The Guardians made a mulityear offer to free-agent left-hander Matthew Boyd, but they didn’t put as much money on the table as the Cubs. So early Monday morning, Boyd agreed to a two-year $29 million deal with Chicago.

Boyd is more of an upside play for the Cubs than a guarantee of quality innings. When he’s healthy and on the mound, he's been effective.

The Chicago Cubs entered the offseason knowing they wanted to address the rotation and, by extension, the pitching staff. For a group that features young talent but not much experience because of injuries last year,