It’s hard to talk about the Chicago Cubs’ offseason with any sense of totality. On one hand, the Cubs have impressively rebuilt their bullpen while spending less than $30M. On the other hand, they have yet to address their need in the starting rotation, and there remains skepticism over how the team is viewing their offense heading into next season.
It stands to reason there is a big-ticket move yet to come for the Cubs this offseason, and MLB.com’s Andrew Simon did his best to find the best free-agent fit. Citing the Cubs’ need for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, Simon has Framber Valdez as the best.
Valdez hasn’t been linked to the Cubs directly this offseason, but Simon believes his ground ball tendencies would be perfect for Chicago. He’s not wrong, the Cubs’ defense is littered with Gold Glovers, and Valdez’s ability to keep the ball on the ground would be a natural fit, but that isn’t what the North Siders are looking for this offseason.
There’s a clear reason why Framber Valdez won’t be signing with the Cubs this offseason.
To be clear, there are several factors working against Valdez being a fit for the Cubs. The first being that he is 32, and likely commanding a contract north of $100M, that isn’t a deal the Cubs’ front office prefers.
Another is the fact that his cross-up incident with teammate Cesar Salazar last season likely makes the Cubs one of the teams who crossed him off their shopping list once the offseason started.
The clear reason why the Cubs won’t be signing Valdez is that he doesn’t fit the profile of the starting pitcher they are looking for. While Valdez had a respectable strikeout rate of 23.3% last season, his success is predicated on forcing weak contact. The Cubs are looking for a pitcher who earns his reputation by missing bats.
If Valdez was one of the last options remaining and the Cubs had yet to address their need in the rotation, sure, they should sign him. But, right now, Tatsuya Imai and Zac Gallen are better fits for the Cubs than the former Astros pitcher.
