3 free agent contracts Cubs should’ve matched this offseason

3) Cubs should have matched what the Yankees paid Carlos Rodon

The big pitcher the Cubs added this offseason was Jameson Taillon. The four-year deal worth $68 million was significantly less than the six-year deal worth $162 million Carlos Rodon got from his former team, the New York Yankees.

Rodon is definitely the better pitcher. The last two years have proved it. The Yankees moving on from Taillon easily and paying Rodon even more confirms they are more ready to win than the Cubs who remain closer to the bottom than the top of the National League.

Signing Rodon would have been huge for the Cubs. His years with the Chicago White Sox helped him get to know the city well. He’d be a natural fit for the Cubs as a younger free agent arm they can see rise to prominence after the 2023 season, a year in which they shouldn’t have serious hopes of winning a championship.

Rodon would have been a much more worthy buy than Taillon. He’s better in countless ways. While Taillon’s peak should have him as the third pitcher in a rotation, Rodon has the stuff to be a real ace.

Winning more games in 2023 will be key for helping the Cubs to become a destination where players seeking a championship want to land. Paying Rodon would have been a better move and worth the money.