Among the back-of-the rotation types the Cubs have been linked to this offseason, Roberto Hernandez was not at the top of my list. That said, there were a few things to like, and I would probably have been happy to see him brought into the fold as a flip candidate.
It was not to be, however, as he’s reportedly inked a deal with the Phillies, who may be in more desperate need of a back-end starter than the Cubs. We’ll see what kind of money he gets, but if it’s more than one year and $5 or $6 million, I’ll be very surprised.
The Cubs will turn back to Scott Baker, Jason Hammel, Suk-Min Yoon and other names about whom we may not yet have heard much. Also: Tanaka, Tanaka, Tanaka.