Anyone associated with the Chicago Cubs had their heart in their throat yesterday afternoon. Justin Steele was making his final start of spring training before taking the mound as the ace of the Cubs’ rotation on Opening Day. A comebacker struck his right knee at the top of the second inning, immediately sending him to the ground.
At first, Steele tried to get up, but then he remained on the ground and let the training staff approach him. After a brief inspection, the Cubs’ staff got him off the ground and gingerly walked him to the Cubs dugout. His day was finished, but everyone else’s was just beginning.
Many questioned the Cubs and their plans for the starting rotation after Steele went down. Steele is the most valuable asset on the pitching staff. He may even be the most valuable asset on the team. Without him, the Cubs may not be a front-runner to make the playoffs, let alone win the division.
Steele eventually tweeted that he was okay, but his NCAA tournament bracket was not. Frankly, I could not care less about the bracket. Sorry, Justin.
As currently constructed, the Cubs need Steele for thirty-plus starts this season at the same level he was on last year. Shota Imanaga will be making his major league debut next weekend. Kyle Hendricks is entering his 11th season with the Cubs. Jameson Taillon is hurt with a bad back, so Jordan Wicks and Javier Assad are filling out the rotation. It will likely be Steele, Imanaga, Hendricks, Wicks, and Assad at least two times through.
Down On The Cubs’ Farm
A big reason why Shota Imanaga was the only big move the Cubs made to assess their starting rotation is because of the depth and promise they have waiting for their development. When the Cubs traded away their core of players in 2021, their minor league system was one of the worst in baseball. Now, they have the second-best – only behind the Baltimore Orioles.
Their move up the board has much to do with the pitching talent they have gathered in the last couple of seasons. We know Jordan Wicks; he’ll be in the starting rotation to begin the year. Cade Horton was a 2022 first-round draft pick by the Cubs. Ben Brown is a tall right-hander the Cubs acquired in a trade from the Philadelphia Phillies. Manager Craig Counsell has already said these three will probably impact the 2024 Cubs.
But there’s plenty more here and on their way. Luke Little could be on the roster to start the year out of the bullpen. Michael Arias is a 22-year-old right-hander the Cubs helped break out in 2023. He’ll start the year in AA Tennessee. Drew Gray is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, but he’s expected to be a guy the Cubs rely on in the coming years.
The Here And Now Cubs Could Use Jordan Montgomery
Those guys are nice and great, but what about this team today? We saw the progression of last season, and we’ve heard the talk about the offseason. This team wants to win here and now. This leads me to the obvious statement that Jordan Montgomery is still available to add to the rotation.
Montgomery may not have signed yet because he did not receive a qualifying offer from the Texas Rangers after the 2023 season. Because of this, he may be waiting to sign after the regular season officially begins on March 28th. If he does that, he will not have to go through that process at the end of his next deal and can just become a free agent.
Scott Boras is Montgomery’s agent, and we’ve seen his other big clients come off the board. Cody Bellinger signed a three-year deal with plenty of opt-out opportunities with the Cubs. The case is the same with Blake Snell, who signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants this past week.
With what the Cubs have coming through the pipeline, they won’t need a long-term deal with Montgomery. But this team is ready to win now, and he’d put them over the top. The Cubs have faith in their young talent, which is excellent. But there’s no need to rush into or wait for the future. A Montgomery short-term deal would allow the Cubs to win now and rely on their young stars for the future.
