3 starting pitchers within the Chicago Cubs' price range

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Given the Chicago Cubs' payroll situation going into next season, it's hard to imagine Jed Hoyer stepping foot in the deep end of the pool in terms of free-agent pitching. With Marcus Stroman and Kyle Hendricks expected to be around next season, as well as the need to bring bat a high-end bat in the form of Cody Bellinger or somebody to replace his production, the Cubs' spending begins to be tighter than we otherwise imagined at the midway point of the 2023 season.

Unless, of course, the Cubs decide it's time to blow through the luxury tax, which makes sense given where their farm is at, it may prove wiser to stick with the productive pitchers who still have plenty left in the tank but aren't clear-cut aces year in and year out. Let's take a look at three of those starting pitchers that the Cubs may target who can help the team succeed but not necessarily break the bank.

3 pitchers in the Cubs' range - 3. Sonny Gray

Sonny Gray has been excellent with the Minnesota Twins the last two seasons, but really, he's been on a great stretch the previous five years. Aside from 2021, when he recorded a 4.19 ERA, Gray has averaged a mark of 3.22 since 2019 but a mere 3.08 and 2.79 ERA the last two years since signing up to play ball in Minnesota. This season, Gray earned his third All-Star honor, recording 184 innings.

For the Cubs, Gray instantly slots toward the front of the starting rotation. Entering his age-34 season, it's hard to envision a long-term deal getting done. The Athletic (subscription required) recently agreed, tabbing the 11-year veteran at three years, $64.0M. At that price, if Gray continues doing anything like what he did these past two seasons, It could be enough to get the starting rotation over the hump. These are the medium-risk, high-upside contracts the front office will target this winter.

3 pitchers in the Cubs' range - 2. Jordan Montgomery

Now a World Series champion, Jordan Montgomery enters free agency after posting a 3.20 ERA this year between St. Louis and Texas. A season ago, Montgomery notched a 3.11, so he certainly has a knack for consistency. Once he was traded to Texas, he posted a 2.79 in his 11 starts. Three years younger than Sonny Gray, Montgomery has more life left on his arm and also can be slotted higher into the starting rotation.

For the Cubs to land him, they must dig deeper into their pockets than anybody else on this list. For comparison, at five years, 127.0M, in terms of contract projections, Montgomery's AAV is around that of Marcus Stroman in the last two seasons. Still, having a rotation consisting of Steele, Montgomery, and Stroman in the top three spots provides the Cubs with three pitchers that can be ace-caliber on any given night.

3 pitchers in the Cubs' range - 1. Blake Snell

I recently spoke about Blake Snell in length and what it could mean to the Cubs here. He, too, is projected for a contract in the ballpark of five years, 120.0M or so. He is a lock for NL Cy Young this season, which will be the second time he's earned the honor. In 2018, Snell earned 20 wins, a rare feat in today's game with the Tampa Bay Rays. Going 14-9 this season, Snell struck out 234 batters throughout 180 frames and recorded a sparkly 2.25 ERA.

In terms of AAV, he isn't projected as high as other pitchers, such as Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ohtani's contract is insane to ponder, while experts believe that Yamamoto will receive in the neighborhood of 30.0M/year mark. Having either would be nice, but the fact is that the Cubs already have solid depth in their rotation. Landing somebody of Snell's caliber projects the Cubs higher in the standings and ultimately helps them achieve their first postseason appearance since 2020.

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