How the Chicago Cubs can still win the offseason despite not signing Shohei Ohtani
By Todd Welter
The Chicago Cubs should attempt to acquire these starting pitchers…
Some Cubs pitching thoughts:
— M@ (@MattSpiegel670) December 9, 2023
Glasnow, or Bieber..or why not Cease? Deal the prospects you secretly don't love.
Straight FA SPs: Jordan Montgomery! Proved a lot last year. I like Imanaga.
Bullpen: Yuki Matsui! Hector Neris.
& a funky LH fit, like Brent Suter, or Matt Moore.
The Chicago Cubs have been tied to trading for Glasnow this offseason. However, the team is not going to trade Christopher Morel for a one-year rental.
Glasnow comes with injury concerns and no one wins a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. He did post a 33.4% K-percentage in 2023.
Bieber has a Cy Young, but he will also be a free agent after the 2024 season. Injuries limited him to 21 starts in 2023 for the Cleveland Guardian. He is not the strikeout artist he once was in 2019. He still gets outs and posted a 3.87 FIP last season.
Cease had a down year after nearly winning the AL Cy Young in 2022. He still posted a 27.3% K-percentage and a 3.72 FIP last season. He still has two years left of club control, but the Chicago White Sox are said to be having a high asking price. Cease was a former top prospect of the Cubs before he was sent to the Southside in the Jose Quintana deal.
Jordan Montgomery is going to cost a lot of money and years. He showed he could be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher last season during the Texas Ranger’s run to the World Series. Plus, he is left-handed. He will be 31 next season and his K-percetage was 21.4% in 2023.
He had a 3.56 FIP and was a 4.3 fWAR player.
Two under-the-radar signings the Cubs could pursue are Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea. Both were studs in Oakland before they were traded. Injuries or underperformance saw their production decline after they were traded.
They could be good bounce-back candidates to add while top pitching prospects Cade Horton and Ben Brown have more time to develop in the minors.