The Cubs partook in holiday shopping of their own in the wee hours Monday morning. 

The team reportedly came to terms with left-handed starter Matthew Boyd on a 2-year, $29 million contract. The news was first reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post. 

Boyd fills a need in the Cubs rotation. The Cubs had made it clear that they’d be looking for starters this offseason and did so with the veteran southpaw. 

The 33-year-old made 8 starts in 2024 and posted a 2.72 ERA across 39.2 innings. Boyd underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023, then signed with Cleveland in June. He made his season debut on August 13 against the Cubs, limiting them to 1 run on 3 hits over 5.1 innings. 

Boyd has pitched at a slightly below league-average rate through his career, posting a lifetime 4.85 ERA. But 2024 proved to be a breakout year. In the playoffs, Boyd made 3 starts and allowed 1 run in 11.2 innings with 14 strikeouts. 

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This signing is a bit like the signings of Jameson Taillon and Shota Imanaga in recent years. It’s not a flashy free agent name, but it’s one the Cubs are hoping can provide reliability and solid results. 

He joins a rotation mix of Taillon, Imanaga, Justin Steele and Javier Assad. This signing isn’t the end of the Cubs pursuit of starting pitching — they’ll likely still be linked to various names, including Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, but it’s a solid piece that raises the floor of the Cubs rotation. 

Boyd’s addition does make the rotation left-handed heavy. As it stands, the Cubs could have 60% of their rotation as lefties, without including Jordan Wicks, who battled injuries in 2024, but was in the Opening Day rotation. 

For more on the Boyd signing, tune in to Cubs 360 on Marquee Sports Network Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m.