The Chicago Cubs could use some more pitching. Every team in the league could but the Cubs need to go after it if they plan on improving on their 2022 season in 2023. There are plenty of good options out there via the trade market and the free agent market.
One pitcher whose name has recently come up is Taijuan Walker. The New York Mets have been in the news a lot as far as pitching lately. Jacob deGrom went to the Texas Rangers and they are replacing him with Justin Verlander. That must be nice.
Walker, who has spent the last two seasons with the Mets, is now a free agent looking for a new baseball home as well. Before playing in New York, Walker had time with the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays.
Now, there are lots of teams going after him according to reports. The Chicago Cubs appear to be one of those teams as they could use another starter.
The Chicago Cubs could use a starter like Taijuan Walker going into 2023.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB dot com and MLB Network, the Chicago Cubs are right there as teams to watch along with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, and Baltimore Orioles. That is a very interesting group of teams when you break it down.
The Mets just spent a lot of money on Verlander but they would love to still bring Walker back. With Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer leading the way for the rotation, a good back half could lead them to the World Series.
The Phillies were just in the World Series and are going to be looking to win it next time. With the core that they have in place, it won’t be a surprise to see them all in.
As for the Baltimore Orioles, they just missed out on the playoffs in 2022 after what was an amazing surprise season for them. Their future appears to be very bright. If 2023 is going to be the year for them to finally grow into a playoff team, some more pitching might be necessary.
The Cubs are rumored to be in on basically all of the shortstops on the market as well so it is obvious that money is going to be spent. Walker would be a great middle-of-the-rotation kind of guy for them in 2023 if they can find a way to get this deal done.
