Chicago Cubs: These relievers haven’t inspired confidence this spring

Several relievers believed to have big roles to play if the Chicago Cubs are to be successful this season have started slowly in Cactus League action.

No one really knows how this season will go for the Chicago Cubs. When someone asked me where I thought they’d finish, I went with the truth: “They could finish anywhere from first to fourth. The only team I know they’ll be better than is the Pittsburgh Pirates.”

The talent is there. This is a roster with a former Rookie of the Year and MVP in Kris Bryant, a perennial All-Star in Anthony Rizzo and a franchise backstop in Willson Contreras. Jon Lester has a trio of World Series rings to his name and Kyle Hendricks is a former Cy Young finalist himself.

But the story the last two years is the team’s inability to be better than a sum of its individual pieces. After an early postseason exit in 2018, Chicago took a big step backward last season, winning only 84 games and watching the postseason from home come October.

A big reason for the team’s struggles? A bullpen that lacked consistency, especially in high-leverage, pressure-packed moments. The solution midseason? Sign Craig Kimbrel. But the potential Hall of Fame closer failed to live up to the hype down the stretch and now, everyone is wondering if he can get back on track in 2020.

Chicago Cubs: Wick looking to build upon a breakout 2019 campaign

Last season, Rowan Wick seized the opportunity at hand, emerging as a late-inning weapon in the Cubs bullpen. The 27-year-old turned in a 2.82 FIP and 1.140 WHIP in 31 appearances spanning 33 1/3 innings of work. He showcased real swing-and-miss stuff and was one of the few guys you felt pretty good about, regardless of the situation.

So far this spring, that hasn’t been the case. In an admittedly limited sample size, Wick has struggled – but acknowledges he’s working on honing his craft rather than focusing on the numbers.

His fastball has been hit hard in Cactus League action. But he’s working on crafting his slider/cutter, hoping to add a legitimate third offering to his repertoire before Opening Day. He relied on a two-pitch mix in 2019: his fastball, which averaged 96 MPH and his curveball.

“I’m still in between about it. It could still be two pitches,” Wick said. “I could use [it] to my advantage. I could throw one to lefties and one to righties. It’s not so much worrying about the shape. It’s just throwing it in certain situations and making it effective. Whatever it is that day, make it effective.”

Looking at Chicago’s bullpen makeup with mere weeks until the regular season is set to open, Wick still seems to have the inside track on a high-leverage role. Kimbrel will get a long leash from Ross early in the year as closer. With Pedro Strop, Steve Cishek and Brandon Kintzler all departed via free agency, it’s on guys like Wick and left-hander Kyle Ryan to step up and hold down key spots in the mix.

“I don’t put too much in stats here,” David Ross told MLB.com. “All the metrics seem to say he’s fine. So, we’ll just continue to let him go about his process and understand that you do have to prove yourself each and every year, right? You get to make the team on some merits of what you did last year and pitch in big innings.”

Chicago Cubs: This right-hander has been hit hard this spring

As you all are well aware, Theo Epstein spent the offseason collecting a bunch of high-upside, low-risk arms in hopes of assembling a passable bullpen in 2020. One of those who falls squarely within that group? Jharel Cotton, a right-hander who made 24 starts a year ago as a member of the Oakland Athletics.

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Now, Cotton never had even the slightest chance of locking down a spot in the Cubs rotation. That being said, the former Top-100 prospect could still fill an important role in the bullpen.

Ahead of the 2017 campaign, Baseball America ranked Cotton as the #84 prospect in the game. Despite that recognition, though, he’s never really put it all together and enjoyed any real sustained success – especially at the big league level.

Epstein clearly sees something in the 28-year-old. Maybe the Cubs’ Pitch Lab can help the right-hander get back on track this season. That hasn’t been the case in the early returns, though. Cotton has a pair of Cactus League wins under his belt, but anyone who knows the game understands that’s pretty much the worst way of evaluating a pitcher.

He’s allowed seven hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings of work as a Cub. He’s striking out north of 11 batters per nine – but also walking more than five men per nine, as well. That’s exactly the type of feast-or-famine arm Ross undoubtedly would like to avoid adding to his pen, especially given the group’s make-up.

There’s still a couple weeks for guys to finish ramping up and making adjustments. For Wick and Kimbrel, it’s almost a foregone conclusion: these guys have to be leaders this season, anchoring the relief corps. Adding someone like an effective Cotton to the mix could help push this group over the top, though.