The Cubs are bringing Drew Smyly back for 2023

Drew Smyly had one of the better years of his career for the Cubs in 2022.

Now, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com, he’s being brought back for next year:

The Chicago Cubs are closing in on an agreement with left-handed pitcher Drew Smyly, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN on Sunday.

Smyly, 33, made 22 starts last season for Chicago, pitching well in the second half after dealing with an oblique strain in late May. For the season, he was 7-8 with a 3.47 ERA, which included a 0.90 ERA over five stellar starts in August.

The nine-year veteran will rejoin a rotation that includes Marcus Stroman, newcomer Jameson Taillon and youngster Justin Steele. The Cubs also have Keegan Thompson and Adrian Sampson available to start along with holdover Kyle Hendricks, who is recovering from a shoulder ailment.

That August run was one of the better months in recent Cubs history. In nine starts from August 1 through the end of the season, Smyly posted a 2.28 ERA and 1.014 WHIP, and out of those nine starts, only a seven-run clunker against the Cardinals in early September could be considered “bad.”

There’s no word on the length of this deal or how much the Cubs are paying Smyly. I will update this post when that information is available, but in general I’d say this is a good deal, presuming Smyly can stay healthy.