The Chicago Cubs entered the offseason with the stated goal of targeting a front-of-rotation starter.
They’re finishing the offseason with only one significant starting pitching acquisition– Matthew Boyd.
The 34-year-old lefty, who was signed to a 2-year, $29 million deal by the Cubs, has top-of-rotation stuff and the mental makeup of an ace starter, but his body has failed him throughout his career.
Tommy John surgery in 2023 is hoped to have rebuilt Boyd to the point where his arm now matches his mentality. If his late-season comeback with the Cleveland Guardians last season is any indication of where he’s at, the future indeed looks bright.
In 8 regular season starts, he posted a 2.72 ERA. He also showcased his return to form in the playoffs, giving up just one earned run in 11.2 innings over three starts for the Guardians.
Matthew Boyd And The Chicago Cubs, Set Up To Succeed?
Boyd’s workload was relatively light in his post-surgery comeback season and that should help his chances of performing at peak capacity in 2025.
“Then you have a complete offseason,” Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy told media, referring to the fortunate timing of Boyd’s return. “You actually can let your body kind of calm down and heal. So I think right now he’s in a really good place. Now the key is that he feels good and not falling back into the rehab mode where, ‘I need to do X, Y, Z to feel good.’ He feels good, and now it’s, ‘What do I need to do to be ready for Opening Day?’”
Still A Calculated Gamble, Though
Despite the optimism, though, bringing Boyd aboard– at the expense of bringing in a top-tier free agent or swinging a big trade for an ace-level starter– remains a huge calculated gamble by the Cubs front office.
The 10-year veteran has thrown a total of 202.2 innings over the last four seasons and hasn’t passed 100+ innings pitched in a single season since 2019. Even by the coaching staff’s own estimation, 120 innings this season from Boyd would be their high-end target.
A fail on this Boyd acquisition would reflect poorly on Chicago’s front office and on ownership already under fire for not spending to bring in top-tier talent. If things go sideways and the calculated gamble doesn’t pay off, loyal and patient Cubs fans may become considerably less loyal and patient.
Back To Baseball
For Boyd, however, the goal is just a return to baseball normalcy, where he can worry about the actual game and not about working around or through his physical limitations. He feels he’s at the place right now.
“It’s a lot different,” Boyd said following a spring training debut on Monday where he pitched two scoreless innings in a 10-5 win over the San Diego Padres. “Really, I’m grateful to be here right now and to be working in games, working through situations and whatnot. I’m excited to have a healthy year ahead of me, and come into Spring Training to prepare [myself] for the season.”
In his first spring appearance, Boyd looked mostly on-point, even showing a bit more average velocity on his fastball (92.3 mph) compared to his average last year with the Guardians (92 mph).
There is considerable hope and some expectation that Boyd will be peak Boyd this coming season, especially from those who brought him in. Manager Craig Counsell will walk that line between pushing for the best, but watching for the worst.
“Look, we have to monitor his health,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told media, following Boyd’s initial spring training appearance. “I think just with the number of innings he’s pitched, that kind of goes to the top of the list. I don’t want to get too sensitive about it, because I think we want him to pitch.
“And one of the reasons we were interested is we thought he was kind of set up to really have this great full season.”
Everyone will find out soon enough if the Cubs’ gamble on Boyd was a jackpot or a bust.
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