Chicago Cubs pursuit for pitchers continues – MLB News
The hot pursuit continues. Aggressively; albeit cautiously as the Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations has said that the club is looking for the pitchers that can improve the rotation. After the trade of the veteran pitchers this past season, the Cubs’ search is now for a couple of starters.
This pursuit, as Epstein spells out, may even entail signing big contracts as – thriftiness aside, the team wants a long-term investment.
"We're pursuing pitchers across the spectrum," Epstein said. "[We're looking at] some guys who might be classified as buy low, there might even be buy-high guys, some multi-year deals, some trades. We're looking for pitchers who can step in and improve our rotation. If there are sound investments out there, whether they're big or small, we'll pursue them and try to sign them."
Epstein has recently spoken to the general manager Jed Hoyer and other agents regarding the possible deals. Like said earlier, the search has been broadened.
"Even if you pursue leads and you realize it's not going to go anywhere, you put them at the bottom of the priority list, and that's helpful because it allows you to spend more time on things that might have a chance of working out," Epstein said.
With a veteran pitcher Matt Garza expected to make a comeback after the Tommy John surgery he underwent this year, the Cubs will have an almost perfect shape for the rotation. But there is shown no complacency at this point in time.
The one-year contract with Scott Baker, the Minnesota Twins' free agent pitcher, this week has laid the foundation of a rotation that has a combination of veteran and young starters, enabling the Cubs to solidify the defence.
Careful planning at this stage requires equally careful execution. That is what the Cubs have kept in the mind while making every move. With the required addition to the rotation, the club will be a force to reckon with in 2013 MLB.
With Paul Maholm gone in the Trade Deadline earlier this year, Cubs’ upcoming moves will be of immense interest for the fans – and of consequence for the future.
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