Chicago Cubs: What kind of role could Tyler Chatwood play next season?

Last winter Theo Epstein brought in Tyler Chatwood to replace John Lackey as the Chicago Cubs fifth starter. That plan clearly backfired seeing as Chatwood was removed from the starting rotation due to his awful performance.

Heading into the 2019 season, the Chicago Cubs five-man starting rotation is set and ready to go. Behind Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana, Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels the Cubs have one of the most formidable starting rotations in the National League, if not all of baseball.

On top of an already strong rotation, Mike Montgomery will return to his role as the Cubs swingman or sixth starter after making 19 starts in 2018. Montgomery made his move from the bullpen to the starting rotation last season due to the Darvish injury and Tyler Chatwood’s struggles. This will add some much-needed depth and stability, in case of any injuries.

So with six potential starters, where does Chatwood fit into the equation? Well, the honest answer is he probably doesn’t. If those six guys pitch to the level they are capable of and are able to stay relatively healthy, Chatwood may just not have a spot with this Cubs team – despite having two years left on his contract.