The Chicago Cubs may try to sign Kyle Gibson or veteran free-agent starting pitcher Lance Lynn.
According to Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, the Cubs may seek to bolster the back of their starting rotation with one of the 37-year-olds: “The Cubs are keeping [Kyle] Gibson and [Lance] Lynn on their radar in case issues arise after the team’s early ramp-up for spring training and long trip to Japan, sources say.” Lynn and Gibson were teammates last year on the St. Louis Cardinals, and each had respectable years. Lynn went 7-4 with a 3.84 ERA over 117 and 1/3 innings pitched, while Gibson went 8-8 with a 4.24 ERA through 169 and 2/3 innings. Neither of these longtime arms would put this team over the top, but they are still trustworthy options who can eat innings. Chicago is not afraid to rely on older players, especially where starting pitching is concerned.
Of the five current projected starters, only Justin Steele is south of 30, and he will hit that mark in July. Lynn and Gibson are not names that will excite Cubs fans, but with 33-year-old Jameson Taillon, 34-year-old Matthew Boyd, and 34-year-old Colin Rea all expected to play starting roles, there is not much to lose with these potential additions.
Furthermore, neither pitcher is likely to have an immediate impact, according to an article in The Athletic: “At the moment, the Cubs aren’t in a position to promise Gibson or Lynn a spot in their rotation, much less guarantee that either pitcher would make the major-league club by a certain date.” These seem to be merely preventative measures for the time being. It will only help Chicago to see if Lynn or Gibson have anything left in them after the demanding test of endurance that is the regular season. In theory, they could perform long-relief tasks or initiate games. Once more, no one is anticipating them to be the main attraction. They might still be useful to a team trying to earn its first postseason berth since 2020, though.
