The Chicago Cubs have made their first significant splash in free agency, inking left-hander Matthew Boyd to a two-year deal that will guarantee him $29 million, per a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The deal also includes $1 million in performance bonuses that could earn him $30 million over the two years.

Boyd, 34 in February, is yet another client of super agent Scott Boras to sign early this offseason. Originally drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2013 out of the sixth round, Boyd made his big league debut with Toronto in 2015 before being included in the trade to Detroit that same season in exchange for David Price. From 2016 to 2020, Boyd established himself mainly as a slightly below-league-average starter for Detroit with a 4.75 ERA (95 ERA+) and 4.54 FIP in 727 innings of work. At times he certainly flashed his potential thanks to some of the peripheral states, like a 30.2% strikeout rate in 2019 against a 6.3% walk rate.

However, his overall body of work profiled as more of a solid back-of-the-rotation arm as he struggled with giving up the long ball and didn’t have an overwhelming arsenal. There is certainly a place for that type of arm in Major League Baseball and he certainly was showing some excellence in 2021. Making 15 starts with the Tigers that season, Boyd had a solid 3.89 ERA in 78 2/3 innings with a 19.9% strikeout rate before having to undergo surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon, ending a promising rebound season from the 2020 campaign.

He signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants the following season, spending the majority of the year rehabbing in the minors before getting traded to the Seattle Mariners in August 2022. He made just 10 relief appearances with the Mariners to the tune of a 1.35 ERA in 13 1/3 innings. He returned to the Tigers in 2023, posting a 5.45 ERA in 71 innings over 15 starts, once again seeing his season cut short by injury, this time due to needing Tommy John surgery.

He went the first half of the 2024 season as an unsigned free agent before inking a deal with the Cleveland Guardians at the end of June. After rehabbing and working back into a game-ready state, Boyd posted a favorable 0.83 ERA in 21 2/3 innings over five starts across three minor league levels. Deemed ready for big league action, Boyd made his season debut in mid-August with the Guardians as a member of their rotation down the stretch. He made eight starts with the Guardians, posting an encouraging 2.72 ERA in 39 2/3 innings. Additionally, he struck out 27.7% of his opponents while walking just 7.3%. Boyd continued his strong performance in the postseason, posting a 0.77 ERA in three starts with the Guardians during their run to the ALCS.

He will now head to the Cubs to help solidify their rotation after the departure of Kyle Hendricks, among others, giving them another adequate veteran arm alongside fellow lefties Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga as well as right-hander Jameson Taillon. While Boyd isn’t a top-tier arm and his injury history and pedigree of work leave room for pause, the Cubs are hopeful he can stay healthy and provide a quality upgrade to their rotation. If healthy and productive he helps them buy time to sort through their assortment of starting options to round out the rotation and provide depth in the minors.

The Cubs, to this point, have operated in minor moves and trades, including their recent trade for backstop Matt Thaiss from the Los Angeles Angels. The team has reportedly been looking to shuffle payroll a bit and it’s becoming more apparent they may not be in on some of the major free agents this offseason and may even be looking to shed the contract of Cody Bellinger. Chicago’s intentions are still unclear for 2025, but moves in the vein of signing Boyd could be the expectation moving forward this winter.