Latest Chicago Cubs' offseason shift won't silence anxious fanbase

There are many items on an offseason to-do list for any Major League Baseball team and the moves made initially don't always mean that was the priority for the team.

That is an important reminder for Chicago Cubs fans as they reflect on the team's signing of Matthew Boyd to a two-year deal. There is plenty to like with the arrival of Boyd to the Cubs' starting rotation but in an offseason that has been defined by the Cubs doubling down on winning on the margins, there is a fear from many about what Boyd's signing may mean for the months between now and the start of Spring Training in February.

It's hard to give Jed Hoyer the benefit of the doubt, given his recent inability to construct a roster capable of reaching the postseason, but it's also hard trying to have a grandiose review of what the Cubs have done so far this offseason. Judging any team on their offseason move before we even reach the Winter Meetings is just further proof of how toxic the Cubs' fanbase has become since 2016

Let's have that conversation at the start of the season, not in the early days of December.

What the Boyd signing may represent for the Cubs is a pivot in their offseason for the direction they take next. In talking about the fallout from the Boyd signing, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic suggest that focus may no longer be on adding a starting pitcher but, instead, aggressively improving the roster in any way that they can.

In other words, the Cubs' current focus isn't pigeonholed on a specific area of focus but rather moves that close the gap between the team being a 83-win team and a 90-win team.

What that means for the Cubs' starting rotation?

In that sense, there is risk involved with that approach. Boyd is expected to be a better fifth starter in the Cubs' rotation than Kyle Hendricks was last season. However, if they do not add another starting pitcher, the Cubs will hope that Boyd will perform close to his 80th-percentile WAR season in 2025. That is a gamble for a Cubs' rotation that will likely see some form of regression from Shota Imanaga next season.

What that means for the rest of the Cubs' offseason?

If the Cubs are aggressively looking for ways to improve their roster, the next two weeks will be telling. The Cubs' roster could look very different by the end of the Winter Meetings next week. That may include Cody Bellinger no longer being a part of the mix. But if the result is the Cubs having a team ready to win 90 games next season, there will be no one complaining. Fans are skeptical that will be the result, and rightfully so, but the aftermath of the Boyd signing isn't worth the current doom casting.