Chicago Cubs Free Agent Pitching Target Predicted To Land Inexpensive Deal

With the Chicago Cubs looking to improve their rotation, and a new report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic suggesting that Jack Flaherty would be interested in signing a short-term deal with high AAV, the pairing makes perfect sense. 

"At least two — right-hander Jack Flaherty and outfielder Anthony Santander — are open to considering short-term deals with high average annual values, according to league sources briefed on their discussions."

The Cubs have been linked to Flaherty over the past few months, but the right-hander still remains on the market.

That could be due to him looking for more money than initially expected or his back problem being a more significant issue than what's been reported.

In Flaherty's defense, he was excellent during the 2024 campaign, and if those back injuries were present, he at least found a way to work through them.

Still, those injuries are tough, and Chicago might want to stay away if it's something he's dealing with.

However, a month before Spring Training, the 2024 World Series champion doesn't have a team, and for a Cubs squad that could use a right-hander above anything else, why not give him a chance? 

Regarding his potential contract, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report predicted his deal to come in at $63 million over three years.

$21 million AAV in this market for Flaherty would be a steal, of course, if his back injury isn't as serious as some have suggested in the past.

All indications point to that not being the case, but the only people who know that are the right-hander and the teams he's doing medicals with.

Once viewed as a potential ace, it's tough to say the California native is a true No. 1 at this stage of his career, but he's coming off the best camapign he's had in the past four seasons.

He posted a 3.17 ERA, and the strikeout numbers were better than ever, striking out 194 hitters in 162.0 innings pitched.

There's a lot to like, but with him remaining on the market at the stage of the winter, it's fair to wonder what's going on behind the scenes.