Why the Cubs Should Not Sign James Shields

Although the end of the 2014 World Series means the official end of baseball season, Wednesday's finale brings about the beginning of plenty of excitement and drama to the north side of Chicago. Sure, the Chicago Cubs have been done playing baseball for over a month. But arguably the most important time of the year thus far is about to begin.

Immediately following the conclusion of the World Series, the free-agent craze officially began. The Cubs were already expected to make a big splash in the free agency during the upcoming offseason, but the recent acquisition of former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon has brought about even more speculation about the future of the Cubs. On Wednesday, it was reported that Maddon would be the next manager for the Cubs, replacing Rick Renteria after only one year at the helm.

Thanks largely to solid drafting in recent years, the Cubs' farm system is one of the strongest in baseball. The team is loaded with talented players, predominantly position players. Reports began surfacing long ago about the possibility of the Cubs strengthening their starting pitching through free agency, and that discussion is about to boil over in the coming weeks.

The Cubs are fortunate to have only $25.5 million committed so far for the 2015 season, meaning that Chicago has a good deal of money to spend on free-agent pitching. Three of the strongest starting pitchers in baseball will become free agents soon in Jon Lester, James Shields and Max Scherzer.

All three names have been mentioned as possible fits for the Cubs, with Jon Lester seen as the most probable to land with the Cubs because of his previous ties to Theo Epstein during his time in Boston. Though some feel that Shields would fit well in the Cubs rotation, there's much to think about in regards to the future of the team's pitching.

There's no arguing that the Cubs would almost certainly be making a strong addition to their starting rotation by signing Shields, but he would not be the best option to pursue in free agency.

Despite having 114 career wins, Shields comes with a lot of risk. At nearly 33 years old, he is the oldest of the three big-name pitchers in free agency this offseason. 

Unfortunately for the Kansas City Royals, the most success that James Shields has had in the 2014 postseason has been passing a kidney stone during the ALCS. Shields' only win came during the ALDS against the Los Angeles Angels. In fact, Shields has been unsuccessful overall in the playoffs. His nickname of "Big Game James" couldn't be further from the truth when it comes to the postseason. Here is a comparison of James Shields' regular-season and postseason statistics:

	W	L	ERA	WHIP
Regular Season	114	90	3.72	1.22
Postseason	3	6	5.46	1.534

Last offseason, the Cubs made an attempt to sign Japanese free agent Masahiro Tanaka, who was sidelined for most of the second half with a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm. Later in the year, the team put in a waivers claim for Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies. Both moves showed that the Cubs have been willing to spend on starting pitching.

However, for a team that is looking to assemble a legitimate championship contender in the next few years, Shields would not be a wise investment. Earlier in the year, Peter Gammons reported that James Shields would be looking to get a Zack Greinke-caliber deal. Greinke is signed to a six-year, $147 million deal with the Dodgers.

In the first year of his contract, Greinke made $17 million plus a $2 million signing bonus. This would bring the Cubs' payroll up to $44 million and would limit the potential of signing another solid pitcher along with Shields.

It's important to note that between Hamels, Tanaka, Lester, Scherzer and Shields, Shields is the oldest pitcher.

The Cubs would also be required to forfeit a second-round draft pick for Shields. 

Early reports suggested that the Boston Red Sox would be a front-runner to sign James Shields, who would be a solid fit given that the Red Sox traded away most of their starting rotation throughout 2014.

Although Shields does have a solid 114-90 record in the regular season, his age and unreliability in the playoffs should deter the Cubs away from signing him in the offseason. Shields has played for Maddon already in his career, but it shouldn't be a selling point to bring him to the north side. His personality allows him to fit in in essentially any big league clubhouse.

It won't be long until the hot stove is fully burning, and it's sure to be an exciting time for Cubs fans. The team has had plenty of learning experiences in the past in regards to poor free-agency acquisitions (Edwin Jackson, we're looking at you), so one can hope that the Cubs spend their money wisely this time around.