Cubs finalize rotation to open the year

[Bertz]

 

[CubinNY]

I like it

[jersey cubs fan]

So they couldn’t find a guy who could beat out Assad for a rotation spot? 

[Rob]

1 hour ago, jersey cubs fan said:

So they couldn’t find a guy who could beat out Assad for a rotation spot? 

It's just a temporary spot, hopefully. Taillon should be back before too long.

[Post Count Padder]

I just think it's cool/nice that after years of not being able to develop pitching, we have a staff with a bunch of homegrown guys. Steele as a solid top of the rotation guy. Wicks should be locked into the rotation awhile. Assad and to a less recent extent Keegan Thompson as solid long relievers. Adbert as closer. More guys on the way too. A nice change of pace, finally.

[Stratos]

I think if this rotation ends up being above average it will largely be due to luck.  Our only SP's projected for above-average ERA's this season are Steele and Imanaga.  Assad, Wicks, Hendricks, and Taillon are all projected for average to above average ERA's well over 4 and I agree with that being the most likely outcomes for all of them.  Smyly and Wesneski will provide no help there.  We may see Brown and/or Horton down the line this year but they probably don't pitch enough to be difference maker overall.

Hopefully we do get some luck like 2022 and some guys overachieve, and the pen does well also.  Rooting for Neris, Leiter, and Cuas to have good years, and Alzolay stays healthy.

[KCCub]

 

[Rcal10]

On 3/22/2024 at 9:21 PM, Stratos said:

I think if this rotation ends up being above average it will largely be due to luck.  Our only SP's projected for above-average ERA's this season are Steele and Imanaga.  Assad, Wicks, Hendricks, and Taillon are all projected for average to above average ERA's well over 4 and I agree with that being the most likely outcomes for all of them.  Smyly and Wesneski will provide no help there.  We may see Brown and/or Horton down the line this year but they probably don't pitch enough to be difference maker overall.

Hopefully we do get some luck like 2022 and some guys overachieve, and the pen does well also.  Rooting for Neris, Leiter, and Cuas to have good years, and Alzolay stays healthy.

I don’t agree the Cubs staff has to be lucky to be good. I just think the Cubs have pitchers that don’t look very good using whatever metrics MLB uses when the predict results. But I do think the Cubs use their own analysis when determining what they expect from their pitchers. And generally I trust the Cubs here. Hendricks has had a career out pitching his FIP. Last year Steele Assad, & Wicks out pitched their protections. When guys do that, often people call it luck. But when they do it year after year I begin to think maybe whatever baseball is using to predict results might not be totally accurate. Maybe the Cubs know something or rate pitchers differently than MLB. And maybe they are right, not lucky. When you don’t have stuff monsters in the rotation you never get projected highly. But maybe since they are more of a pitch to contract staff, defense plays a huge part in over performance. And the Cubs have a solid defense. 

[CubinNY]

I said this before, but it bears repeating. To be good they will have to limit HR. To the extent that they can do that, they will be fine.