About an hour after news broke that Jon Lester was headed to the Nationals, another pitcher from the Cubs’ 2020 rotation reportedly agreed to a new contract.
Tyler Chatwood is signing with the Blue Jays, pending a physical MLB Network’s Jon Heyman first reported. According to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi, the two sides have agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal, but with incentives, Chatwood could make up to $5.5 million.
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The right-hander began the 2020 season by allowing just one run in his first two outings combined. But soon injury and inconsistency plagued the starting pitcher. He became a free agent after the season.
Chatwood’s three seasons with the Cubs were a rollercoaster. In 2018, he led the National League in walks. The next year, he seemed to find his footing as a reliever.
He earned a spot at the back end of the rotation in Spring Training last season. A combination of José Quintana’s thumb injury, Lester’s slow progression back into shape and Chatwood’s effective approach to the break before summer camp pushed him up to the No. 3 slot in the rotation come opening week.
Due to injury, Chatwood made just five starts in 2020, logging a 5.30 ERA, which matched his ERA from 2018.