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| Villanueva returns to the NL Central, where he previously pitched for Milwaukee. (Getty Images) |
The Chicago Cubs have agreed to terms with free-agent pitcher Carlos Villanueva, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The deal is worth $10 million over two years.
Villanueva, 29, has served both as a starter and reliever for the Blue Jays the past two seasons. Last season, he was 7-7 with a 4.16 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 122 strikeouts in 125 1/3 innings. Moving from the AL East to the NL Central should provide a boost in productivity, too.
With the Cubs, one would expect Villanueva gets a chance to be a full-time starter, at least to begin the season.
The Cubs' rotation to start the season will likely be Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija, Scott Feldman, Travis Wood and Villanueva. Scott Baker, who was also signed this offseason, is recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had April 17 last season, so he'll eventually join the mix. At that point, the Cubs could move Villanueva to the bullpen if they choose.
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