Chicago Cubs sign LHP Matt Boyd to a two-year deal

Early Monday morning, Jon Heyman broke the news that the Chicago Cubs are signing LHP Matt Boyd to a two-year deal worth $29 million adding another southpaw to their rotation. It's a fair deal for both parties, given Boyd's track record of being relatively league-average at best. Still, the fact that he came back from Tommy John surgery and looked elite in a short stint with the Cleveland Guardians was enough for Jed Hoyer to believe that more success was in store.

Over his career, Boyd has recorded a 4.85 ERA, which doesn't leave much for optimism in a room full of Cubs fans who want Hoyer to take this team to the next level. The typical response to this signing will be met with disdain because fans will look at numbers on the surface and forget everything else.

Although it's true, there's not much to back up the signing in a positive light other than Boyd having a career stretch once returning from the IL in 2024. Boyd recorded a 2.72 ERA, including a 10.4 K/9 in 39.2 frames this season, and looked like the best version of himself that we've ever seen.

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Why Matt Boyd to the Cubs makes sense

I like the signing of Boyd to the Cubs at the AAV they got him for, as long as it's not their only addition to the rotation. If this is their big fish of the winter, then yeah, fans have a reason to be upset. However, the consensus was both that the Cubs have about $55 million to play with if they don't unload Bellinger's contract this offseason and that they would likely get up to just above the first tier of the luxury tax to add additions at the trade deadline if they are in position to.

That still gives the Cubs a decent chunk of around $32 million in free agency if they want to keep those funds available. They can still land a back-end reliever and starter in the Walker Buehler or Shane Bieber tier and have that trade deadline money available without going over the luxury tax.

Given that it's early December, the Cubs are likely nowhere near done, so this move shouldn't be looked at with overreaction. They could still pull off a blockbuster trade for a starter with cheap team control, etc. If the Cubs have a hypothetical rotation of Imanaga, Steele, Buehler/Bieber caliber arm, Taillon, and Boyd, they likely have the best rotation in the NL Central. Plus, If Boyd is the version of himself we just saw a few months ago, this has the potential to be an excellent signing for the Cubs.