3 reasons why Cubs' signing of Matthew Boyd was the steal of the offseason

After the Chicago Cubs signed starting pitcher Matthew Boyd last offseason, many (myself included) were critical of the move.

At the time, the Cubs needed another reliable innings-eater, and there were guys like Corbin Burnes and Max Fried on the market. It's still frustrating that a large market behemoth like the Cubs seemingly didn't even bother to try to sign those guys, which, perhaps unfairly, added to the frustration of the Boyd move.

But man were we wrong, because Boyd has been nails for the Cubs this year. Here are three reasons why he was the steal of the offseason.

1. He's been the staff ace

Boyd has been unbelievably steady since joining the Cubs. He has been available for every start since the beginning of the season, and he has pitched well in those games. Through his first 20 games, the 34-year-old owns a 2.20 ERA, good enough for the fourth-lowest ERA in MLB behind only Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, and Garrett Crochet.

That is fantastic company to be in since all of those pitchers are the undisputed aces of their respective ball clubs and some of the best pitchers in baseball today.

2. He's only gotten better as the season goes on

In addition to making his first All-Star team, making him the oldest player ever to get his first All-Star nod, Boyd has only gotten better as the season goes on. After a seven-inning shutout against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, Boyd has extended his scoreless streak to 23 innings.

The southpaw has only given up five earned runs over his last seven starts, and 14 of his 20 games this year have been quality starts from Boyd. It's getting to the point where you can feel more than confident that the Cubs will have a good chance to win when Boyd takes the mound, which is huge right now considering one of the team's rotation spots is being filled by the bullpen.

3. His contract

With all this dominant pitching in mind, Boyd is arguably signed to a fairly team-friendly deal. According to Spotrac, Boyd's two-year pact with Chicago will earn him $29 million. With an average annual value of $14.5 million, Boyd is kind of a steal considering he has one of the lowest ERA's in baseball. For reference, Crochet is set to earn $24 million this year.

At the time Boyd signed the deal, the Cubs were gambling on him continuing the success he had with the Cleveland Guardians last year, where he posted a 2.72 ERA in eight regular season starts. There was no telling at the time whether Boyd would stay healthy or continue to dominate, but he has done both to perfection and exceeded virtually everyone's expectations.

With the injuries to the Cubs' pitching staff this year, it's a blessing that Boyd is on this team.