3 moves Cubs new GM Carter Hawkins can make to impress fans
By Ethan Lee
The Chicago Cubs have a new GM in Carter Hawkins. Here are three things he can do to get off on the right foot with Cubs fans.
After a season without an actual GM, the Chicago Cubs made the move to bring Carter Hawkins on board. Hawkins, previously the assistant general manager over in Cleveland, is filling the position that was left vacant after Jed Hoyer became Chicago’s president of baseball operations.
Now, Hawkins is stepping in and will be tasked with rebuilding the Cubs. That won’t be an easy task. One thing that makes the job of rebuilding the Cubs more intriguing is how Hoyer stated he wants the Cubs to be “more active” during free agency going forward.
So, what could Hawkins do (within reason) that would make a great impression on Cubs fans?
No. 3: Find and pay a quality free agent starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs
Let’s start with getting a starting pitcher.
There will be plenty of decent options available in free agency this year and the Hawkins needs to consider everyone he can if he wants to give Cubs fans something to cheer about.
Alex Wood of the San Francisco Giants is someone who could be worth a look. The 30-year-old pitcher has played for several teams throughout his time at the big league level and he’s had a decent season with San Francisco this year. During the regular season, Wood recorded a 10-4 win-loss record and struck out 152 batters this year in 138.2 innings pitched.
Robbie Ray is another high-profile 30-year-old pitcher worth considering. Ray has played with Detroit, Arizona, and most recently Toronto during his career and he’s coming off of a stellar season with the Blue Jays. Ray had a 2.84 ERA and struck out 248 batters during the regular season.
To round out the guys who will be highly sought-after is Marcus Stroman. Although he didn’t have that great of a win-loss record this season, Stroman still showed his value by striking out 158 batters and recording a 3.02 ERA. Like the other two aforementioned pitchers here, Stroman is 30 and should still be a very valuable contributor for the next few years of his career.