The Cubs Rotation Is Wildly Successful & Everyone Will Be Back For 2025, If The Cubs Choose To Do So

[Brian Kelder]

Jed Hoyer has delivered on one key part of his vision: the rotation.

Boasting three pitchers in the top ten in ERA in the National League and a fourth in 11th place, the vaunted pitching lab has churned out an excellent rotation. Even better, four of the five key rotation members are under control for two or more seasons beyond 2024. It’s been a rare success for this front office.

Justin Steele leads this charge. In the past two seasons, he has a 2.73 ERA among pitchers who have pitched over 300 innings. It’s not particularly close, either; Zach Gallen is next with 2.96. This guy is pitching like an ace.

Normal big market teams would extend Steele, making him their long-term ace. He’s been very good for a period of time that proved his worth even to the staunchest doubter. His free agency is in three years at age 32. Would the Cubs extend him now beyond that time? Or is he, as suggested several times on this site, a great trade chip?

Looking back from the crow's eye view of the entire rotation, Shota Imanaga is an All-Star in the fold for four more years at a reasonable salary. Jameson Taillon has had a resurgent half with two years remaining on his deal. Javier Assad isn’t even making a million dollars and is far from arbitration. This rotation is built for continuity.

With all of their rotation on affordable deals and performing as a top-ten MLB staff, Jed is proving adept at building a rotation affordably. The question to be answered is whether this is a one-time group, everything breaking right at the same time, or a sustainable skill. This question can’t be answered until some time has passed, but if Steele is dealt, it will look as if Hoyer feels he can repeat.

Another factor is the attrition in the farm system and young starters due to injury. Steele is no iron man; he’s missed over a month every season with back, hamstring, and elbow issues. But for now he’s going healthy and well, unlike Cade Horton, Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, and the entire minor league Double-A squad. The risks of not extending Steele and having prospects break are high and evident in how 2024 has progressed.

If a fan has bought into this Hoyer plan, they will likely scoff at the idea of trading the team's best pitcher and tremendous development story. Teams just don’t trade controllable pitchers who have been in the Cy Young conversation. The front office also values their jobs, presumably, despite making self-sabotaging moves like Christopher Morel as the cleanup man. Trading Steele would be tantamount to saying this iteration of the Cubs is a failure.

The rotation as a whole has been the bright spot of bright spots in this slog of a season (so far). Justin Steele has been the center of this but is unlikely to be traded or extended this season. Hopefully, this would portend a long-term pitching staff that Cub fans can be confident in.

And for pity’s sake, get an offense worthy of this great and unique staff.

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[Guest234]

Time to trade 'em now while value is high, the Cubs can get back to boasting the "most stocked" farm system in baseball!

 

 

 

 

 

/s

[BKHoo]

Add another top of the rotation this offseason and it should be good.  You have to keep adding - through trade or free agency. I assume the bullpen will be blown up this winter and there will be turnover on offense. But you have to get BETTER at starting pitching and as promising as some of the young pitchers look the article rightly points out they are injury prone.