Cubs: 3 free agents to sign, 1 to avoid this MLB offseason
By Tim Boyle
3. Cubs should sign Carlos Rodon to bolster the rotation
The Cubs need to avoid signing Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander. Those are temporary arms for a rotation ready to win. This isn’t quite where the Cubs are. Target 2024 as their chance to come away as World Series winners.
Carlos Rodon, a younger arm than those two veterans, turns 30 in December. He’s already familiar with Chicago. The first seven seasons of his MLB career took place as a member of the Chicago White Sox. While there, the White Sox were waiting for him to turn into the ace he now appears to be.
Rodon is one of today’s modern pitchers who seem to figure things out at around age 28. In the same way Zack Wheeler figured things out with the Philadelphia Phillies, Rodon can do so with the Cubs.
The Cubbies are fortunate to have a lot of good young and controllable arms already in the rotation. Someone like Justin Steele should have his expectations raised for next year. His lower salary should motivate the front office to spend as big as they can on bolstering the rotation with a guy like Rodon.
Building this rotation with an ace at the front should be one of the top missions for the Cubs this offseason. Nobody is a better fit than Rodon. He appears to be in his prime.