Matthew Boyd's deal with Cubs is ominous sign for pitching needy Guardians

At one point in time this offseason, there was some hope that the Cleveland Guardians could possibly retain the services of starting pitcher Matthew Boyd. The 33-year-old left-hander missed a large amount of time after undergoing Tommy John surgery and came to Cleveland in an attempt to restore his value. That attempt has been proven successful with his new contract signed with the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs signed Boyd to a two-year $29 million deal, as reported by Jon Heyman. Clearly, Chicago saw enough from Boyd in his 11 regular and postseason starts with the Guardians to feel comfortable making this type of financial commitment. The problem for Cleveland is that if this is the going rate for free agent starters who are still not a sure thing, it is going to be incredibly difficult for the Guardians to get the help they truly need.

Boyd finished the regular season with a 2.72 ERA, 1.134 WHIP, and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings in eight starts. This success carried over into the postseason as he allowed just one run in 10.2 innings across three starts against the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees. Based on his performance from last season, Boyd clearly earned his new contract with the Cubs, but where does that leave the Guardians?

There is now an open spot in Cleveland's rotation that they must fill, and it does not appear it will be an easy endeavor. The Guardians are not an organization that spends heavily in free agency, and their conservative approach is expected to continue this winter. The combination of not spending on free agents and players like Boyd, who are 33, have a recent injury history and have been inconsistent throughout their careers, makes it appear highly unlikely for the Guardians to add a proven arm to their rotation, at least through free agency that is.

Given Boyd's deal with Chicago, even the most middling starters are going to command a dollar figure that is far beyond Cleveland's usual comfort zone. Unless the Guardians suddenly have the desire to spend money like it's going out of style, any arms that are signed by this team are going to be more like Ben Lively or Spencer Howard rather than someone who could be a top-of-the-rotation starter or with any potential upside.

This is not ideal, but it is the reality of the situation the Guardians currently find themselves in with their current financial constraints, some of which are required for their market while others are self-imposed. Barring any sort of major change to the way they operate, expect Cleveland to use the quantity over quality approach when it comes to any pitchers they sign, with the results being mixed.