Chicago Cubs: Mike Montgomery seeks consistency more than anything

1 of 3

CHICAGO, IL – SEPTEMBER 09: Starting pitcher Mike Montgomery #38 of the Chicago Cubs is teaken out of the game by manager Joe Maddon in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on September 9, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

As the Chicago Cubs continue the free agent waiting game, left-hander Mike Montgomery nears Spring Training, again, without a defined role on the club.

The entire offseason has been a shell of what we’ve come to expect. Instead of rampant moves, signings and trades, we get mere whispers before they dissipate into the air. With the Chicago Cubs still trying to round out the rotation, fans continue to refresh their Twitter feeds several times per minute, hoping and praying for a crumb.

Only to be constantly disappointed.

As it stands, the Cubs enter 2018 with a solid starting rotation. Headlined by Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana and Jon Lester, the staff has the potential to be among the league’s best. Offseason acquisition Tyler Chatwood, at least now, slots into the fourth spot. Without an acquisition, left-handed swing man Mike Montgomery figures to finally get his shot in Chicago.

“My goal and my mindset now is to be a starter and get in that routine,” Montgomery told MLB.com. “If something changes, it’ll change. For now, I’m ready to take that starter role.”

Montgomery made 30 relief appearances and 14 starts for the Cubs in 2017, pitching to a cumulative 3.38 ERA in 130 2/3 innings of work. That total marked his single-season career-high for innings pitched and just the second time he’d ever pitched more than 100 frames at the big league level.

CINCINNATI, OH – JUNE 30: Mike Montgomery #38 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in the second inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 30, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Which role is better? Depends who you’re asking

At first glance, one might assume he was overall better as a reliever. And, in a sense, that’s true. His earned run average was more than 1.5 runs lower (2.49) as a reliever than as a starter (4.15). But if you look more closely, that’s not as clear-cut as you might think.

More from Cubbies Crib

As a starter, his K/9, strikeout-to-walk ratio and WHIP were actually better than when he came in out of the pen. The K/BB ratio, especially, was a pretty drastic difference (1.29 out of relief as opposed to 2.67 as a starter). Really, he just got beat via the base hit. Which, yes, is probably oversimplifying his performance, but it’s what the numbers indicate.

What do you think?

Let’s dig a little deeper.

When you take in Montgomery’s splits, there are a few other things that jump out. With runners in scoring position, he held opponents to a minuscule .181 average (across 132 plate appearances). But he struck out 19 batters in these situations, walking 22. That’s a problem.

As a starter, getting through the order a second time through became an issue in 2017. First time around, the lefty limited hitters to a .488 OPS. You’ll take that any day of the week. But once the order turned over, opponents’ OPS jumped to .813.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – SEPTEMBER 19: Pitcher Mike Montgomery #38 of the Chicago Cubs pitches during the first inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 19, 2017 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /

Wants are great, but needs matter more

Having a swing man (a left-hander at that) is a nice commodity if you’re Joe Maddon and the Cubs. It’s understandable they aren’t keen on losing that weapon in a bullpen lacking a clear long option. But, for Montgomery’s part, he wants (and may need) a more defined role than he experienced last year.

“I was in a role that’s not very common in baseball,” Montgomery said. “From their end, they might not have known how to handle it. My mentality was, ‘I’m going to be ready to pitch at all times.’ I kept saying, ‘Yeah, yeah, I can pitch.'”

Despite feeling the grind and wear and tear on his body, the former Mariners hurler was actually better in the second half (by most measures). Still, given his low-cost controllability, having this escalate into any type of real issue needs to be avoided.

“From a physical standpoint, it was hard,” Montgomery said. “It took a toll on my body, my arm. Making starts and coming out of the bullpen three days later, and pitching multiple innings out of the bullpen, I don’t think it’s something I want to do long term.

Winning comes at a cost

Before it’s all said and done, I still very much expect the Cubs to add a starting pitcher of some kind. Whether it’s an impact top-tier arm (Yu Darvish) or adding 1-2 middle-of-the-rotation-type starters, there are moves in the team’s future.

Next: Cubs need a proven weapon in rotation

As for Montgomery, it’s time to call him what he is: a long reliever. Sure, he wants to be a starter, but without a clear alternative in the bullpen, this is one of those times where the needs of the team trump the desires of a (largely unproven) player.

Home / Chicago Cubs News