The Chicago Cubs signed Matthew Boyd to a two-year, $29 million deal. The southpaw figures to fit into the back end of the starting rotation and provide a bridge to the pitching prospects in the Cubs’ farm system. Boyd is coming off the best season of his career in 2024 with the Cleveland Guardians. The 34-year-old left-hander was unsigned well into the season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery in 2023.
He returned in mid-August to help the Guardians’ playoff push and fared well in eight starts. Boyd pitched to a 2.72 ERA over 39.2 innings, earning himself a spot on the playoff roster, where he improved still, only allowing one run in 12 frames. Chicago is hoping that Boyd can build on his abbreviated 2024 and give some stability to the back end of their starting rotation.
Boyd adds to a rotation that features a pair of dazzling lefties already, with Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele, and a pair of serviceable righties in the form of Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad. Boyd will be looking to hold down the fifth spot in the rotation after the Cubs had trouble in 2024 finding a suitable and healthy option. For $29 million, Chicago is putting their eggs in the Matt Boyd basket.
Boyd has been a middling starter during his decade-long career with the Blue Jays, Tigers, Mariners, and Guardians. Injuries have plagued him throughout, but Boyd’s best work came last season after his return from Tommy John surgery. Coming off the best stint of his career, Boyd will try and build on it on the north side of Chicago at Wrigley Field.
Chicago Cubs Sign Matthew Boyd
The Chicago Cubs added some depth to their starting rotation when they signed veteran left-hander Matthew Boyd. Boyd, 34, is slated to become the fifth starter in the Cubs rotation in 2025, lining up behind Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, and Javier Assad. The final spot in the rotation was a problematic position for the Chicago Cubs in 2024. Between injuries to Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, and Caleb Kilian, and the struggles of Kyle Hendricks, the fifth starting spot was leaky all season long. The signing of Boyd is hopefully a productive step in the right direction for tightening up the pitching staff ahead of a huge 2025.
Boyd comes over from Cleveland, where he had the most productive season of his career. 2024 was a brief season for Boyd, who was coming off of Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2023. After a career of hovering around a 4.50 ERA, Boyd pitched above expectations down the stretch of the regular season and into the postseason. Boyd made some changes to his approach and saw the results immediately. In eight starts Boyd worked a 2.72 ERA and improved his strikeout/walk ratio by increasing his change-up usage and decreasing the usage of his slider. This was especially effective in the postseason when Boyd gave up just one run in 12 innings for the Guardians.
Boyd’s impressive 2024 was brief, yet enticing enough to draw the attention of multiple teams, including the Chicago Cubs. The signing is a huge wager that the veteran can replicate his success from last season and that the changes he made to his approach can continue to deliver quality numbers on the north side of Chicago.
The hefty price for a fifth starter is an indication that Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer is antsy about 2025 and is feeling the pressure to get out of the underwhelming 83-79 rut that the team has been in the last two seasons. If Boyd can stay healthy and continue to develop his new pitching identity in the starting rotation, the signing could prove to make a big difference for the Chicago Cubs in 2025.
Final Thoughts
The signing is a bit rich for the Chicago Cubs blood. The team is not willing to go over the CBT and has been right up against it the last couple of seasons. If those seasons are any indication, the budget will be tight again this season, meaning that the Boyd signing is likely one of the bigger signings the Cubs are making this offseason. It’s a huge bet on Matthew Boyd, a mediocre and injury-prone veteran starting pitcher, for the front office to sign him after a quality third of a season in 2024.
After the Drew Smyly contract just expired, and the team is likely to explore options for a Jameson Taillon trade, I would’ve thought the well was dry on the Cubs signing veteran pitchers to middle-of-the-road contracts. The team isn’t very likely to get $29 million of value out of Boyd, but for a front office on the hot seat, it’s a deal that might make sense for them in the here and now.
