Chicago Cubs: Five questions that need answering in Spring Training

#3: Who starts and who is in the bullpen?

Most of the pitching staff has defined roles. Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey will be in the rotation. The bullpen is loaded with quality arms including Wade Davis, Carl Edwards Jr., Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon and Koji Uehara.

With that in mind, there are two, maybe three, spots up for grabs in camp this spring with more than 30 pitchers vying for a role.

Chicago Cubs

It is certain that Mike Montgomery will be on the team. Obviously, it is hard to pass up on the person that got the final out of Game 7 of the World Series in extra innings. He and his curveball earned their spot through stellar play in the postseason.

Justin Grimm is still on the team and his options are limited. Heading into a contract year, it’s hard to determine what lies ahead for the right-hander.

What the future holds

The top candidates to fill the open spots are Brett Anderson, Brian Duensing and Caleb Smith. Anderson will likely start, moving Montgomery to a long-relief role in the bullpen. Other players will get time in front of scouts and show what the future could hold for the organization.

With prospects like Felix Pena and Duane Underwood in the pipeline, the future looks bright. Their making an immediate contact seems unlikely, at best.

Regardless of how the staff shakes out, it looks better on paper than it did when the Chicago Cubs opened the 2016 campaign.