Chicago Cubs: Breaking down a starting rotation full of Cy Young contenders

Looking to re-establish himself, Anderson joins Cubs

After a breakout 2015 campaign that earned him a qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Brett Anderson was poised for big things last year.

But a back injury cost him virtually the entire campaign. He made just three starts, posting an 11.91 ERA in the process. This winter, he inked a one-year deal with the Cubs – a young team that remains hungry, despite winning it all last November.

"“My body feels good,” Anderson told the Chicago Tribune. “My arm feels good, and you’re getting into the dog days of spring training where you’re itching to get to the real thing. The outing in Houston (on Thursday) will get you closer to that adrenaline level and atmosphere and get ready for the regular season.”"

So far this spring, Anderson has been a mixed bag. His 5.28 earned run average isn’t exactly ideal, but for the Cubs, the more important aspect is simple. He’s still healthy.

Given the level of talent surrounding him in the Chicago rotation, there’s virtually no pressure on Anderson to do anything other than make his start every five days. Hopefully, with more repetition, he finds a rhythm. Otherwise, the .348 opponent batting average from this spring becomes a much bigger concern.

Don’t expect a low-3.00 ERA with 15 wins from Anderson. Expect him to be a league-average arm, good for hopefully 150+ innings. Even that is enough to help this team tremendously as it marches toward another deep October run.