5 starting pitchers the Cubs probably regret not signing in the offseason

The Chicago Cubs starting rotation has been strong at the top, with Justin Steel, Marcus Stroman, and Drew Smyly all churning out excellent innings in the first 7 weeks.

But there have been serious causes for worry about the other two rotation spots. Hayden Wesneski won the fifth starter role after an impressive Spring Training, but his inconsistent performances and an alarming amount of blow-up outings resulted in a Triple-A demotion a couple of weeks ago. Free agent acquisition Jameson Taillon looked like he was starting to find his groove in April until he landed on the injured list with a groin strain. Since coming back, he has failed to go five innings in each of his four starts in May.

It is unfortunate that the Cubs are paying Taillon $14 million this year, which is tied for second most on the team with Dansby Swanson, and he has yet to earn that money. Especially when there was a multitude of starting pitching free agents last offseason that are performing better than him. Here are five starters that the Chicago Cubs probably regret not signing in the offseason.

1. Nathan Eovaldi

Although the start to his career in Texas was a bit shaky, Nathan Eovaldi has settled in nicely to anchor the Rangers' rotation. Since April 18th, Eovaldi has turned in 6 straight quality starts including a complete game shutout against the New York Yankees on April 29th. The flame-throwing right-hander is averaging about 1 strikeout per inning pitched and he has surrendered just 10 walks in 60 innings.

Eovaldi's ability to go long in games this year would be most welcome in this Cubs team, which seems to always have a tired bullpen with Taillon not eating enough innings and the other starters rarely surpassing 6. With just a two-year deal worth $34 million, Texas seems to have gotten a bargain for the former World Series champion.

3. Zach Eflin

Who else but the Tampa Bay Rays could have transformed Zach Eflin from an unreliable back-of-the-rotation guy in Philadelphia to a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm. Although he still struggles to keep the ball in the yard at times, having given up 8 home runs on the year so far, Eflin is providing better-than-average value in the Rays rotation.

With a 3.45 ERA and a WHIP sitting at 1.00, the 29-year-old is earning his $11 million paycheck this year. Which by the way makes him the highest-paid player on the Rays this year even though that is a very team-friendly contract. But without a proven track record, I can understand why the Cubs passed on Eflin.

4. Kodai Senga

A name that the Cubs were linked to until he signed he signed a $75 million deal with the New York Mets was Kodai Senga. After playing ten years for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in his native Japan, Senga made his intention to shift over to MLB clear last October. But the Met pounced on him in late December with a five-year deal and it was worth every penny of owner Steve Cohen's money.

In 43 innings, Senga is sporting a 3.77 ERA with 55 strikeouts. His most impressive game thus far was a six-inning affair against the Rays where he struck out 12 men from the best lineup in baseball. With a fastball that tops out a 100 mph and a marvelous forkball that disappears on hitters, the Cubs probably regret not bringing him aboard.

5. Michael Wacha

Former thorn in the Cubs' side Michael Wacha is having a bit of a renaissance with the San Diego Padres with a 3.58 ERA in 50 innings with 45 strikeouts. At 31 years old, the Cubs could have definitely snagged Wacha at the unbelievably low price of 4 million the Padres are paying him in 2023. In truly one of the weirdest contracts I've ever set my eyes on, Wacha has a mutual option for 2024 worth $16 million, a club option for 2025 for $16, and a player option for 2026 valued at $6 million. This contract has Jed Hoyer written all over it and it would have been a great low-risk high reward deal with the same base salary as Michael Fulmer's deal.

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