NEWSLETTER
The rumor earlier tonight was that the Cubs were heavy on Jameson Taillon, and after Jed Hoyer said the Cubs might be close to a few moves, you could speculatively connect those dots.
Sure enough, that might be the next move up for the Cubs:
That language is classic Ken Rosenthal, and tends to precede a deal. Usually quite quickly.
Taillon, 31, was a slightly-better-than-average pitcher the last couple years for the Yankees, and importantly, was finally healthy. It’s a low-mileage arm (that’s been through a number of injuries), and Taillon is a guy who could be a steady mid-rotation presence for the Cubs for a while. Or, he’s a guy who has always had fantastic stuff, but who hasn’t lately been able translate it to dominant performances. Maybe the Cubs could help take him to another level?
To be sure, Taillon is not an ace. He’s not a two. He’s not a guy who fundamentally transforms the Cubs’ rotation. But he could be a solid starting pitcher on a team that needs a couple.
Stay tuned to see if the deal gets done.
UPDATE: Closing in on a deal:
UPDATE 2: Meeting AS WE SPEAK to finalize a deal:
Something to keep in mind on Taillon (and signings in that tier for the Cubs): with Marcus Stroman eligible to opt out after this season, and with Kyle Hendricks an unknown, the Cubs likely want to make sure they have some steady arm(s) in place from 2023 to 2024+.
UPDATE 3: Thinking out loud while we wait …
Update: It’s done, and it’s a whopper! Fresh post coming shortly.
