Chicago Cubs are working with a starting rotation filled with question marks

In 2016, the Chicago Cubs rode their staff to a title. That won’t happen in 2020.

Four years ago, it didn’t really matter whose turn came up in the Cubs rotation. Manager Joe Maddon had a staff loaded with talent, including the reigning NL Cy Young winner in Jake Arrieta and a pair of 2016 NL Cy Young finalists in Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks. Even the back end of that staff, which featured right-handers John Lackey and Jason Hammel, was a strong tandem capable of working deep into ballgames and giving the team quality almost every time out.

That’s not how this season is going to go. That’s not to say there’s not talent on this staff – there certainly is. But it’s not anything you can take to the bank as a sure-thing. That would have been true even in a normal world where we’re playing 162 games, let alone in a 60-game sprint.

We knew this team faced depth questions in the rotation even prior to the Jose Quintana injury. For now, it looks like the southpaw will resume his throwing program this week, but it’s hard knowing how long it will take him to get ready for in-game action.

Chicago Cubs need guys to step up if they hope to compete

So there. That’s your three starters you feel pretty OK about. But when we’re talking about rounding out the rotation, I genuinely have no idea what to expect or predict. Hopefully, Quintana will return fairly soon and fill his usual spot every five days. If he doesn’t? Buckle up.

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Suppose Quintana doesn’t get back on the mound in short order. Tyler Chatwood, who’s been inconsistent during his Cubs tenure, to say the least, becomes your fourth starter. That’s not an idea that makes me feel all that confident given the body of work we’ve seen.

Don’t get me wrong, last year, he was a much improved presence on the pitching staff. He split his time between the rotation and the bullpen, making five starts and working to a 3.97 ERA while managing a 3.67 ERA in 33 relief appearances. But how will he perform when he’s slotted in to get the ball ever five days to make a dozen starts? We’ll soon know.

It looks like Alec Mills will take Quintana’s spot in the rotation in the short-term. He gave us a lot to like last season in a hybrid role, posting a 2.75 ERA in 36 innings of work. But again, to me, dropping him into the rotation and expecting similar results isn’t a logical course of action. One brief stint does not a career make.

For me, the Cubs’ success in 2020 comes down to their pitching. Can Craig Kimbrel get it together? Will the rotation bring enough quality to the table to give the bats a chance to do their job and push across enough runs to get some wins? We’ll soon know – 10 days to go.