It's now free agency time, and the Chicago Cubs will look to be active in the market after a disappointing season. After giving Craig Counsell the biggest contract for a manager ever, they narrowly missed out on the playoffs.
One of the biggest needs is the rotation.
Chicago will be connected to Corbin Burnes due to his history with Counsell, but MLB Trade Rumors has predicted they will land lefty Max Fried.
Since making his debut, the 30-year-old has become one of the most reliable and accomplished left handed starters in baseball. A three time Gold Glove winner and two time All-Star with two top five Cy Young finishes, he is one of the best innings eaters in baseball.
Known for his big looping curveball, Fried enters free agency after a season in which he threw 174.1 innings with a 3.25 ERA, two complete games and an 8.6 K/9.
In 2022, he threw 185.1 innings with a 2.48 ERA in order to finish second in the Cy Young.
While the left hander won't blow anyone away with his fastball, he is a master at limiting hard contact. According to Baseball Savant, his average exit velocity is in the 95th percentile at just 86.3 mph. His 59.2 percent ground ball rate is in the 96th percentile and his five percent barrel rate is in the 89th.
Three out of the four MLB Trade Rumors writers had Fried landing with Chicago on a six year, $156 million deal. The 30-year-old will have a huge market that might eventually boost that price.
If Chicago were to bring in the left hander, it would give them one of the most potent rotations in the league. After a terrific rookie season from Shota Imanaga, he has shown that he could be a very reliable number two and elite number three in the rotation.
Justin Steele, the team's ace, missed some time in 2024, but had yet another good season while he was on the field.
Fried would likely slot in as the number one immediately after a big contract, giving the Cubs three lefties at the top of the rotation.
Adding another top of the rotation pitcher will not only make the team as a whole better in a tight NL Central race, it would add more depth to a staff that dealt with a lot of injuries last season.
Chicago is all in on this roster for the future and will continue to add.
