Chicago Cubs showing long-term focus in recent pitching acquisitions

In their recent offseason acquisitions, the Chicago Cubs have perfectly balanced chasing another championship and being a long-term postseason contender.

For the most part, Major League Baseball teams usually have a window of contention somewhere in the five-to-seven year range. The Chicago Cubs likely won’t be the exception to the rule, as most of their core pieces will hit free agency around 2021.

But, at least for now, Theo Epstein and the Cubs front office are doing everything they can to prolong that window as long as possible. They’ve supplemented that young core with the right veteran pieces – and now, have turned their attention to the pitching staff. More importantly, the sustainability of said staff.

Chicago lost 40 percent of its starting rotation to free agency at season’s end. Both John Lackey and Jake Arrieta hit the open market, leaving big holes in their wake. Arrieta, the 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner, reportedly seeks $200 million. I doubt he’ll get it, but that asking price all but rules out a return to the Cubs.

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Lackey, meanwhile, is searching for somewhere to end his career. For much of the 2017 campaign,  we all believed he would hang it up at season’s end. But, to the surprise of many, he decided to return – although it seems highly unlikely it’ll be to Chicago given his age and shaky performance last year.

Prior to last week’s Winter Meetings, Epstein addressed one of those rotation spots, signing Tyler Chatwood to a three-year, $38 million contract. That deal surpassed what MLBTR predicted for the right-hander, but there’s a lot of reason for optimism in Chatwood. Away from Coors Field last season, he was quite effective. Working with new pitching coach Jim Hickey may allow him to take yet another step forward in 2018.

Controllability is key in today’s game

With the Chatwood signing, the Cubs are in an enviable position. They now have four rotation pieces, as well as long-man Mike Montgomery, signed through at least 2020. And the team did more than just add Chatwood, too, signing Drew Smyly to a two-year deal with an eye on 2019.

The former Tampa and Detroit southpaw is recovering from Tommy John surgery. According to general manager Jed Hoyer, the team made the move with an eye on 2019.

"“Anything we get out of him next year will be sort of gravy,”  Hoyer said. “We’ll rehab him and hopefully get him back to exactly where he was.”"

Smyly, still just 28 years of age, owns a career 3.74 earned run average. He has also worked with Hickey in the past, so there will be an ease and familiarity with his new club. Personally, I think he could be a big impact piece in 2019.

It seems pretty unlikely the Cubs will stand pat entering the New Year. One way or another, they’re going to add at least one more starter – and the bullpen still needs another proven arm.

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But in the moves this team made already – Smyly and Chatwood in the rotation and Steve Cishek and Brandon Morrow in the bullpen, they’ve perfectly balanced the need to capitalize on a championship window and the need for controllable arms down the road.