New Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd sees potential in rotation — and team still might add to it
DALLAS — The Cubs made a strong impression on left-hander Matthew Boyd when he faced them as a member of the Guardians in his first game back from Tommy John surgery during the summer in Cleveland.
‘‘It’s one of those things where you’re like, ‘Man, time is just going to make things better and better,’ ’’ he said of the Cubs’ rotation in his introductory Zoom conference Monday.
Now Boyd is a member of that rotation, signed to a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $29 million. The Cubs aren’t necessarily done shaping that group for next season, either. They have plenty of feelers out on potential trades, some of which might affect the pitching staff. And they’re pursuing Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, who was posted Monday for MLB teams by his Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Regardless of how the rest of the offseason pans out, Boyd’s signing is a step in fortifying an already-strong group.
‘‘He pitched great at the end of the season,’’ president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. ‘‘We saw him in his first start back, but he just kept building on that. Threw well in the playoffs. All of our pitch data on him was good, makeup is exceptional and I feel like he’s an arrow pointing up.’’
Family ties helped seal the deal. Boyd’s late grandfather John Boyd grew up in Chicago and was a Cubs fan.
‘‘I know he’s smiling somewhere,’’ Boyd said. ‘‘So the opportunity to play for the Cubs was always something that I wanted to do.’’
Sasaki courting begins
In anticipation of Sasaki’s posting, the Cubs have been preparing a digital presentation to send to his representatives as the first step in his recruitment, sources said.
The clock on Sasaki’s 45-day posting window began Monday. According to his agent, Joel Wolfe, several teams already have submitted videos or presentations.
Wolfe said he wants to leave the process ‘‘a little open-ended,’’ but the next step is for him to meet with Sasaki to schedule meetings with teams ‘‘hopefully beginning next week.’’
Draft lottery
The draft lottery Tuesday gave the Cubs the No. 17 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. They moved one spot back from their projected pick based on odds.