(San Diego) The Chicago Cubs have added Jameson Taillon to their starting rotation, signing the right-hander to a four-year contract worth approximately $68 million.
A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed contract details to The Associated Press on Wednesday, but requested anonymity because Taillon must pass his physical evaluations.
The Cubs haven’t formally announced the signing, but the team’s president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, said the Chicago roster has been looking to add Taillon for quite some time.
“I think he’s a really good starting pitcher,” Hoyer said at winter meetings in San Diego. He was very consistent. I think he continued to be better during his career as his health improved. »
The 31-year-old Taillon is coming off a strong season with the New York Yankees, where he posted a 14-5 record with a 3.91 ERA. He tied a career high with 32 starts and served 177 1/3 innings, his highest total since 2018.
The signing ensures that Taillon is back in the Central Division of the National, after he began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Taillon began his Major League Baseball career in 2016, going 29-24 with a 3.67 ERA in 82 starts during his four seasons with the Pirates.
Taillon missed the entire 2020 season after undergoing a second Tommy John type surgery on his right elbow. He was traded to the Yankees in January 2021 for four prospects.
Taillon was selected second overall in the 2010 draft. He will join a rotation that already includes Marcus Stroman and Kyle Hendricks.
The Cubs claimed a 74-88 record in 2022, which was good for the third echelon in the Central Division. However, they have won 40 of their last 71 games of the campaign.
After the All-Star Game break, the Cubs’ rotation of starters posted an ERA of 2.89, third-best in MLB after the Houston Astros (2.70) and Los Angeles Dodgers ( 2.73).