With pitchers and catchers reporting for the Chicago Cubs on February, the front office is under a strict time crunch to finalize their major league pitching staff. Their hasn’t been much done to add to the mostly solidified rotation, but the team has missed out on a couple of bullpen arms over the last week.
So far this offseason, the biggest pitching addition for the Cubs has been veteran left hander Matthew Boyd. The southpaw spent the 2024 season in Cleveland, where he posted solid numbers in a limited sample size. Boyd threw just 39.2 frames for the Guardians and posted a 2.72 ERA.
The front office and manager Craig Counsell have not indicated whether Boyd will be in the rotation or the bullpen to begin 2025. His versatility will be a nice luxury for the Cubs to have, despite his price tag sitting at $29 million over the next two years. With Chicago needing left handed relief depth, adding another veteran starter could be in play for the organization.
The Chicago Cubs were at Max Scherzer’s pro day
The Cubs were among the teams in attendance for the well-respected veteran’s pro day, per a report.
The Cubs were among one of the teams to watch RHP Max Scherzer at Cressey Sports Performance’s pro day, per @ragazzoreport. pic.twitter.com/bOk3YkjPqJ
— Cubs Zone (@CubsZone) January 24, 2025
Scherzer was limited in 2024 with Texas due to multiple injuries, but still made nine starts with the club. In 43.1 innings on the mound last season, he posted a 2-4 record with a 3.95 ERA for the Rangers. Scherzer finished his shortened season with a 0.4 WAR, the lowest mark of his career to go along with a 1.15 WHIP.
The last full season for Scherzer was in 2023 when he split time between the Mets and Rangers. With both teams, he made 27 starts and was apart of the pitching staff that guided Texas to their first World Series title. He finished he year with a 13-6 record and a 3.77 ERA over 152.2 innings pitched.
Max Scherzer brings plenty of experience if the Chicago Cubs sign him
Scherzer brings quite the career resume to the table for the teams that are interested in him this offseason. He is a proven winner both in the regular season and the playoffs, having won championships in Washington and Texas. He has won three Cy Young awards, with the most recent one coming in 2017 with the Nationals.
One thing that is for sure is that Scherzer is far from being the pitcher that he used to be. He can’t be seen as a reliable, top of the line arm in a rotation like in the past and teams are fully aware of that. The right-hander will turn 41-years-old this summer and should be seen as a middle to end of the rotation guy for a team looking to compete. It is easy to assume that Scherzer will look to sign a one-year deal somewhere at this point in his career, which bodes well for the Cubs.
Health will be something for Chicago to worry about with Scherzer if they land his services for 2025. The veteran dealt with a hamstring strain, nerve issues and needed back surgery last year. He certainly won’t be relied on to make a high number of starts this upcoming season, but he could be worth the investment if Chicago could get a sliver of what he used to be. With the clock ticking and the options running thin, the Cubs front office might want to consider taking a flier on Scherzer.
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