Bleacher Report’s predicted Cubs signing feels smart on paper but wrong in spirit

The messaging the Chicago Cubs sent out at the GM Meetings earlier this month was that they would be willing to spend beyond their comfort zone for pitching this offseason, and their multi-year deal with relief pitcher Phil Maton does suggest they weren't just saying things to say them. Of course, the biggest test will come with how the Cubs choose to upgrade their starting rotation.

While Shota Imanaga has returned to the Cubs through the way of accepting the qualifying offer, the impression is that the Cubs still have lofty goals for their starting rotation. Goals that have seen the Cubs connected to pitchers at the top of this offseason's free-agent class. While Dylan Cease or Michael King would offer the element of swing-and-miss that the Cubs have lacked on their pitching staff in recent years, Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez fit the profile of the pitchers the Cubs have preferred.

While Valdez has been a model of consistency during his time with the Houston Astros, recently turning 32, it's hard to imagine the Cubs being his top bidder. Both Cease and King are younger than Valdez, and again, if the Cubs are willing to pay a premium for a free-agent starting pitcher, it seems they will do so for someone capable of missing bats frequently. As they did with Maton for their bullpen.

Bleacher Report's latest prediction for the Cubs, in projecting their Opening Day starting rotation, has the team landing Ranguer Suarez in free agency. Like Valdez, Suarez has been consistent throughout his time at the Major League level, and his success is derived from his ability to generate ground balls. When paired with a Cubs' defense littered with Gold Glove candidates, it makes sense why he was the option for the North Siders.

Ranger Suarez would check a box for the Chicago Cubs, but feels like a copout.

If the Cubs come away from the offseason with Suarez as the main addition to their rotation, on the surface, it would be hard to be upset. Suarez cemented his status as a top-of-the-rotation arm and, at the very least, would prevent the need for multiple bullpen games during a potential playoff run. But as one of the top pitchers on the free-agent market, Suarez will seemingly get paid as if he were a power pitcher, and that isn't his profile.

With a mindset that is different from recent seasons, the Cubs should look to come away from this offseason with a top-of-the-rotation arm who earns his reputation through missing bats. In other words, for what the Cubs need, Cease or King remains the better option instead of Suarez.