Chicago Cubs: Constructing the perfect bullpen for 2021

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The Chicago Cubs have plenty of bullpen arms in Arizona all vying for 8 spots. With so few spots, who are we going to see in the bullpen come opening day?

Spring training is in full swing for the Chicago Cubs down in Mesa, Arizona. There are several interesting storylines that are worth following, whether it be the ever-winding Kris Bryant saga, Brennen Davis getting an invite to big league camp, suggesting that we may see him sooner than expected, or even a bit of uncertainty of all of the rotation spots at the moment.

However, nothing happening down at Sloan Park has more questions around it than the battle going on in the bullpen. The Cubs are almost certainly going to have to make tough decisions with the bullpen that may come out of necessity rather than actual choice.

Assuming the rotation going into the year is Hendricks-Davies-Arrieta-Williams-Mills, this is how the Cubs could construct the best bullpen given the circumstances.

Cubs: The ninth belong to Craig Kimbrel – at least for now

This is the easiest spot in the bullpen to fill. Kimbrel’s only competition to the job, Jeremy Jeffress, is gone now after signing a minor league deal in Washington. Kimbrel seemed to regain his old self in the second half of the Covid shortened 2020 season and is being paid big money to be the Chicago Cubs closer.

Other contenders: None

Seventh and eighth-inning setup men: Jason Adam and Rowan Wick

Two of the guys with some of the nastier stuff in the bullpen, it makes sense for both Adam and Wick to get some of the higher leverage work. Both players are strikeout artists, which is exactly what you want from your late-inning relievers.

Wick and Adam both had SO/9’s in the double digits so they’re more than capable of getting huge punchouts in big spots. Each gives opposing batters different looks as Adam dominates batters with a lively, overpowering fastball, while Wick relies more on his curveball.

The Cubs have other pitchers who match the late-inning profile, and there is a bit of a mystery surrounding Rowan Wick’s health as of now. If Wick or Adam can’t go, Pedro Strop was the Cubs’ dominant eighth inning man for years and Dillon Maples can strike people out, but neither seems slated to make the Opening Day roster right now.

Other contenders: Pedro Strop, Dillon Maples, Ryan Tepera

Cubs looking for a left-hander to step up in a big way

This is another relatively easy niche in the bullpen to decipher. The Cubs clearly have shown faith in Kyle Ryan’s ability to rebound into his 2019 self rather than his disastrous 2020 campaign after tendering him a contract.

Chicago didn’t get much out of Andrew Chafin last year, but they’re likely drawn to the southpaw’s ability to get opponents to whiff on his pitches. If Ryan can go back to being a soft contact machine and Chafin can keep getting opponents to swing and miss, this is likely the tandem for all of 2021 barring injury.

Other contenders: Justin Steele, Brad Wieck, Rex Brothers

Ryan Tepera, Jonathan Holder and Brandon Workman will get key innings

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The middle innings are by far the most logjammed spot for the bullpen and it makes pitchers with options much more valuable for the Chicago Cubs. Adbert Alzolay is one such pitcher that is almost certain to fall victim to the numbers game. He has another option left, which makes it almost a certainty he’ll be starting in Iowa.

MVP vote-getter Ryan Tepera was brought back on a major league deal after being non-tendered by the team after the season and is almost certain to make it. Brandon Workman was also brought in on a major league deal and is likely to get a heavy workload this season. The final spot is likely to go to Jonathan Holder, which upon first glance of his stats, may not seem likely.

But a deeper dive into Holder reveals that he has insane amounts of spin on both his fastball and curveball. This is something the Cubs absolutely adore and have had success developing in the past with guys such as Wick and Wieck when they’ve been healthy. For that reason, Holder will likely not just make the roster, but be a real asset to the bullpen as well.

There is a real possibility that another reliever makes the team that isn’t listed now if Rowan Wick can’t make it to opening day. If that’s the case, it’s likely that Dan Winkler and Duane Underwood Jr. battle it out for the final spot in the rotation as both are now out of options and can refuse a demotion.

Other contenders: Dan Winkler, Duane Underwood Jr., Adbert Alzolay, Shelby Miller, Tyson Miller, Robert Stock, James Norwood

Next. Cubs: Which Brandon Workman will team get in 2021?. dark

The Cubs bullpen has a lot of questions up in the air that will only be answered during spring training. Unfortunately for Jed Hoyer, the bullpen also doesn’t have a whole ton of flexibility either, so tough choices will have to be made. This mix of arms has a lot of intrigue to it, however, and if constructed correctly, could be a unit that really surprises fans this year.

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