more Fried's name is mentioned, the more likely he will get traded at some point.
The Cubs need to be in on that chatter, as they have already whiffed enough during free agency. They can't afford to whiff on the trade market if a guy like him is available.
