Cubs need additional pitching depth behind Yu Dar vish, Kyle Hend ricks
Alec Mills and Adbert Alzolay will undoubtedly get a long look next spring. Of course, Mills made history, throwing a no-hitter this year, while working to aa 4.48 ERA in 11 starts. He was up and down in terms of performance and will need to find more consistency to be a contributor moving forward.
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Alzolay really looked like something. He turned in a 2.95 ERA and averaged north of 12 punchouts per nine in four starts and a pair of relief appearances. Right now, he looks like he could be the homegrown arm capable of claiming a rotation spot we’ve sought for years.
Knowing all this, Theo Epstein alluded to the team’s need to shore up pitching depth. The bullpen wasn’t great – although a late-season Craig Kimbrel resurgence offers hope for 2021. Will it be another winter of bargain shopping or will ownership allow Epstein to make impactful additions to the mix this time around?
Moving on to the offense, there is absolutely nothing you feel really good about right now. Jason Heyward turned in his best offensive season in a Cubs uniform – and that’s a major plus. Ian Happ looked like he was turning a corner, but cratered out as the season wound down, slashing .189/.250/.216 over the final two weeks.