Cubs' Clay Holmes and David Peterson interest raises a troubling offseason question

When mapping out the potential paths the Chicago Cubs could take this offseason before the MLB lockout after December 1, there are multiple scenarios where bringing back both Clay Holmes and David Peterson makes sense.

The Cubs have several openings in the starting rotation, and based on how Jed Hoyer framed the offseason agenda last month, the expectation was that the team could make some lofty pursuits. This week's GM Meetings is the first time that Hoyer will meet reporters since his end-of-season press conference, and the early messaging doesn't exact instill confidence in the plan.

The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma confirms that the Cubs are going to try to bring back both Holmes and Peterson. Both pitchers thrive on keeping the ball on the ground, and in Peterson's case, he was a terrific fit to the Cubs' rotation after the in-season trade with the New York Mets. Holmes' arrival in Chicago wasn't the resounding success that Peterson's was, but given how he has found success over the past two years as a starting pitcher, it makes sense for the Cubs to have interest in a reunion.

Cubs prioritizing Clay Holmes, David Peterson returns sours pre-lockout confidence

In a vacuum, there's nothing not to like with the idea of a reunion with either pitcher. The problem is the overall framing by Sharma in his piece in The Athletic. The MLB insider does suggest the Cubs will be scouring the free-agent market for pitching, but all but confirmed they won't be involved in the bidding for Tarik Skubal, and threw cold water on potential pursuits of Michael King and Freddy Peralta.

Peralta could be tied to the regression in his swing-and-miss profile over the past year, but with Skubal and King, it was due to varying levels of the contract both are expected to receive this offseason. With that in mind, it's hard to ignore the insinuation when Sharma includes this in his story: "Both are good fits and likely would come at a cost that would allow the Cubs to stay flexible."

Despite the Cubs having over $100 million off their books this offseason, the impression is that the team is being cost-conscious. That philosophy, when constructing a pitching staff, hasn't proven successful for the Cubs and is one of the primary reasons they have yet to close the gap to the Milwaukee Brewers. As long as "finding value" is the priority for the Cubs instead of finding established results, the Cubs will always operate with a limp that won't go away.

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