Chicago Cubs: 5 realistic pitchers to target in free agency

With the trade season officially behind us, Chicago Cubs fans have begun to accept reality that the core players are gone. Given the fact it has been brought to light the front office has not been truthful with its fans, It’s hard to see a scenario where any of the core members return to the North Side anytime soon, especially as early as this offseason in free agency.

Therefore, as it has been reported that Tom Ricketts may be looking to open the checkbook this offseason, it is only fitting to look at the quickest ways Cubs management can complete this re-tool and get back to competitive baseball as soon as next season.

So, you have a report from April stating “big money spending will be back soon.” More recently, you have reports of Kris Bryant stating he has not been offered a contract extension since 2017 after the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. To connect the dots here, if you ask me, it seems the front office knew all along it wasn’t going to extend its core this year. Especially with them underperforming the last couple seasons.

If Jed Hoyer has a master plan, my gut tells me this is it. Free up as much money as possible as has been done this season and go for it in free agency this year. Whether or not Tom Ricketts honors his word will of course remain to be seen. However, should Ricketts come through and open up the checkbook, knowing how loaded this free agent class will be this offseason, it makes perfect sense if this was the plan all along.

Let’s start with looking at five free agent pitchers the Cubs not only should target, but can afford to pay given the newly found financial breathing room.

Chicago Cubs: 5 Pitchers to Target in Free Agency – #4: Noah Syndergaard

Coming in at number four is Noah Syndergaard who also will see unrestricted free agency at year’s end. He comes with red flags due to a recent Tommy John surgery and experiencing a setback along the way, which could steer other teams clear. Syndergaard has been impressive throughout his career, owning a 3.31 career ERA and 9.7 strikeouts per nine frames.

Syndergaard has seen the type of success to put him near ace status when healthy. Near ace, because he has always been behind Jacob deGrom in the rotation. Looking at Syndergaard’s numbers, his only real down year was 2019. Of course, he missed all of 2020 with Tommy John surgery and does have somewhat of an extensive injury history.

Most recently, he was again shut down for six weeks with right elbow inflammation in late May. He is once again getting ready to face live hitters again. If Syndergaard can remain healthy and prove his elbow issues are now behind him, he would be a fantastic addition to the Cubs rotation.

Chicago Cubs: 5 Pitchers to Target in Free Agency – #3: Kevin Gausman

Another pitcher having an absolutely resurgent year is Kevin Gausman of the San Francisco Giants. Gausman is currently 10-5 with a 2.31 ERA and like everybody on this list, is an unrestricted free agent heading into the offseason. Gausman’s numbers are currently 1.72 below his career ERA of 4.03 and 1.9 strikeouts per nine above his career mark, sitting nicely at 10.7 currently.

Gausman has seen above average success in the past but this season has been a whole new ballgame so to speak. He is already sitting at 132 1/3 innings on the season which is already the fourth-highest mark of his career, through the beginning of just August. His home and road splits are both impressive. His batting average allowed of .220 to lefties isn’t bad either, while his BAA to righties is a mere .142.

Gausman would be a solid starter for any rotation and an ace on most pitching staffs. If the Chicago Cubs are looking to be competitive as soon as next year, a pitcher of Gausman’s caliber would definitely help set the wheels in motion. The 30-year-old is currently making $18.9M on a one-year deal in San Francisco and it is hard to imagine it would be any cheaper next year due to the current success he is seeing.

Chicago Cubs: 5 Pitchers to Target in Free Agency – #2: Clayton Kershaw

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As you can see, the free agent class is absolutely loaded in the offseason when Clayton Kershaw only is on this list at number two. Kershaw’s career speaks for itself. He has spent his entire 14 year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a 2.48 ERA in that time.

Kershaw’s accolades include three Cy Young Awards, one MVP, and eight All-Star selections. It would be hard to argue that Kershaw is not a future Hall of Famer. Currently sitting at 2,653 career strike outs, he is one of three current pitchers (Max Scherzer, Zack Greinke) that will more than likely join the 3,000-strikeout club, consisting of only 18 pitchers in the history of the game.

Landing Kershaw on the Cubs may seem like somewhat of a dream on scenario, but money talks. Chicago currently has a lot of it and believe it or not have an owner that has stated big money spending will be back soon. Kershaw would instantly slide into the top of any rotation that he lands on as he is one of the better pitchers in the history of the game and way above the type of caliber ballplayer you see everyday.

Chicago Cubs: 5 Pitchers to Target in Free Agency – #1: Max Scherzer

Landing at #1, Max Scherzer. If the Cubs want a tank and an ace’s ace, here he is. Another 14-year vet along with Kershaw, Scherzer posts a career 3.19 ERA and seems to get better as time goes on. He has consistently had a season ERA of under 3.00 since 2016, except for 2020 which was a shortened 60-game season.

Sitting at 2,941 career strikeouts, Scherzer should be a lock to reach 3,000 this year. Had it not been for the pandemic, he more than likely would have achieved the milestone last season. Also a three-time Cy Young award winner and an eight-time All-Star, Scherzer is among the greats of all time. For a 162-game season, his career average is 214 innings of work. The man is an absolute work horse and they don’t make them like this anymore.

Needless to say, if the Cubs really want to make a splash and go big this offseason like all signs could be pointing to, Scherzer should be penciled in at #1 due to his durability and ability to consistently get deep into games.  Scherzer alone makes his team have a higher chance to make the playoffs. Picking up at least two of the starters on this list, with Kyle Hendricks already in tow, can drastically help improve this team’s chances of making a deep run into October.