As the Chicago Cubs prepare for the offseason and free agency, they do so with the knowledge that their 83-79 record the last two seasons in a row along with four consecutive missed postseasons has not been good enough.
In 2024, it was the first season of the Craig Counsell era after the team made him the highest paid manager in the history of baseball last offseason, but Counsell’s arrival did not bring any more wins and once again, the Cubs are sitting home in October. Be that as it may, improvements can be made to avoid having the same happen once again in 2025 as every offseason presents a new opportunity to get better.
Chicago was not bad in terms of pitching in 2024, far from in in fact with the 10th lowest ERA as a staff across the major leagues. But with the names that are available in the arm department this winter, the Cubs have a chance to establish one of the best rotations in baseball if they can add a quality starter to go along with the pleasant surprise ace Shota Imanaga as well as Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon. While many have linked Chicago to Braves ace Max Fried, he is projected to land a $136 million contract, and we know how much Jed Hoyer and Tom Ricketts like to shop in the bargain bin. If the team does in fact decide to try to go the cheaper route, Christopher Kline of FanSided named Rangers veteran Nathan Eovaldi as a potential consolation prize.
“Age concerns and all, Eovaldi was relatively durable this past season. He made 29 starts and posted a 3.80 ERA across 170.2 innings, netting 166 K’s,” Kline wrote. “Adding him to the mix of relative youth in Chicago could work wonders without completely upsetting Jed Hoyer’s carefully-struck balance between trying to win and trying to avoid a lofty tax bill.”
Though Eovaldi will be 35 by the time the 2025 season starts and would have to opt out from a $20 million option with Texas, the argument can be made that he’s a better option for the Cubs due to a lack of having to make a long-term commitment and his demonstrated performance on the big stage.
While Fried has become notorious for struggles in the postseason, Eovaldi has been at his best when the lights are brightest, shining in the playoffs for World Series runs both with the Rangers in 2023 and the Boston Red Sox in 2018. If the Cubs want to get back to the promised land without breaking the bank on Fried, signing Eovaldi could be a savvy and impactful play.
