Chicago Cubs: Four cost-effective starting pitchers to consider

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In dire need of starting pitching, these arms could make sense for the Cubs.

As currently constructed, the Chicago Cubs starting rotation is a bit messy. Kyle Hendricks will almost certainly be taking the mound for the team on Opening Day, but who is going to follow him?

Tyler Chatwood, Jose Quintana and Jon Lester all played roles in the rotation last year and have left via free agency, while the ace of the staff, Yu Darvish, was traded, leaving a gaping hole atop the rotation. While three spots in the rotation are likely set with Zach Davies and Alec Mills penciled in along with Hendricks, there are still two spots up for grabs. The fourth spot seems like Adbert Alzolay’s to lose, but it’s not set in stone, and the starting options seem limited at best after that.

The options for the fifth spot in the starting rotation are pretty weak at the moment. The likely in-house candidates are veteran Shelby Miller, Gray Fenter, a Rule 5 pick who has never pitched above A ball, or one of Tyson Miller or Brailyn Marquez, each of whom need more time in the minors.

The rotation is ghastly thin and their starter depth, as a whole, needs improvement. Given the front office’s current objective seem to be keeping costs down, who are some starters that could be affordable, but helpful improvements to the starting rotation?

Cubs: James Paxton adds a left-handed presence to the rotation

The Chicago Cubs front office seems to be veering hard toward a hard reboot of the franchise, so a reclamation project could be a perfect experiment for them to try this year.

From his rookie year in 2013 to 2019, James Paxton pitched to the tune of an impressive 3.50 ERA, 0.9 HR/9, 2.7 BB/9 and 9.9 SO/9. The main issue with the left-hander throughout his career has been injuries.

“The Big Maple” as he’s called, has never made 30 starts in a season. This past season in particular was a mess for Paxton. He made just five starts and his ERA skyrocketed to 6.64 before he underwent microscopic lumbar discectomy, ending his season. His debacle of a final season certainly tanked his price.

His poor performance and injury history makes him unlikely to get a major deal and it would make sense for him to take a one-year ‘prove-it’ deal and attempt to cash out next year. Paxton will certainly still get a major league deal, and he may yet be a bit too pricey for the Cubs, but he is a perfect candidate to be the five starter in the rotation.

Cubs could also pivot to a former top prospect in Taijuan Walker

Another former Mariner in his own right, Taijuan Walker is coming off his first full season since his Tommy John surgery in 2018. Last year, he made 11 starts in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

During his time with the Mariners and Blue Jays this past season, he had a 2.70 ERA with a respectable 8.4 SO/9 and a HR/9 of 1.0 in his last five starts with the Blue Jays. What’s appealing about Walker is that he’s still young for a free agent, just 28. \

The right-hander also isn’t likely to command a large contract and may very well be in the Cubs price range. A two-year deal for around $12-14 million could make a lot of sense as Chicago could add a young, cheap arm that could wind up developing into a good trade chip if nothing else.

(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Former Cubs lefty Rich Hill could close out his career with the club

A wild card to be sure, a Rich Hill return to the North Side actually makes sense. The seasoned southpaw has continually gotten better with age since his career renaissance began in 2015.

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Hill is a master of getting soft contact, which in an era where the longball has become king, is a very previous commodity. The problem is, of course, Hill’s age. He’ll be 41 by Opening Day and while he’s defied age for the most part, it looks to potentially be catching up with him as his 2020 with the Twins saw his SO/9 plummet to 7.0, the first time it wasn’t in the double digits since 2012.

His walks per nine also rose to 4.0, the highest it’s been since 2014. But he was as good as ever at getting soft contact with his HR/9 being below 1.0 for the first time since 2016, indicative of his success of getting soft contact. With this in mind, a one-year deal to a pitcher that can keep the ball on the ground, makes a lot of sense.

We all want to see Jake Arrieta return to the Cubs

Admit it. You want it, I want it, we all want it. Jake Arrieta is probably the worst pitcher listed here, but at the end of the day, the Cubs likely aren’t gonna be any good this year anyways.

So why not give the fans something to be happy about? The franchise has lost its beloved play-by-play man and several fan favorites (and likely are gonna lose more before the 2021 season), so why not give Arrieta the chance to end his career in a Chicago Cubs uniform? Arrieta is throwing for interested teams next week, and if he looks good, Jed Hoyer should pull the trigger.

Next. Cubs fans need to remember that ballplayers are human beings. dark

So those are four intriguing starter options that make sense for the Cubs. The Cubs simply aren’t gonna be in the market for someone like Trevor Bauer, but they need to add depth at the very least, and there’s plenty of cheap, decent, options for them to choose from. Hopefully the team isn’t done addressing their rotation, otherwise they could be in for a long, difficult season.

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