Chicago Cubs may have their future bullpen waiting in the wings

At the big league level, the Chicago Cubs have gotten plenty from their bullpen. But the next generation of relievers is working their way through the minors.

Over the first nearly two months of the 2019 campaign, the Chicago Cubs bullpen has held their own after a rocky start. The group boasts the fourth-lowest earned run average in the National League at 3.92, limiting opponents to a .233 average so far this season.

They’ve done so without getting a single inning from Brandon Morrow, who may not return till the second half. The man who was supposed to fill in for him, Pedro Strop, remains sidelined with a hamstring injury that’s left a void in the ninth inning. But, with these guys out of action, several arms, including Brandon Kintzler, Steve Cishek and Tyler Chatwood are all stepping up.

Concerning the younger guys, Dillon Maples saw some opportunities earlier this year and looked solid, despite the walks he surrendered. However, outside of the young right-hander, the team has had no reason to look further into the pipeline at their options as the rest of the pen has panned out nicely.

It brings us to a few of our under-the-radar prospects, currently residing in various levels of the system and the possibility they bring in terms of future consideration for the club and the overall impact. The Cubs may not have a top-shelf farm system, but that does not stop them from finding and developing quality talent.