Tyson Ross could fill out the Chicago Cubs’ rotation
Tyson Ross has long been on the radar for the Chicago Cubs, and the free agent right-hander is emerging as a candidate to fill out the rotation.
For the past two years, the Chicago Cubs were linked in trade talks to Tyson Ross of the San Diego Padres. Puzzlingly, the Padres never pulled the trigger on a trade of Ross, one of their biggest rebuilding chips. That decision to hang onto the tall right-hander at the 2015 trade deadline and during the 2016 offseason came back to bite the Padres, as Ross missed most of last year with a serious shoulder injury.
San Diego missed out on the chance to acquire a player like Jorge Soler or Javier Baez in return for Ross, and now they will get nothing for him. Ross was non-tendered before the Winter Meetings because the Padres could not justify taking a nearly $10 million hit to gamble on the health of his shoulder. While elbow injuries and Tommy John surgeries have become commonplace in baseball, shoulder injuries come with a much murkier future.
Ross is an ideal choice for the Cubs as they look for a fifth starter to slot behind Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester and John Lackey. Pitching needs to be an area of focus for Theo Epstein and the front office this winter as Arrieta’s free agency approaches.
Ross is a good buy-low candidate to pitch in a low-pressure role in the back of the rotation. The Cubs should consider giving him an incentive-laden deal with several option years that can be triggered by performance or health.
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With the Padres, Ross had been very durable, making over 30 starts and approaching 200 innings in 2014 and 2015 with a combined 3.03 ERA with a solid 3.11 FIP. He had shown no history of arm trouble before allowing eight runs on Opening Day and going on the DL with thoracic outlet syndrome, one of the worst injuries a pitcher can have.
Several notable pitchers, including Josh Beckett and Chris Carpenter, struggled to return to their old form after having surgery to relieve the pain and numbness caused by thoracic outlet syndrome.
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If the Cubs are able to sign off on Ross’s medicals after a more thorough review, he may be a good candidate to replace Jason Hammel as the No. 5 starter. Chicago offers a rebounding pitcher like Tyson Ross a soft landing spot with little pressure and the support of the best offenses in the National League. Provided the Cubs can stomach a little risk, taking a shot on Ross could pay off in a big way.