The Chicago Cubs have been linked with some high-profile free agents on the pitching market, and they’ve finally made their first splash as they signed Tyler Chatwood to a three-year deal.
Chatwood, who has pitched for the Colorado Rockies over the last six seasons, posted an 8-15 record with a 4.69 ERA in 33 total games for the Rockies last season. Those numbers were inflated by his performance at hitter-friendly Coors Field, where he had a 6.01 ERA in 17 games.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but reports by MLB Network's JP Morosi and MLB.com's Carrie Muskat pin the value at around $13 million per season.
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Kris Bryant, smiling all the way, throws to Anthony Rizzo, and ends a 108-year championship drought. The Cubs....are the champs.
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Thousands of Cubs fans created a beautiful tribute to the team's success on the walls of Wrigley Field, scrawling messages in chalk that were later immortalized in high-definition photographs by the team.
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That beautiful Commissioner's Trophy certainly looks good next to a Cubs logo, and millions of fans got to see it at the team's parade and rally through downtown Chicago.
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Anthony Rizzo got the honor of introducing David Ross to the crowd at the team's victory rally, and the big guy couldn't hold back tears.
One of the biggest gatherings in world history seems like a proper way to celebrate a historic championship.
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The perks of winning a championship certainly involve a degree of stardom, as Cubs players appeared on "Saturday Night Live," "Ellen," and countless other shows.
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After losing a bet with then-Bulls star Dwyane Wade, LeBron James had to dress up in a Cubs uniform when the team traveled to Chicago. We only wish he would've had to play the game in that outfit.
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Former President Barack Obama made one of his final acts in office count, inviting the Cubs to visit him in the White House less than a week before leaving the presidency behind. And he threw one heck of a party.
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The Chicago Cubs, in a beautiful ode to the championships of the past, went into the bleachers and raised the championship banner, but before that, they brought the World Series trophy into the park for an awesome ceremony.
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The Cubs got their championship rings in a touching ceremony at Wrigley Field, giving fans the chance to share in one of the more remarkable moments in the history of the team.
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Ignore the Cardinals uniform: Dexter Fowler played a key role for the Cubs in 2016 and got his ring before a game in June.
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President Donald Trump wanted the Cubs to visit the White House, and they did, bringing along some awesome gifts for their second trip to the Oval Office.
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The champagne sprayed, and the cheers echoed throughout Busch Stadium as the Cubs, appropriately, wrapped up their division title against their hated rivals in St. Louis.
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The road to a repeat went through Washington, and although the ride would end one round later, the Cubs celebrated appropriately after eliminating the Nationals.
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Fans are never going to get tired of seeing this flag at Wrigley Field.
Chatwood will likely compete for a starting rotation spot with the departures of Jake Arrieta and John Lackey. Mike Montgomery presumably will also be up for a starting role, and the Cubs could still look to add another hurler to the mix, as they recently had a meeting with high-profile free agent Shohei Otani and have had reported interest in Tampa Bay Rays hurler Alex Cobb.
The Cubs will be banking on Chatwood to take advantage of his abilities as a groundball pitcher, as he had a 58.1 percent groundball rate last season with the Rockies. With players like Addison Russell, Javier Baez, and Kris Bryant in the Cubs' infield, that rate could be a big advantage for the team.
