The Chicago Cubs are signing LHP Starting Pitcher Matthew Boyd, per Jon Heyman of NY Post. Matt Boyd was previously with Cleveland but missed the majority of 2024 while recovering from his Tommy John surgery he got in the middle of 2023. He joins a Chicago Cubs rotation that for the most part could be deemed relatively successful against the Reds outside of a few starts.
LHP SP galore, but literally.
The Cubs now possess a depth chart consisting of 4 left handed starting pitchers. Jordan Wicks, Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, & now Matt Boyd. It’s worth noting that it’s more than likely Jordan Wicks getting shoved to the side in this depth chart, but still, the Cubs will be throwing 3 left handed pitchers reguarly in their starting rotation. What does that mean for the Reds? Well…a lot, actually.
The Reds STRUGGLED against LHP again in 2024, a lot of that, perhaps, can be attributed to Matt McLain being out the whole season, TJ Friedl, who surprisingly fares well against LHP was also out quite a bit, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand being out. Jeimer Candelario must be mentioned here due to the fact that he was beyond disappointing from the RHB and that’s what he was paid to come do…anchor the lineup against LHP. Does it get any better in 2025?
2025’s Outlook Is Bleak, Still, As Of Now…
The Cincinnati Reds as a team slashed .226/.309/.365/.673 against LHP. That .673 OPS would be bottom 5 in Major League Baseball. Now, as we all know, the Reds traded Jonathan India – he killed LHP in 2024, and I mean killed LHP. He slashed .277/.397/.418/.815 against southpaws, and he is now deducted from the equation. Not good. Now, if you’re like me, you like finding reasons to cope. Matt McLain, in 2023, slashed .326/.386/.609(!!)/.995 against LHP in 101 PAs. That’s who will be taking the role of 2B every day on. That’s good, provided he produces like we all think he will.
Regardless, even with Matt McLain coming back, this team as it stands constructed at 9:40am 12/2 is NOT GOOD ENOUGH, no matter if Terry Francona is the manager or not. We need, desperately, an all around everyday outfielder that can hit both LHP and RHP and we do not own that asset right now. A trade is beyond necessary.
2025 will be different, though
The Cincinnati Reds start slow every single year it seems like. Hopefully, with Terry Francona at the helm, that’ll be different. This heading here is more about what the NL Central will look like, though, and it’s true – it’s different. Last season, the Pirates, Cardinals, & Cubs all threw 3+ LHP in their rotation. In 2025, as of now, only the Cubs will start that way. This gives the Reds a lot more strategic option for their lineup(s) when it comes to facing their divisional foes.
