The Chicago Cubs had a starting rotation that ranked sixth in Major League Baseball in 2024 with a 3.77 ERA, but it was still not enough to bring the club any closer to contention in the National League Central.
Led by rookie Shota Imanaga, the Cubs had 11 pitchers making a start in 2024, with two of those being openers.
Their ERA was held back by veteran Kyle Hendricks's 6.27 mark, but he is now a proud member of the Los Angeles Angels.
With Hendricks off the roster, there is now a hole to fill of at least 24 starts and 116.1 innings, but Chicago is in luck based on the amount of top arms on the market this winter.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report ranked the club as one of the top 10 landing spots for free agent lefty ace Max Fried, landing at seventh.
"Three of MLB Trade Rumors' prognosticators tabbed the Cubs as the final destination for Fried," writes Rymer. "It makes some sense, in that it would be a case of a deep-pocketed team further fortifying an already strong rotation."
In 2024 alone, the veteran pitched to a 3.25 ERA across 174.1 innings in 29 starts with 166 strikeouts and a 128 ERA+.
Fried has quietly been one of the more consistent pitchers in baseball throughout his career, pitching to a 3.07 ERA across 884.1 innings in 168 games (151 starts) with 863 strikeouts and a 140 ERA+, so 2024 was no fluke or overproduction in a contract year.
He is a groundball pitcher, carrying a career groundball rate of 53.7% that is well above the league average of 42.7%.
With the Cubs' infield defense boasting Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner, they are an improvement over his most recent middle infield of Orlando Arcia and Ozzie Albies with the Atlanta Braves.
The price tag is much lower than expected for a pitcher of his caliber, as well.
Spotrac projects Fried to land a deal in the six-year, $136.3 million range for an AAV of $22.7 million. That is more than acceptable for a pitcher with the stats that would normally land a contract much closer to $30 million.
Chicago needs to improve their starting rotation this winter and fill the hole that Hendricks left with someone who will produce much better on the mound.
That someone should be Fried.
