Did Cubs' Front Office Make Mistake Not Pursuing More Starting Pitching?

After the injury to Justin Steele, the Chicago Cubs are now super thin in their starting rotation.

Jan 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer talks to the media after introducing pitcher Shota Imanaga (not pictured) during a press conference at Loews Chicago Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs added Shota Imanaga to their starting rotation this offseason after the departure of Marcus Stroman in free agency. Based on that math, there wasn't an overall addition that the front office made to this unit.

They were banking on a bounce back year from Jameson Taillon to go along with another strong season from veteran Kyle Hendricks to boost this rotation. That would pair nicely with ace Justin Steele, and if Imanaga becomes the pitcher he was billed to be when arriving from Japan.

Now, one game into 2024, the Cubs are down two of their starting pitchers.

Taillon was placed on the injured list prior to Opening Day and Steele is expected to miss time after suffering a hamstring injury during the opener.

Not exactly what Chicago was looking for during this pivotal season.

But, this is something that the front office should have been prepared for. It also calls into question why they didn't pursue more additions on the open market this winter and spring when it was clear prices had cratered to a level they could have met.

Jordan Montgomery signed a one-year, $25 million contract. Blake Snell went for two years and $62 million which has a player option after the first season. Michael Lorenzen signed an ever cheaper $4.5 million deal for 2024.

The Cubs could have been more aggressive.

Many argue they should have been more aggressive.

Because with their ace and past high-priced free agent now missing time, this rotation will be reliant on a veteran who has battled inconsistency, a rookie pitcher coming from overseas, two players seeing Major League action for their third and second season, plus bullpen pieces who will be moved into the rotation after they became relievers following their poor play last year.

Hopefully this is just something Chicago has to deal with during the early portion of the season and it's not prolonged, but it's frustrating for fans to see an organization, who said they were going to spend money, be content with their minimal roster upgrades and pay the price for it.