Chicago Cubs: Even an injured Rich Hill could be considered an option

Chicago Cubs: Hill could work, but team needs a better fit

Given the question marks Chicago has in the rotation post-2020 (Lester, Quintana and a currently-vacant fifth spot), bringing in an oft-injured left-hander doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Now, if the Cubs were ready to go all-in in 2020 and do whatever it takes to bring home another World Series title? The risk might be warranted. But that’s not the message we’ve gotten from the organization early this offseason. The message we have gotten can be boiled down to one word: sustainability.

His injury will undoubtedly sink his value in free agency, perhaps even to the point Chicago could fit him into the baseball operations budget. But those resources would ultimately be better dedicated to an arm that could address a need for years to come – or even in other places on the roster.

Rich Hill returning to the team that drafted him back in the fourth round of the 2002 draft would be a feel-good story, especially if he returned from this surgery to lead the team to October glory. But that seems more like a far-off pipe dream than a realistic possibility.