Chicago Cubs still on the hunt for pieces in starting rotation

The Chicago Cubs have been on the quest to upgrade their starting rotation. They claimed Wade Miley on waivers, adding a solid middle of the rotation arm. Then, they signed Marcus Stroman to a three year deal, a drastic improvement over Kyle Hendricks as the de facto ace of the pitching staff. While it is not perfect, the Cubs rotation is much better than it had been.

Those were not the only pitchers that the Cubs were interested in. According to reports, they also had interest in Kevin Gausman and Steven Matz. In fact, the Cubs were heavily involved with Matz, who ended up signing a four year deal with the rival Cardinals.

Chicago Cubs still looking for help in rotation

Even with those additions, the Cubs are not done. They are still looking to add pieces to the rotation, hoping to improve their pitching staff even further. The Cubs also need to address their bullpen, which could also be problematic given the number of relievers that were already signed.

However, these moves speak to the Cubs’ intentions for the coming year. Although they have been shying away from longer term deals for pitchers, they are still looking to contend. They are backing up their statements that 2021 was just a temporary step back and not the beginning of a rebuilding process.

Of course, it depends on how the rest of the offseason goes. The Cubs need to add a lot more in order to contend in the National League. Stroman and Miley are a good start, but they are not going to be nearly enough.

In the end, it will come down to what other moves the Cubs make. There is a lot of work left to be done, both with the pitching staff and the lineup. However, their moves thus far to address the rotation have been exactly what they needed to do.

The Chicago Cubs are off to a strong start this offseason. While they are still looking for help in the rotation, they have done well thus far.