Chicago Cubs showing interest in James Shields
By Evan Massey
The Chicago Cubs have turned their interest to starting pitcher James Shields and are “kicking the tires” on the best free agent available.
James Shields is by far the best free agent on the market at this point in the MLB offseason, but it appears that he is getting close to making a decision on where to sign. As his deadline draws closer, the Chicago Cubs are beginning to jump into the mix of potential suitors.
Cubs have been waiting to see where market goes+Shields has interest. There are several others involved but history w/Maddon is a factor.
— David Kaplan (@thekapman) February 5, 2015
Needless to say, it would be a huge addition for the Cubs if they were able to sign Shields to a reasonable deal. The Cubs already signed ace pitcher Jon Lester this offseason, and they have acquired both Miguel Montero and Dexter Fowler via trade as well. Signing Shields would round out their rotation nicely and would give them yet another veteran player to help get them back into postseason contention as soon as possible.
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Shields was a big part of the Kansas City Royals’ World Series run last year, and showed excellent veteran leadership in big games down the stretch of the season and into the postseason. He finished with very good stats and the Cubs are smart for showing interest to see if they can convince him to join their new-look roster.
During the 2014 season, Shields finished with a 14-8 record to go along with a 3.21 ERA and 180 strikeouts.
If the Cubs were to sign Shields, their rotation would be one of the best in the National League. They would plug him in alongside of Lester, Jake Arrieta, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks. Those five guys would be extremely tough for opposing offenses to hit.
That being said, there are also concerns about Shields’ age moving forward and what type of contract to give him. At 33 years of age, he still has some good baseball left in him. The Cubs could give him a three or four-year contract, but it wouldn’t be wise to go any longer than that.
All of that being said, the Cubs’ fan base should be very excited to hear that Theo Epstein is still trying to swing another big move. Adding Shields to their already good rotation would make them a likely playoff contender. If their young talent improves like they should, the Cubs could actually make a run at the World Series in the next year or two if they added Shields to their rotation.
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