Jeff Samardzija: Latest News, Rumors, Speculation Surrounding Free-Agent P

Jeff Samardzija spent his first six-plus years in the major leagues pitching for the Chicago Cubs, and a comeback could be on the horizon.

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Samardzija Meeting with Theo Epstein

Thursday, Nov. 19

The longtime Cub and free-agent starting pitcher was spotted with Cubs president Theo Epstein in Chicago on Wednesday, and the Cubs have interest in bringing him back, according to Phil Rogers of MLB.com.

Samardzija was traded to the Oakland Athletics in 2014. The 30-year-old right-hander was then traded to the Chicago White Sox on Dec. 9 in a six-player deal. Samardzija went 11-13 with a 4.96 ERA in 32 starts for the White Sox.

For someone who has pitched in the majors for eight years, Samardzija has only pitched one winning season in his career. That came in 2011 when he went 8-4 with a 2.97 ERA.

Samardzija's return to the Cubs would make plenty of sense, per CBS Chicago's Bruce Levine.

"The good news for the Cubs and other teams looking to add a solid rotation starter is that Samardzija is healthy," Levine said. "His fastball still averaged around 94 mph last year despite his bad stat line, and Samardzija topped 213 innings for the third straight season."

If the Cubs are interested, they surely need to be aware that they're not getting the same raw prospect who once played football at Notre Dame. Samardzija led the American League in home runs allowed last year with 29, and the 4.96 ERA was his highest since 2010. It's a risky move but one that could pay off given Samardzija provides a few quality starts at the back end of the rotation.

Samardzija would fit perfectly in the fifth spot of the Cubs rotation should he decide to come back.

Kyle Hendricks is a 25-year-old right-hander who could be asked to pitch after Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester. Jason Hammel went 10-7 last year with a 3.74 ERA, which is a sign that there's plenty of decent baseball left in the 33-year-old. Samardzija could slide into the fifth spot of the rotation and be a reliable veteran in that role.

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