Chicago Cubs News: Jameson Taillon signing 4-year deal

As we get to the late hours of day 3 in the winter meetings, the Chicago Cubs have struck a deal with Jameson Taillon. The agreement is for four years and 68.0MM. After a busy day of rumors and the signing of Cody Bellinger, you love to see the front office moving full speed ahead right now. Taillon is a solid addition to the rotation and middle-of-the-rotation type of guy. Breaking down his numbers a little bit, you don't necessarily have confidence plugging him into that ace role by any means, but what sticks out certainly makes you content with the signing

Mainly, when it comes to anything regarding the Cubs and pitching, it's important to remember that their pitching infrastructure is miles ahead of what it used to be. Cubs GM Carter Hawkins also has a knack for finding something in pitchers and knowing what to do to unlock their potential. Those two things coupled together, and I'm confident they see something that doesn't meet the eye here. With a guy like Chris Bassitt still out there, the option to go with Taillon over him should support that theory. Bassitt has the overall numbers and inning-eating capability that Taillon has as well.

There is also Kodai Senga still out there on the Market. On Tuesday, the Cubs were once again connected to Senga in the free agency rumor mill. A couple of things to understand here further. Signing Taillon is by no means a cure-all for the rotation, and I highly doubt the front office sees it that way. With both Bassitt and Senga still out there and the green light for Hoyer to spend what he needs to field a competitive product in 2023, choosing Taillon over either of the former means they see something in him, or they are not done adding to the rotation. Perhaps, they want to ensure that they secure at least one middle-of-the-rotation guy.

That is where things get slightly complicated, though. The Cubs already have so many middle of the order type of pitchers. Marcus Stroman, Justin Steele, Hayden Wesneski, Adrian Sampson, Keegan Thompson, and Kyle Hendricks are all viable options to plug into a rotation spot when needed. There's also Javier Assad and Caleb Kilian waiting for their chance. Adding Jameson Taillon to that mix means the Cubs will have about four bulk relievers or an eight-man rotation. Even leaving Kilian and Assad in Iowa gives the Cubs a five-man rotation and at least two bulk options. I may be overspeculating here, but something else is coming. A trade?

It's no secret that the Cubs need an ace. To go about spending top dollars for a bunch of bats (assuming they land them) and not paying up for pitching is almost counter-intuitive. Intuition is not something Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins lack. Especially in the pitching department. Therefore, a blockbuster trade is in the mix for the Cubs to acquire their ace. Who knows who or when that could be, But you'd love to see it be with the Tampa Bay Rays in regards to Tyler Glasnow. Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians has been made available before, albeit for an exorbitant price, but his current availability is something other than what's been discussed.