Two more starters linked as good fits for Cubs |
By now, most MLB fans are sick of the rumors surrounding their teams and would rather see some action or merit to those rumors as opposed to just talk. The reality of the MLB offseason is that until the winter meetings take place in early December, the first month plus will be rumors as there are talks being had behind closed doors about what each franchise should do.
When it comes to the Cubs, the rumor mill has been hot and heavy the past few years, and for the most part, it has also been a dud. Sure, guys like Cody Bellinger and Shota Imanaga changed that a little bit the past two offseasons, but until the Cubs go out and sign a superstar-caliber player, the offseason will continue to be a big waste of time for most fans. As the case has been for the better part of a month, we continue to circle back to Jed Hoyer's offseason press conference, and he feels he must do to improve this team. Granted, there is not one solution to get this team back on track, but he indicated that adding another starting pitcher is near the top of their list. Looking at the free agent market, Roki Sasaki should be at the top of the Cubs list, especially when you look at his age and financial obligations, but he will be coveted by tons of teams. You then have guys like Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, who would make great additions to this rotation but seem unlikely based on how the Cubs operate. Knowing that, if the team is going to look at starting pitching help, it could come in the form of a middle-of-the-rotation arm with the goal of adding more depth to their starting five. Nathan Eovaldi has already been linked to the Cubs, as has Sean Manaea. Both guys would fill the hole the Cubs are looking for with Kyle Hendricks no longer on this team. However, those aren't the only two names on the open market. Two more tier-2/tier-3 pitchers are now being linked to the Cubs. They would fit both a short-term contract and a cheaper ask than some of the higher-ups. Yusei Kikuchi is one of the two names recently added as a Cubs target, and that shouldn't surprise fans at all. Now 33 and set to enter his 34th age season next year, Kikuchi was a Cubs target at the deadline the past few seasons, so there has been some interest from the Cubs in his services. The former Mariners and Blue Jays lefty was most recently with the Astros, where he turned in one of the better seasons of his career. After being traded from Toronto to Houston last season, Kikuchi elected to use his slider more than twice the amount he did in Toronto, elevating his game. This meant virtually eliminating his curveball while also cutting down the usage of his 94 MPH heater. The results of that decision were mind-blowing, as his 60 innings in Houston had him looking like a Cy Young candidate. Across those 60 innings, Kikuchi pitched to a 2.70 ERA with a gaudy 31.8% strikeout rate against an excellent 5.9% walk rate. Kikuchi’s 13.7% swinging-strike rate was well north of the 11.1% league average. He also saw his ground ball rate elevate to near-career highs as he continues to show he can be a top-three starter in this league. Look for him to ask for a three-year deal in the 51-60 million range.
The next pitcher on this list to be linked to the Cubs is Nick Pivetta, who is also coming off a strong run of success. A bit younger than Kikuchi at 31, Pivetta would be one of those guys to slot into the middle of your rotation where you could sign him to either a short or long-term deal. Known for his low walk rate and excellent strikeout rate for most of his career, Pivetta has a qualifying offer from the Red Sox, so it becomes a matter of whether he will take it.
Despite the overall potential his numbers have shown, Pivetta has never had an ERA below 4.00, which makes bringing him in a risky decision. Should they do this for a one-year deal in the 17-20 million range, you could see the decision, but for three years at the projected 60 million he is asking, that may be too rich for the Cubs to dive into.
