Another day, another free agent pitcher off the board. Veteran starter Matthew Boyd, who excelled with Cleveland last season, has reportedly signed with the Cubs. It’s a deal that will see the Cubs give Matthew Boyd $29MM over the next two seasons.
A Look at Boyd
The past four seasons have been difficult for Matthew Boyd thanks to injuries. However, he found a soft landing with the Guardians last season, a team that needed starting pitching for their pending playoff run.
Boyd dealt with elbow problems in 2021 and 2022. The lefty signed with the Giants in March 2022 but never threw a pitch with the team, and was traded to Seattle in August of that season. He pitched well in a relief role with the M’s, as he struck out 13 over 13.2 IP and owned a 0.98 WHIP. Boyd landed back with the Tigers in 2023 but struggled (5.45 ERA) despite above-average chase and whiff metrics.
The 33-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2023 and didn’t return to a MLB mound until August 2024 — with the Guardians. Cleveland got much-needed help from Boyd, who struck out 46 over 39.2 IP in the regular season, then 14 strikeouts over 11.2 IP in the postseason. The veteran starter only gave up one run over three playoff starts with Cleveland.
It’s not to say that Boyd is a different starter than in 2019, when the ex-Tiger struck out 238 batters and was the subject of trade rumors at the time. However, Boyd’s made key changes to how he uses his stuff — and how it’s coming out of his hand.
For one, Boyd was primarily a two-pitch pitcher with the Tigers. In that aforementioned campaign, the lefty used his four-seamer and well-above-average slider a combined 86% of the time, opting not to use his curve, change, or sinker unless otherwise needed. That combination led to plenty of strikeouts and home runs allowed. He surrendered 39 total home runs in 2019, second-most in the league.
Boyd is still a power pitcher who generates fly balls and strikeouts. And while Boyd’s slider remains an important part of his arsenal, so has his changeup. Boyd’s changeup, which had a mean velocity of 80.9, differs over 10 MPH from his low-90s, was used eight percent more than in 2023. It’s a very good offering, one that aside from the speed change, starts up, then dips down.
The other minor change for Boyd has been how his arm slot has lowered over the years. Boyd dropped his arm angle on an average of five degrees between 2021 and 2024. He’ll still maintain a higher arm angle to stay on the top of the curveball. However, the lower arm angle — mostly consistent between his four other offerings — can help significantly with giving the fastball a rising effect.
Per reports, the Cubs signed Matthew Boyd to a two-year deal worth at least $29MM in total. Boyd can earn $1MM in performance bonuses over the two seasons covered in the deal, according to ESPN.
Analysis
Boyd is the second notable 2024 Guardian pitcher to join the Cubs for next season. Last month, the Guardians traded reliever Eli Morgan to the Cubs for a minor league outfielder.
The 33-year-old lefty lands in what can be considered a favorable destination. Wrigley Field is a comfortable destination for a fly-ball pitcher like Boyd, who could benefit from the elements in the first few months of the regular season.
As for the Cubs, Chicago’s rotation already included lefties Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele, plus right-hander Jameson Taillon. The Cubs also have young starters Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks, plus Javier Assad. Assad threw 147 innings last season over 29 starts.
Boyd can slot in as a middle-of-the-rotation arm, one who offers more swing-and-miss compared to Assad. And given the Cubs’ willingness to spend, it’s also fair to wonder whether this will be Chicago’s only notable move for their rotation this winter.
Make sure to check out our other free agency coverage, including our recap of the Mets’ signing of Frankie Montas.