Cubs, Jameson Taillon agree to 4-year, $68M contract

By Patrick Mooney, Ken Rosenthal and Stephen J. Nesbitt

SAN DIEGO — The Chicago Cubs have reached an agreement with Jameson Taillon on a four-year, $68 million contract, adding an established pitcher to the middle of their rotation as they try to put a more competitive product on the field in 2023.

Major-league sources told The Athletic earlier Tuesday that the team was making a push for the right-hander. ESPN first reported the financial terms. Here’s what you need to know:

Taillon, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound right-hander, made 61 starts for the New York Yankees across the last two seasons, going 22-12 with a 4.08 ERA.
The 31-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2019 and missed the entire 2020 season before getting traded to New York.
Taillon flashed so much potential coming out of high school in Texas that the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him with the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft, in between Bryce Harper going No. 1 to the Washington Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles choosing Manny Machado at No. 3.

Scouting report

Taillon, who has endured multiple elbow surgeries and a bout with testicular cancer, is now considered a strong mid-rotation starter. The former No. 2 overall pick no longer has the high-octane raw stuff from his prospect days, but he has seen improved control on his mid-90s fastball, curveball and slider.

Why the Cubs are making this move

Because you can’t have too much pitching. It’s a cliche, but it’s true, and a talking point that team officials keep emphasizing whenever they’re asked about the offseason plan.

The 2022 Cubs certainly weren’t built to be a World Series contender, but any slim playoff hopes vanished by early May due to injuries and a lack of pitching depth at the major-league level and the upper levels of the farm system. Though interesting new pitchers eventually emerged through trades and player development, the Cubs didn’t find a winning formula until after the All-Star break (39-31). Any sort of momentum from those second-half gains will have to start with a reliable rotation. — Mooney

The state of the rotation

The Cubs were involved in the negotiations that resulted in Taijuan Walker agreeing to a four-year, $72 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. The price of pitching appears to be skyrocketing and the Cubs did not have a single pitcher who exceeded 25 starts or 140 innings this year. Drew Smyly is a free agent. Marcus Stroman can opt out of his contract after next season. Kyle Hendricks got shut down for the second half of this past season. Justin Steele didn’t pitch in September.

With all that in mind, the Cubs aren’t done trying to add to their rotation, staying in contact with the representatives for Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga. — Mooney

Looking ahead

The Cubs are increasingly confident in their pitching infrastructure, believing they have the coaches and the resources to help players make adjustments and accentuate their talents. The Cubs dove into the offseason with the idea of targeting multiple starters with mid-90s velocity, swing-and-miss stuff and secondary pitches, which can all be paired with a strong game-planning system and an improving defense.

As an added bonus, the Cubs will not have to give up a draft pick to sign Taillon because the Yankees did not make him a qualifying offer. Between reaching agreements with Taillon and Cody Bellinger, a former National League MVP and a Gold Glove center fielder, it has already been a productive Winter Meetings for Jed Hoyer’s baseball operations group. That focus on pitching and defense also includes Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson, a free agent who remains firmly on the team’s radar. — Mooney

Required reading

(Photo: Thomas Shea / USA Today)