The Cubs have agreed with left-hander Matthew Boyd on a two-year deal that may assure him $29MM, per a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Submit. The deal consists of $1MM in efficiency bonuses that would take the full assure to $30MM over two years.
Boyd, 34 in February, made his large league debut with the Blue Jays again in 2018 however established himself within the majors as a member of the Tigers the next 12 months. From 2016 to 2020, Boyd served as a barely under league common starter for Detroit with a 4.75 ERA (95 ERA+) and 4.54 FIP in 727 innings of labor. The southpaw at instances flashed thrilling peripherals, such because the 2019 season when he punched out 30.2% of opponents in 185 1/3 frames whereas strolling simply 6.3%, however his total physique of labor forged him as extra of a strong back-of-the-rotation arm than the rest. Boyd’s time with the Tigers got here to an in depth when he required surgical procedure to restore a torn flexor tendon late within the 2021 marketing campaign, which left him restricted to only ten reduction appearances as a member of the Mariners. He returned to the Tigers in 2023 however made simply 15 begins to lackluster outcomes earlier than going underneath the knife a second time, this time attributable to Tommy John surgical procedure.
As soon as once more a free agent coming off main surgical procedure, Boyd remained unsigned headed into the 2024 season earlier than finally touchdown an enormous league cope with the Guardians again in June. The lefty didn’t make his season debut till mid-August after constructing as much as sport readiness within the minor leagues, however as soon as he suited up for Cleveland he appeared fairly good with a 2.72 ERA and three.29 FIP in 39 2/3 innings of labor throughout eight begins down the stretch. He struck out 27.7% of his opponents whereas strolling simply 7.3%, which might have given Boyd one of many higher Ok-BB% figures for a starter within the sport this 12 months if he had pitched sufficient innings to qualify. The lefty constructed on that strong common season efficiency with a robust displaying in the course of the Guardians’ run to the ALCS. He pitched 12 innings for the membership throughout 4 appearances (three begins), and struck out 28% of opponents whereas posting a stunning 0.75 ERA.
That sturdy end to Boyd’s season left the southpaw poised to garner loads of curiosity in free company this winter, even despite his checkered damage historical past. MLBTR ranked Boyd because the #23 free agent on this winter’s class on our annual Prime 50 MLB free brokers checklist, and predicted a two-year, $25MM assure that is available in slightly below the pact he finally landed with the Cubs. Boyd turns into the fourth beginning pitcher to signal a multi-year deal this winter, becoming a member of Yusei Kikuchi’s three-year pact with the Angels, Blake Snell’s five-year contract with the Dodgers, and the two-year settlement between Frankie Montas and the Mets that was reported earlier this night.
Notably, all 4 hurlers had been unencumbered by draft choose compensation in a pitching market the place loads of borderline candidates akin to Nick Pivetta and Luis Severino had been prolonged the Qualifying Supply by their golf equipment. Every pitcher has landed a deal that are available above expectations, although solely Montas did so by a big quantity. Even so, that appears to have pushed golf equipment that aren’t all for signing a professional free agent to behave shortly, and whereas the calendar has solely simply flipped to December the market is already starting to skinny by way of starters who aren’t hooked up to a Qualifying Supply. MLBTR predicted multi-year offers for simply 4 extra free agent starters who aren’t hooked up to draft choose compensation this winter: Jack Flaherty, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, and Jose Quintana. Exterior of that quartet, golf equipment will both need to forfeit draft picks and bonus pool cash in an effort to signal a professional free agent, check out a rebound candidate like Max Scherzer or Walker Buehler, or discover the commerce market in an effort to improve their rotations.
Turning again to the Cubs, the addition of Boyd provides one other succesful veteran arm to a rotation that already options lefties Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga in addition to right-hander Jameson Taillon. Including a beginning pitcher to the rotation has been a well-established precedence for the membership this winter, although early stories of plans to buy a top-of-the-rotation arm finally gave strategy to the suggestion Chicago might as a substitute search for arms a tier or two under that pedigree. Boyd suits the latter description given his roughly league common work all through his profession and his current struggles with accidents. The lefty has been restricted to only 202 2/3 innings of labor because the begin of the 2021 season, and in that point he’s posted a 4.04 ERA (105 ERA+) with a 3.97 FIP and a 23.2% strikeout price towards an 8% stroll price.
Whereas Boyd might not essentially profile as a front-end starter, it’s nonetheless not laborious to think about him offering an improve to the Cubs’ rotation when wholesome. In any case, the lefty was legitimately impactful for the Guardians this 12 months in each the common season and the playoffs, and that success being a late-career step ahead relatively than a easy scorching streak can’t be dominated out for a pitcher who has lengthy proven flashes of dominance all through his time within the majors. What’s extra, Chicago is maybe uniquely well-equipped to deal with any absences attributable to future accidents because of a deep group of younger arms that features Ben Brown, Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, and Hayden Wesneski who can step into the rotation pretty seamlessly if wanted.
In the meanwhile, that quartet seems more likely to vie for the fifth spot within the membership’s rotation this spring, with Assad because the early front-runner after a usually profitable (3.73 ERA, 4.64 FIP) season as a starter in 2024. RosterResource presently tasks the Cubs for a $176MM payroll in 2025, and the Boyd deal ought to transfer that as much as the $191MM vary. That also leaves a bit greater than $20MM of respiratory room relative to the membership’s 2024 Opening Day payroll, which Cot’s Baseball Contracts notes sat simply over $214MM. It’s not unattainable to think about the membership pursuing one other starter to strengthen their rotation by way of both free company or commerce this winter with the monetary flexibility the membership has remaining, however given the membership’s wants at catcher and within the bullpen it appears these funds will possible be used elsewhere—a minimum of except a commerce of Cody Bellinger clears some further cash off the membership’s books.
