Williams reportedly agrees to 1-year, $2.5M deal
Right-hander latest addition to revamped starting rotation
Trevor Williams made his final start of the 2020 season against the Cubs, allowing one run on three hits in 5 2⁄3 innings for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 2-1 victory Sept. 23 at PNC Park.
His next outing could be with the Cubs — he reportedly agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million freeagent deal with the North Siders on Saturday.
Williams, 28, went 31-37 with a 4.43 ERA and 416 strikeouts in 106 appearances (94 starts) for the Pirates from 2016-20. He was 2-8 with a 6.18 ERA in 11 starts in 2020.
His best season with the Pirates came in 2018, when he finished 14-10 with a 3.11 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 31 starts.
The Cubs rotation will have a dramatically different look in 2021.
They traded ace Yu Darvish, who finished second in National League Cy Young Award voting last season, to the Padres in December. The right-hander went 15-14 with a 3.60 ERA with the Cubs from 2018-20.
Veteran Jon Lester, 37, signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Washington Nationals earlier this month. The lefthander went 77-44 with a 3.64 ERA with the Cubs from 2015-20 and was crucial in the team’s run to the 2016 World Series title.
Left-hander Jose Quintana signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels on Jan. 19. Quintana went 33-23 with a 4.24 ERA in four seasons with the Cubs and was healthy until accidentally cutting his thumb last summer, limiting him to four appearances and one start.
And Tyler Chatwood signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays this month. The right-hander went 11-11 with a 4.70 ERA in three seasons with the Cubs (2018-20) but pitched in only five games in 2020 before going down with a season-ending right forearm injury.
The Cubs did add right-handed starter Zach Davies, whom they acquired in the Darvish trade. Davies went 7-4 with a 2.73 ERA with the Padres last season
after spending the first five years of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.