Cubs sign former Tigers starter in another missed free agency opportunity for Detroit

Former Tiger Matthew Boyd faced his old team just twice as a member of the rival Guardians in 2024, but those two starts were the most high-leverage of his career. Games 2 and 5 of the ALDS featured Boyd-Tarik Skubal matchups, during which Boyd went 6 2/3 innings and only allowed three baserunners via walk.

He was still innings-limited after only returning in mid-August, but it was the perfect calling card as he was due to hit free agency again after the postseason wrapped up.

After the Guardians were eliminated in the ALCS, there was some speculation that Boyd would be a good match for his former club once again. Boyd spent eight non-consecutive years in Detroit and was oftentimes either hurt or underperforming, but it was likely he'd be one of the cheaper starting options on the free agent market, and it was clear he still had upside.

Cleveland expressed some interest in keeping him, but there wasn't too much news on his market until Jon Heyman dropped a 3 a.m. bomb Monday morning to report that Boyd would be inking a deal with the Cubs to stay in a Central division. The contract is for two years and worth $29 million with incentives.

Former Tigers starter Matthew Boyd signs two-year deal with Cubs

Boyd signed with the Guardians halfway into the season after undergoing Tommy John in 2023, his last year with the Tigers. He made his return on Aug. 13 and made eight starts in Cleveland in the regular season, logging a 2.72 ERA with 46 strikeouts. He also made another postseason start against the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS, going five innings and giving up just one earned run in a game the Guardians went on to win in extras, courtesy of a two-run, walk-off homer from David Fry.

It was an impressive bounce back, but Boyd still came with some complications and reason to be concerned about his longevity. He hasn't pitched over 80 innings since 2019, a year when he also led the American League in homers allowed.

However, if the Tigers really are looking for short-term deals and they definitely still need more starters, Boyd could've been a solid option. It would've given all parties involved a chance to prove that his history as a Tiger was just that — history — and that he could succeed with the club he's spent most of his career with. But the Tigers, who seem completely idle as moves start to swirl around them, let another good option slip away.