The Chicago Cubs open Spring Training on Wednesday, Feb. 14 as pitchers and catchers report to Mesa, AZ. Although the beginning of baseball is so close, the Cubs are still very much looking to improve. Yes, the likes of Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, and Jordan Montgomery are still available, but it appears the Cubs are looking at some other names too.
According to Jon Morosi, the Cubs are among five reported teams interested in depth pieces for the starting rotation. Although the Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins, and Tampa Bay Rays are named, there are potentially other teams in the mix as well. In this specific report, Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen are the two names on the radar.
Syndergaard split last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians. The Dodgers waived the big righty ahead of the new waiver deadline, where he was claimed by Cleveland along with LHP Matt Moore and RHP Lucas Giolito. In 18 starts, Syndergaard owned a 6.50 ERA and 56 strikeouts. That said, Syndergaard only managed to log 88.2 innings. Injuries have been the theme of the big righty's career after a hot start with the New York Mets. He'd be a fascinating addition, but the durability is a concern.
As for Lorenzen, he's fresh off an All-Star appearance in 2023. After a really strong start to the season with the Detroit Tigers, pitching to a 3.58 ERA, Lorenzen was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline. Although Lorenzen's ERA inflated with the Phils, he pitched a no-hitter in one of his seven starts.
Lorenzen is likely the more desirable addition for the Cubs, especially with his swing ability to both start and come out of the bullpen. In addition, the Cubs were interested in Lorenzen prior to the 2022 season. He wanted to pitch and hit, but ended up with the Los Angeles Angels and wasn't allowed to do so thanks to Shohei Ohtani's presence.
Regardless, these two names will be on the Cubs' radar entering Spring Training. Although the fans want Cody Bellinger in Cubbie Blue, there could be another pitching addition in the near future for the front office.
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