The Chicago Cubs have had some inconsistencies in their starting rotation as of late. Over the last six games, on four occasions their starting pitcher has given up between seven and eight earned runs. Shota Imanga returning from injury should be a big boost for the club going forward, but improving in this area is a clear long term need that would go a long ways in helping them maintain their lead in the division.
Of the starting pitchers surrendering runs, Ben Brown has recently been demoted, Colin Rea has surrendered six or more earned runs in three out of his last six outings, and Cade Horton recently got hammered by the Houston Astros.
While the Cubs have been mentioned in trade rumors for starting pitchers like Mitch Keller, Sandy Alcantara, and others, there is one low-risk player that they could take a flier on beforehand. Best of all, he is currently a free agent and could be a bargain pickup.
One pitcher the Chicago Cubs could acquire on a bargain
In Toronto, the Blue Jays recently activated Max Scherzer off the injured list and designated Spencer Turnbull for assignment. He cleared waivers and is now a free agent. He had signed to a $1.2 million deal with the Blue Jays, but whichever team signs him next will pay a prorated league minimum salary for any time spent on the big league roster, with that amount subtracted from Toronto’s commitment
Spencer Turnbull is coming off a season where he had a 2.65 ERA
In limited work with the Phillies a season ago, Turnbull pitched to a 2.65 ERA as a swingman. He was an attractive free agent for teams to consider, but never ended up getting a lucrative deal. This year he has just 6.1 big league innings under his belt as he had been on optional minor league assignment trying to get his velocity back.
Per Darragh McDonald at MLB Trade Rumors, “on that optional assignment, he (Turnbull) seemed to struggle to get his velocity up. He averaged less than 90 miles per hour on his four-seam fastball in his Triple-A outings, despite being at 92 mph last year and in the 93-94 mph range in his previous big league seasons.”
Turnbull may not be as attractive of a signing now as he was this winter, but this year the Cubs have had success stories with veteran pitchers having career years. Drew Pomeranz and Brad Keller are prime examples of this and adding Turbull into the mix shouldn’t be out of the question.
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