Chicago Cubs: Maddon not getting caught in the ‘numbers’ game

When the Chicago Cubs and Joe Maddon revealed the starting rotation for the start of the season, some were, well, confused. Kyle Hendricks in the No. 5 spot? How? And this is where Maddon is a step ahead of most.

Some Chicago Cubs fans were upset that Kyle Hendricks–last year’s NL ERA leader–was listed as the No. 5 starter in the rotation. How could Joe Maddon put Brett Anderson before him? It’s actually pretty simple. Strategy. Maddon is simply “deploying the troops” where he sees fit. It’s no more a knock on Hendricks than it is a compliment to Anderson.

Jon Lester is the No. 1 starter. He’s earned that. In time, Hendricks could be that guy. But there’s no ego with him. By slotting him in the last spot, Maddon need not worry about how Hendricks feels about it. He knows that whether he was in the first or the fifth spot, Hendricks will give the same effort either way.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups

Coming out of the gate, Maddon had a couple of reasons for it. The first was to split the two lefties up in Lester and Anderson. If they were put into the defined spots we assume they should–No. 1 and No. 5–you would have the two left-handers pitching one after the other. The other was to have Hendricks pitch in the Brewers series. Hendricks holds a 2.11 ERA in his career against them, so it only made sense.

"“It makes great writing or discussion,” Maddon said of labeling starters 1 through 5. “We don’t look at it that way.” h/t Jesse Rogers, ESPN"

Montgomery to the bullpen is a smart move

Another thing that had fans upset was the move of Mike Montgomery to the bullpen. Many felt he had proven himself as a reliable starter last season and this spring. But this was once again not a matter of his ability as much as it was for the strategy.

Anderson has had injury issues in his career, including his back. Fair or not, asking someone to get up and down as a reliever with a bad back just won’t work. And in my opinion, the Cubs could really use Montgomery out in the pen. The left-handed options are minimal, and he’ s a proven option out there.

"“We had a nice conversation with Montgomery,” Maddon said. “He understood. He had a great attitude about all of this.”"

And Maddon is likely to use Montgomery as a sixth starter at some point during the year, even if Anderson’s health holds up. With the aforementioned back issues, Anderson isn’t likely to make every start or pitch 200 innings. And Maddon doesn’t want to wear his guys down.

Next: Do the Cubs have too many righties in the pen?

Outside of these two, it’s possible you could see Eddie Butler, Rob Zastryzny or Duane Underwood before the year is complete as “spot” starters. The Cubs now have the experience to do things a little differently. The weight of ending a 108-year drought is gone, so they can play things as they see fit. It’s not about ending a drought anymore, but about trying to start a dynasty.