Chicago Cubs: 5 reasonable free agents to target this offseason

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 09: Howie Kendrick #47 of the Washington Nationals hits a grand slam in the top of the tenth inning to take a 7-3 lead during Game 5 of the NLDS between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, October 9, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

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OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 16: Oakland Athletics pitcher Tanner Roark (60) delivers during the Major League Baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on September 16, 2019 in Oakland, CA. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

4. Tanner Roark

It’s a safe assumption the Chicago Cubs won’t look to enter 2020 with right-hander Alec Mills holding down their number-five spot. Trading Jose Quintana while he is still on a cheap contract is also another option. Unless they manage to bring back a high-end, MLB-ready prospect in a blockbuster trade of one of their star hitters, that means the Cubs are likely fishing around the lower range of this year’s free agents for their final starter.

He’s hardly flashy, but 33-year-old right-hander Tanner Roark has been as close to a lock for 30 starts and 180 innings as there is in Major League Baseball over the course of his seven-year career. Roark is 74-64 with a 3.71 ERA and has made at least 30 starts in each of the five seasons where he was a starter the entire year. He is coming off a 10-10 season with a 4.35 ERA in 165.1 innings and struck out a career-high 8.6 per nine.

It’s a new reality for the Cubs that they’ll have to fill out their rotation with mid-tier veterans instead of All-Stars like Cole Hamels. Roark is durable and will deliver six decent innings every fifth day. Having a league-average starter in the fifth spot is still more than most teams can boast.

In addition to Roark, there are several other solid veterans on the market for the Cubs to consider for their final rotation slot. Julio Teheran has a bit of upside. The right-hander is only 28 and has a 3.67 ERA in just under 1,400 career innings. Teheran does come with some red flags, including declining velocity, control issues and advanced statistics that don’t back up his respectable ERA.

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