Cease and subsist
The Cubs are totally really trying to sign pitchers. Just ask them.
It was a big week for the Cubs last week. And no, not just because Carter Hawkins' parents finally let him leave the kid's table at his family Thanksgiving dinner--Carter was used as a seat filler when his aunt had to use the restroom.
Much to Carter's chagrin, Aunt Peg only needed to "take a number one." His glory was short lived.
Terms of the Cubs' exciting two year contract agreement with Phil Maton were announced. Two years, $14.25 million with $250,000 worth of incentives. And...well, that was it.
The Cubs did finish second, narrowly losing out on not just one, but two of their free agent pitching targets.
First, former Cubs' draft pick and prospect Dylan Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Cubs narrowly missed out signing Cease. Probably. Or maybe not. Nobody knows. The Cubs always act like any good player who signs was "thisclose" to signing with them, and that somehow their offer was actually better.
If you think that deal for Cease is ludicrous, well, yeah. It kind of is. I mean, he's an interesting pitcher. He strikes out lots of guys and he's very durable, but for most of his seven year career he's just kinda been OK. When he was better than that, he was waaay better. He was worth 6.4 WAR for the mighty 2022 White Sox (81-81, 11 games out of first) But in his other six years he's only been good for a total of 10.3 WAR.
