Injuries plague the Cubs' rotation. Discover why veteran Tyler Anderson could be the unexpected solution to bolster their pitching depth.
The Chicago Cubs have dealt with their fair share of injuries in the early going.
Their top three starting pitchers (Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, and Justin Steele) are currently on the injured list, and top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins recently landed on the IL due to right elbow inflammation.
That certainly puts the North Siders in a tough spot early in the year. Another injury to the rotation could really hurt the team.
Although Boyd is expected to return from his bicep strain next week, the Cubs still need some starting pitching depth after the loss of Horton. That’s why it wouldn’t be a bad idea to sign someone like Tyler Anderson in free agency.
Now, the Cubs’ No. 1 free agent target right now should be Lucas Giolito. Giolito is coming off a solid all-around pitching season in 2025 and is the best free agent available on the open market.
But his asking price could be too high for the Cubs. Giolito reportedly won’t sign a contract for less than his current value, and no team has been willing to offer him what he wants.
Therefore, pivoting to Anderson could make a lot of sense for the Cubs.
He would cost much less than Giolito and is an experienced veteran who has started 141 games over the past five years. Most of those starts came with the Los Angeles Angels, as the southpaw spent the last three seasons out west.
In those three years with the Angels, Anderson posted some uneven numbers on the mound. He had a 5.43 ERA across 27 games in 2023, posted a 3.81 ERA in 31 starts in 2024, and finished with a 4.56 ERA in 26 starts last year.
Those numbers are certainly not the best, but he would give the Cubs some much-needed depth. That’s something the team needs right now with Horton out for the season, Steele still recovering, and Wiggins on the Minor League IL.
Anderson has also shown to be a valuable pitcher in the past. He had a 2.57 ERA and 138 strikeouts with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 and posted a respectable 3.81 ERA with the Angels just two seasons ago.
The North Siders don’t need Anderson to be this Cy Young-caliber pitcher. They need a pitcher who could potentially eat innings, step in as a backend starter, and get the job done when called upon.
Anderson has the experience and track record to contribute solid numbers for this Cubs team. Despite finishing with a poor 4.56 ERA last year, the left-hander did rank in the upper half of the league in average exit velocity (88 mph), chase rate (29.8%), and hard-hit rate (36.6%).
Allowing soft contact is nothing new for the 36-year-old. He has been doing that practically his whole career. Anderson ranked in the top 2% of the league in hard-hit rate in 2022, had a 90th percentile hard-hit rate in 2023, and finished in the top 20% in both average exit velocity and hard-hit rate in each of the past two seasons.
So, there is some potential for Anderson in Chicago. Wrigley Field has become an extremely pitcher-friendly ballpark over the years, and the 10-year veteran would be pitching in front of an elite defense.
Signing Anderson is a move the Cubs should be looking to make at this point in the season.