Chicago Cubs: Up and down week leads to more Cubs questions

The Bullpen

While the starters have started to show their abilities, the relievers are leaving more questions than answers. Coming into Spring Training, many of us (myself included) discussed how much improvement this bullpen was over last year. Now, we start to dread each pitch.

It was only one run in one inning, but the nerves are still high every time I heard Hector Rondon‘s name. I know he can dominate, he just needs to perform consistently. But, allowing a run against the Colorado Rockies does not breed confidence. Then, to go with Team Venezuela in the WBC and give up two home runs and a lead to Team USA just makes me drop my head. Hector, do not be the next Carlos Marmol!

Last we saw Brian Duensing, he gave up four runs, allowing Seattle to rally and win. After a couple great games, the one-out appearance on March 9 may have doomed the left hander.  In contrast, after two horrendous appearances, Wade Davis pitched a scoreless inning. It lowered his ERA from 27.00 to 15.43

There is hope. In thirteen combined innings, Carl Edwards, Jr., Justin Grimm, Pedro Strop, and Koji Uehara have allowed two runs. But questions remain on who will step up and be the long relief man and who will command the ninth.