Are the Chicago Cubs past the peak of their competitive window?

Chicago Cubs: Chatwood gets paid starter money for the next two seasons

Tyler Chatwood adds a wrinkle to the Cubs’ payroll. Right now the team is essentially paying two players for the fifth spot in the rotation. Chatwood takes home $12.5 million and Hamels gets the $20 million we talked about earlier.

That looks even worse when the $3 million Montgomery is making to be the potential sixth starter in the rotation is factored in. After last season, the Cubs can’t trust Chatwood to fill that role – at least not in any acceptable fashion.

The right-hander has two years left on his initial three-year contract. No matter what happens with him over the next two years, the Cubs won’t have to pay two starting pitchers for just one spot in the rotation.

Chatwood might earn the spot back. He might get overpaid to hold down a spot in the bullpen for the next couple seasons. Or, if things really go sideways, Chatwood might be released. If that were to happen, the Cubs will still be responsible for paying the rest of his contract. So unfortunately the Cubs will be paying him to play for someone else if that’s how things played out.

If the Cubs’ payroll can squeeze through the 2019 and 2020 seasons while effectively paying for an extra starting pitcher, Chatwood’s expiring contract is one place where they could get some salary relief in 2021.