Whenever a player signs with a new team as a free agent, one of the most interesting questions is: Why?

Often, the answer is simple – opportunity or money (or some combination of the two).

That certainly was a factor for Matthew Boyd, who got $29 million from the Cubs on a 2-year deal to join the rotation.

[MORE: All the news and rumors from Monday at MLB Winter Meetings]

But his interest in the Cubs went beyond the contract and that shone through in his introductory press conference with Chicago media Monday afternoon.

Besides a unique personal tie to the team, Boyd also has a palpable drive to help get the Cubs back into the playoffs.

“I want to win a championship,” Boyd said. “That’s what it comes down to. Pitching in the postseason last year was amazing and I’m really excited about the opportunity to do that here.”

[Watch Boyd’s complete introductory press conference]

Boyd has spent 10 years in the big leagues, pitching more than 180 games for the Blue Jays, Tigers, Mariners and Guardians. He got a brief taste of postseason action in 2022, facing 3 batters and pitching 1/3 of an inning in the ALDS with Seattle.

But this past fall was his first true experience in the playoffs as he made 3 starts with the Guardians against the Tigers and Yankees, sporting a sparkling 0.77 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 11.2 innings.

“It had been a long time coming,” Boyd said. “I got a chance to do it in 2022 but it was one of those things you dream about and you watch every year. So finally getting the opportunity to do it was really exciting and it’s something I’m excited to do in the future.”

The 33-year-old Boyd understands there is a difference between pitching in the playoffs and in the regular season.

Over the course of a 6-month marathon, starting pitchers has more margin for error and they prepare for outings by gameplanning against hitters they may see 3 or 4 times that day.

In the playoffs, it’s a different story.

“When it comes to pitching in the postseason, it’s sometimes more going right into the strengths,” Boyd said. “You’re not trying to set guys up as much. It’s more, ‘hey, let’s just try to get them out right here.’

“And then the subsequent at-bats will play themselves out as we see fit. But I loved that sense of urgency. Just everything about it was really, really cool.”

[WATCH: Cole Wright goes 1-on-1 with Matthew Boyd]

Boyd comes to Chicago with a knowledge and appreciation of what this Cubs team is capable of.

His first start back in the big leagues last summer following Tommy John surgery was against the Cubs (Aug. 13 in Cleveland). And while he was recovering from the elbow injury, Boyd chose Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga as fellow lefties to lock in on because he felt he had some similarities to the Cubs southpaws.

Boyd fully believes he can help the Cubs get back to the promised land after the team has missed out on the postseason for 4 straight years.

“I think a year of growth from some of the young players, a year of understanding,” Boyd said. “Seeing what they did down the stretch last year was really, really exciting. The lineup is strong … the weapons that are there, the speed that’s in the offense, the ability to hit for power, there’s a lot of tools in the lineup.

“As a pitcher, you got to prepare for a lot of different avenues they can attack you with and that’s something that’s never fun to face. And then when you go on the pitching side and you see everything the rotation and staff is made up of, it’s one of those things where you’re like, man, time is just gonna make things better and better.

“There’s a ton of upside and I’m really excited to be part of it and just do my part to help bring a championship to Chicago.”