I think that he's likely to be a <2 WAR pitcher going forward.
That being said Steamer/ZiPS has him at 2.6/2.7 next year. I think that is incredibly generous.
Keuchel had 0.8 WAR last year in 112.2 IP. If you're going to b**** about Mazara, you have to b**** about Keuchel.
But yeah, spend $20M on a pitcher worth less than 1.5 fWAR over 190 innings.
This is a meh acquisition. I don't mind it, but meh.
The issue is, after they missed on Wheeler, the only acquisitions they could make are meh ones.
Go get Alex Wood now.
Counter argument: The Cubs are so entrenched that new ownership realizes it's a futile fight. Would rather be in a 1 team town than take the Cubs' scraps.
The conspiracy theorist inside says that they're actively trying to alienate the fanbase so they can skip town when Jerry passes.
Jerry and the kids already have a buyer and they're going to Vegas.