Chicago Cubs: Dillon Maples could be undervalued bullpen weapon

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CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 18: Manager Joe Maddon of the Chicago Cubs looks on before game four of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field on October 18, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

There’s one problem the Chicago Cubs’ don’t have: depth. Both in the bullpen and with position players, Joe Maddon’s club boasts all kinds of possibilities.

Almost anyone who follows the Chicago Cubs feel they need one more starting pitching. Maybe another proven back-end arm. In essence, they’re close, but not quite done with what we’d all consider a very successful offseason.

To be clear, this team has already done quite a bit. In the rotation, Theo Epstein brought in Tyler Chatwood and Drew Smyly. As Smyly works back from Tommy John, he represents a longer-term asset for the club. Hence, another immediate asset makes a ton of sense.

In the bullpen, the Cubs made serious moves. Stealing an arm from the rival Dodgers, Chicago brought in right-hander Brandon Morrow. They complimented him with the likes of Steve Cishek, Dario Alvarez and Randy Rosario. That alone forms a solid bullpen core.

Add in the returning relievers from 2017 in Carl Edwards, Mike Montgomery, Pedro Strop, Justin Wilson and Justin Grimm and you see the inherent depth heading into Spring Training.

So who becomes the odd man out? The list above includes nine bullpen arms. Add in five starter and you have 14 pitchers. The Cubs won’t carry 14 arms out of camp – and they have another young arm looking for a chance in Dillon Maples.

CHICAGO, IL – SEPTEMBER 7: A drone flies above the scoreboard at Wrigley Field during the seventh inning of the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game on September 7, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jeffrey Phelps/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Maples showed promise in brief sample size

What Maples accomplished last year is nothing short of impressive. He opened the season at High-A Myrtle Beach before stopping in Tennessee and Iowa. In early September, he got the call and made his big-league debut against the Atlanta Braves.

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Between his Minor League stops, Maples put up a 2.27 ERA across 52 appearances. His swing-and-miss stuff spoke for itself as the right-hander notched more than 14 strikeouts per nine. That being said, he demonstrated a penchant for the base-on-balls, as well, walking more than five batters per nine. To say that’s an isolated instance in the Cubs’ pitching ranks would hardly be fair.

Mostly good – a little bad

Maples made just a half-dozen appearances with the Cubs late in the season and his numbers are skewed from a horrendous relief outing against Pittsburgh. In that game alone, he allowed five earned runs – recording just one out.

All told, he struck out 11 men in just over five innings of work. Not bad for a guy who started the year in the low levels of the Minors. It’s clear he’s got the potential to be a shutdown arm in The Show. But he’ll have to blow the doors off Sloan Park to get it done out of Spring Training.

DETROIT, MI – JULY 3: Pitching coach Jim Hickey #48 of the Tampa Bay Rays talks with starting pitcher Erik Bedard #40 of the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Comerica Park on July 3, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. Bedard gave up six runs and eight hits in two innings, he did not return for the third inning. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /

Let the past be the past – eyes on the prize

As I mentioned, the Cubs have well over a dozen arms competing for Major League roster spots. That’s just not going to pan out. There’s bound to be 2-3 left disappointed when Spring Training ends and the regular season begins.

Evan Altman over at Cubs Insider has been all over Maples this winter – and with good reason. But you can see what he talks about when you watch recent interviews with the Cubs’ hard-throwing prospect.

“Last year was pretty crazy, but I’ve moved on,” he told MLB.com. “That’s why I had that two-week period to sit back and let it soak in. Now, it’s, ‘All right, let’s go. Let’s have a good camp and work on what I need to work on. Last year is irrelevant.'”

That’s the only mindset Maples can head into Sloan Park with next month. Last year doesn’t matter. As perfect of a year as 2016 was for the Chicago Cubs, they learned that very lesson time and time again last season. Granted, a 92-win, first-place season is nothing to scoff at, but the dominance from the year prior was gone.

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If Maples does what he’s capable of – and learns to control his pitches (thus, limiting walks), he could fight his way into the Cubs’ pen. It’s far from a sure thing that he will be the odd man out in 2018. But if he’s not, it means he stepped up in a way we haven’t yet seen from him.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait.

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There’s one problem the Chicago Cubs’ don’t have: depth. Both in the bullpen and with position players, Joe Maddon’s club boasts all kinds of possibilities.

Chicago Cubs: Maples showed promise in brief sample size

More from Cubbies Crib

Mostly good – a little bad

Let the past be the past – eyes on the prize

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