The Bullpen
With the rotation already set for the season, the Cubs not just have bullpen arms to figure out with the pitchers. Currently, the team has nine arms on the team, and almost all them look safe except for the two lefty handed relievers. Veteran Brian Duensing and the Cubs Rule 5 pick Caleb Smith look to be the final pieces Joe Maddon has to decide on. While neither Smith nor Duensing have had good springs, both are sporting 4.00+ ERA’s this spring, Smith being the younger of the two and while also being a Rule 5 pick it would make sense for the Cubs to keep him over 34-year-old Duensing.
Here’s how I see the bullpen shaking out once camp breaks this Friday.
- Wade Davis RH
- Hector Rondon RH
- Pedro Strop RH
- Koji Uehara RH
- Mike Montgomery LH
- Justin Grimm RH
- Carl Edwards RH
- Caleb Smith LH
Adding Smith lets the Cubs retain their the interesting young arm, while also adding another lefty to their bullpen. The Cubs also happen to have the last three pitchers to close out the the last three previous World Series in Uehara, Davis, and Montgomery available in their bullpen. This group, while it has some questions marks like the health and performance of Wade Davis or if Hector Rondon can return to form, it has the potential to be one of the best we’ve ever seen on the North-Side.
Update: The Cubs have sent Caleb Smith back to the Yankees after the Cubs decided to cut Smith from the 25-man roster. The Cubs could decide to keep both Tommy La Stella and Matt Szczur on their bench and work with a seven-man bullpen.
