Milwaukee Brewers: Tyler Chatwood signs with the Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs announced that they have reached an agreement with free agent starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood. The Cubs will pay Chatwood $38 million over the next three years. How does this impact the Milwaukee Brewers off season plans?

Signing Tyler Chatwood made sense for the Milwaukee Brewers this off season. Now he’s going to pitch every fifth day for their rival. What moves can the Brew Crew make to adjust their strategy, and how does Chatwood project for the Cubs?

Is missing out on Chatwood a disaster?

If the Cubs signed Chatwood a month from now and the Milwaukee Brewers still had the same cast of characters, then, yes, this is a disaster. The reality is that the Brewers still have time to shore up their starting rotation. They simply have one less option than they had yesterday.

The years are palatable, but the dollars might look foolish in three years. Chatwood has never posted a WAR over 2.0. He adds depth to the Cubs rotation behind Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jose Quintana, but they still need to find an ace. Chatwood is a capable innings eater, but this move doesn’t mean the Cubs are set to dominate the division. They have a lot more work to do with their rotation and bullpen before the off season ends.

How does Chatwood project with the Cubs?

He’s the fourth starter in a rotation that lacks a true ace. The Cubs employed a three-headed fifth starter monster when Hendricks missed time. Eddie Butler was probably the best of the bunch, and he was pretty mediocre. The Cubs have to either reunite with Jake Arrieta or search for an ace to round out their rotation.

What does this mean for the Brewers?

They have to find another option. Lance Lynn is still available. The market for Yu Darvish has been quiet. Even Arrieta is still an option at this point. These three options don’t even include the trade market, which the Milwaukee Brewers should be active in.

Next: How hot is the market for reliever Brandon Kintzler?

Seeing the Chicago Cubs get started on their off season plans sucks more than missing out on Tyler Chatwood. The Milwaukee Brewers are sure to answer soon, but waiting for moves is the worst part of the off season. They will come, and they will, hopefully, be bigger than Chatwood.