There isn’t one area on the Chicago Cubs’ current roster that can’t be upgraded. From an offensive standpoint, that seems to be their biggest need.
However, if they could land a high-end starter, those are always valuable. The issue, however, is that if the Cubs aren’t willing to spend money like they need to in order to compete with the other top teams in the National League, that money might be better spent on the lineup.
That’s why it remains uncertain if they’ll be interested in Corbin Burnes.
Burnes has been as good as it gets over the past five years, and he has a relationship with manager Craig Counsell due to being coached by him during their time with the Milwaukee Brewers.
On paper, the idea of signing him makes perfect sense, as Chicago could use a right-hander in their rotation. Their starting rotation wasn’t bad in 2024, but it was left-handed heavy, which could eventually become an issue in a playoff series.
Having Burnes to throw into the mix would be the the ideal solution, but it’d also cost Chicago a lot of money.
Eli Ben-Porat of Baseball America was the latest to say the California native is in line for a big deal.
“While no pitcher is immune to injury risk, Burnes represents the ideal front-of-the-rotation starter in almost every aspect. He throws his primary pitch, a hard cutter, with excellent velocity, averaging 95 mph. More importantly, it’s a very good pitch by results and pure stuff, preventing roughly 1.4 runs per 100 pitches more than an average pitch. When your primary pitch is that good, you’re going to be able to throw a lot of high quality innings… Burnes is about as close as it gets to the ideal pitcher, and he looks likely to land himself a hefty contract.”
Burnes’ numbers prove he’s worth the money he could be looking for. Throughout 2024, he posted a 2.92 ERA, 3.55 FIP, and a 1.096 WHIP.
Factor that in with him striking out 181 hitters in 194 1/3 innings, and it’s easy to see why he’s viewed as the top arm available.
His strikeout numbers were down, striking out at least 200 hitters in the three campaigns before this one, but if it weren’t for some of his rough outings after the All-Star break, those numbers would likely be comparable.
If this front office is serious about winning, they’ll spend as much as they have to.
