The Chicago Cubs have reportedly made two separate moves regarding starting pitchers on Friday. Bleacher Report has stated that the team will pick up Cole Hamels' $20 million team option for the 2019 season. The 34-year-old, who turns 35 on December 27, was very effective after being acquired in a trade with the Texas Rangers in late July. In 12 starts with Chicago last season, he went 4-3 with a 2.36 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts in 76.1 innings.

The Cubs' Twitter page has also reported that they have traded starting pitcher Drew Smyly, and a player to be named later, to the Rangers for a player to be named later.

Smyly has not pitched in the majors since 2016 due to injury

Effective early in his career, the 29-year-old Smyly has unfortunately been shelved each of the past two seasons.

In January of 2017, the Tampa Bay Rays traded Smyly to the Seattle Mariners. He started the season on the disabled list, and then it was announced, in late June, that he would need to undergo Tommy John surgery. Not only did that prevent him from pitching in 2017, but it kept him out of action all of last season as well.

How Smyly previously fared in his career

Smyly was selected, in the second round, by the Detroit Tigers in the 2010 June Amateur Draft. He made his major league debut for Detroit on April 12, 2012, and pitched for the Tigers until July of 2014, when he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.

He was excellent in his seven starts with Tampa that season after the trade going 3-1 with a 1.70 ERA. The following season, he made 12 starts (spent time on the disabled list) but pitched well to the tune of a 5-2 record and 3.11 ERA.

The last season that he has pitched in the majors (2016) saw him reach career-highs with 30 starts and 175.1 innings.

Smyly didn't enjoy the same success that he had in his previous two seasons with Tampa Bay, though, finishing with a 7-12 record and 4.88 ERA.

Rangers current starting rotation

One would think Smyly would have a fairly good chance of starting the year in Texas' rotation as long as he shows that he is fully recovered from the Tommy John surgery.

Right now, the team really only has Mike Minor from last season's rotation signed for 2019.

Martin Perez ($7.5 million), Matt Moore ($10 million), and Doug Fister ($4.5 million) all have team options, that have not been decided on yet, for next season. None of the three pitched well enough to really inspire Texas to pick up the option, although Fister's is inexpensive enough where it remains a possibility.

Bartolo Colon and Yovani Gallardo are now both free agents.
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