Chicago Cubs: 3 available starters to fortify the starting rotation

On the heels of the Seiya Suzuki signing this week, one way the Cubs can still drastically improve (assuming they don’t land Carlos Correa, which should be the top priority if they are still considering) is bolstering the starting rotation. There’s an old saying: “Their pitching will take them as far as they’ll go.” Given the shortened ramp-up period coming out of the lockout, that may prove truer than ever in 2022.

Jed Hoyer had previously said he was done focusing on starting pitching, but given the Adbert Alzolay injury and the concerns over the back of the rotation, having some insurance policies might not be the worst idea in the world.

Let’s take a look at 3 of the top starting pitchers still available that can help pack a punch in the back end of the rotation.

3 free agent starters to patch up the Cubs rotation – #3: Chris Archer

Chris Archer still being available, in my opinion, is something the Cubs need to take a look at.  Archer made just $6.5M last season and comes with high upside for cheap, which, as we all know, has been a signature of this front office the last five or so years.

Last season, Archer only pitched 19.1 innings at the big league level and struggled to the tune of a 4.66 ERA. However, most of that can be attributed to injuries he suffered and ultimately reduced his season to rubble. The right-hander had two separate stints on the 60-day IL, one for right lateral forearm tightness and another for hip discomfort. Here’s the thing. Archer is the kind of guy that can probably be had on a one-year deal with a club option for a second and his AAV would be rather low.

Overall, Archer owns a 3.87 ERA and has crossed the 200 innings pitched mark three times throughout his career. Now age 33, Archer doesn’t have to be elite for the Cubs. Should he stay healthy this time around and get back to posting his career average numbers, he is actually a very  four or five in the starting rotation.