Three Teams Went After Starter This Offseason; "I Thought I Was Going To Be A Met"

Jameson Taillon, the former New York Yankees pitcher, recently signed a four-year, $68 million contract to join the Chicago Cubs.

However, before making his decision, Taillon was reportedly considering offers from both the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets. Taillon even revealed that he thought he would be joining the Mets before ultimately deciding to join the Chicago Cubs.

"I thought I was going to be a Met for a while," Taillon said to reporters this spring.

Jameson Taillon loved NYC and he came pretty close to moving crosstown to the Mets (and the Phillies who offered the most money). But he’s thrilled to be a Cubhttps://t.co/hqjKrz6FIG

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 25, 2023

According to Taillon, the Cubs made a strong impression on him from day one of free agency. He was impressed with their clear focus on making him a top priority and appreciated their willingness to "nerd-out" and talk pitching with him.

Taillon believes the Cubs have a good plan in place and is excited to join their roster.

Taillon brings a career 3.84 ERA over 143 starts in six seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees to the Cubs' ever-improving rotation, which includes Marcus Stroman, Drew Smyly, and Kyle Hendricks. While Taillon would have been an excellent addition for the Mets, the Cubs' approach seems to have won him over in the end.

It's also interesting to note that Jameson Taillon became interested in the Chicago Cubs' offer when they presented him with a new slider grip concept that could potentially benefit his arm slot.

Taillon spent the winter months refining the grip and aiming to develop a more sweeping action. The next step is to test the pitch in-game and see how it complements his overall pitching abilities. Taillon has expressed excitement about the early results and is looking forward to utilizing the new pitch to generate more strikeouts.

Even though he already possesses excellent control, the addition of this new pitch is a promising update.Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports