The MLB Winter Meeting have ended and the Chicago Cubs are coming out of hibernation. The Cubbies rumor mill is heating up with Chicago rumored to land some of the biggest names in baseball. After winning back-to-back World Series in 1907 and 1908, it took the club 108 years to win its third in 2016. The Cubs look to get back on top of the MLB after losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS last season.
Here are the top rumors surrounding the Cubs that you need to know:
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Wade Davis To The Rockies
Closer Wade Davis decided to take his talents to Colorado, signing a three-year, $52 million contract. The Colorado Rockies added the best available relief pitcher on the market this offseason, giving him the highest per year salary contract ever at the position, according to Yahoo Sports. The deal includes $14 million vesting option for 2021.
Davis is 32-years-old coming off a season in which he threw 58.2 innings with a 2.30 ERA and 32 saves.
Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta Swap
Starting pitcher Jake Arrieta is testing the waters of free agency, which leaves the Cubs looking for an ace in the rotation. An option according to Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report is the Cubs pivoting their attention to starting pitcher Yu Darvish.
Darvish is 31-years-old coming off a season which he had a 10-12 record and a 3.86 ERA over 186.2 innings pitched. However, the Cubs may want to save their money in preparation for a big offseason with a player like Bryce Harper available. It would be cheaper for the Cubs to re-sign Arrieta, but signing a pitcher to a long-term contract trending in the wrong direction isn't a smart idea. Arrieta's ERA has risen the past three season from 1.77 (2015), 3.10 (2016), to now 3.53 (2017). In 2017, Arrieta was only able to pitch in 168.1 innings, which was 18.1 less than Darvish.
Kyle Ryan Minor League Deal
Left-handed pitcher Kyle Ryan signed a minor league deal with the Cubs on Wednesday. Ryan pitched for the Detroit Tigers his first three seasons in the majors and now is a low risk, high reward signing considering how good he was in 2016. He posted a 3.07 ERA in 55.2 innings in 2016, but was released after a poor 2017 which he had a 7.94 ERA in 5.2 innings in 2017.
If he is able to stay healthy at 26 years-old and get back to his 2016 self, this would be a great signing for the Cubs.
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