Yankees GM raves over new Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon

It usually bodes well for you when your former employer gives you high marks - and that's exactly what happened this weekend when longtime Yankees general manager Brian Cashman appeared on 670 WSCR and spoke about new Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman heaps praise on Cubs' Jameson Taillon

"He’s a gamer. He gives you innings. He’s a tremendous teammate. I think he’s going to be a really valuable, solid piece for the Cubs as they move forward. He’s going to be someone we miss. He’s a winner too. So at the end of the day, the Cubs got a good one there."

- Brian Cashman, Yankees GM

Taillon, 31, spent the last two seasons in the Bronx, racking up 321 2/3 innings for New York while working to a 4.16 FIP, 1.163 WHIP and 3.83 K/BB ratio. His first foray into free agency saw him net a four-year, $68 million deal from Chicago, a team looking for some stability in its starting rotation.

He'll slot in behind the likes of Marcus Stroman and Justin Steele in the Cubs staff - and the final two spots in that rotation will go to Drew Smyly, who returned in free agency, and a yet-to-be-determined arm keeping a seat warm for Kyle Hendricks. The veteran right-hander isn't expected to be ready for Opening Day as he continues his rehab from shoulder surgery last year.

The uncertainty surrounding Hendricks only makes what Taillon has to offer that much more critical: the ability to take the ball every five days, eat some innings and give the team a chance to win. Last season in New York, Taillon allowed three or fewers runs in 25 of his 32 starts, notching a dozen quality starts in the process.

You know what you're getting from the firmer first-round pick on the mound - and the same can be said for his impact in the clubhouse, as well - as Cashman himself noted in his comments. Taillon has long been considered a tremendous presence in the dugout and that type of attitude and leadership will bode well for a Cubs team that's still searching for a new identity post-2016.

This wasn't the sexiest pick-up the front office made this winter (that honor goes to the Dansby Swanson signing) - but as I noted in my season preview piece focused on Taillon, don't sleep on what this guy could wind up bringing to the team in 2023 and for years to come.