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

Despite undergoing a surgery that could sideline him until June, veteran and former Cubs hurler Rich Hill could still be an option to round out the staff.

Cole Hamels is all but guaranteed to move on from the Chicago Cubs after a successful year-and-a-half run with the club, leaving a hole in the back of the starting rotation. It’s not a question that’ll last just next season, either. Age is becoming an increasingly dominant concern when it comes to the starting rotation.

Jon Lester, the longtime anchor in the staff, may be entering his final year with the club. Coming off a 4.46 ERA, 1.497 WHIP and league-worst 205 hits allowed in 31 starts, the left-hander needs to hit at least 200 innings for his 2021 option to vest. It’s hard to envision a scenario where that plays out given he hasn’t hit that mark since the 2016 campaign.

Chicago has Kyle Hendricks locked up for at least four more seasons, giving new manager David Ross about as close to a sure thing as possible there. Yu Darvish showed what he’s capable of down the stretch, looking like a bona fide ace in the second half with an incredible run of dominance.

Jose Quintana seems likely to return in 2020 after the Cubs picked up his option. But it’s hard to call him even remotely consistent given the ups and downs we’ve seen from him. Again, this is his last season under control, so that could be another question mark after next year, as well.

So will Theo Epstein look for a stopgap measure to, at least in the interim, shore up the starting rotation with a proven commodity? That remains to be seen but a reunion with a former Cub might be in the cards.

Chicago Cubs: Hill has been a steadying presence in Los Angeles

In three-plus years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Rich Hill emerged as one of the most consistent starters in the National League. He was never a workhorse, failing to hit the 140-inning mark even once during that time.

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But when he did toe the rubber, he worked to a 3.16 ERA and 10.6 K/9 – slotting in nicely behind the likes of Clayton Kershaw and, later, Walker Buehler, atop the Dodgers starting rotation. Despite his age (he’ll turn 40 in March), Hill was expected to draw wide interest in free agency this winter, including Los Angeles.

He makes more sense for a team like the Dodgers than one like Chicago for obvious reasons. L.A. boasts a bevy of options to fill out their starting rotation, which makes bridging the gap from late March to June a much more palatable concept. Meanwhile, the Cubs lack a true fifth starter – at least one that you’d feel good about.

Knowing he won’t return till late in the first half, Hill may be a risk the team can’t afford to take this offseason. Epstein and owner Tom Ricketts have voiced a desire to make the Cubs perennial contenders, rather than with talking about competitive windows. Adding a soon-to-be 40-year-old doesn’t exactly fall neatly into such a classification.