Cubs: Three candidates to grab the final spot in the starting rotation

Chicago Cubs: Will Adbert Alzolay finally get a shot at the rotation?

For more than one reason, Adbert Alzolay’s role with the 2021 Cubs is still up in the air.

The most prominent being his yet-to-be-determined option status. The league is awaiting a ruling in a case that would determine whether or not the shortened 60-game season constituted a full big league season. If not, then the Cubs would be able to option the young right-hander to Iowa this year, gaining some much-needed roster flexibility.

“I don’t ever look at players when they’re on the field (in terms of) their option status,” Ross told the Chicago Tribune over the weekend“I look at them like, how are they performing? And do they have a chance to make our team and make our team better? Or how are we best fit to break camp to be the best version of ourselves?”

If the arbiter rules the other way, though, Chicago would either have to keep Alzolay on the 26-man roster all season or pass him through waivers which would undoubtedly lead to teams putting in a claim on him.

Until that’s cleared up, it’s hard to really peg where Alzolay stands in the battle for the final spot in the rotation. He offers a much-needed change-of-pace from the rest of his rotation mates, flashing a mid-90s fastball. So far this spring, he’s really struggled, placing him on the outside looking in when it comes to the starting five.

Cubs: Will a new pitch help Shelby Miller re-establish himself?

Once an overpowering presence, now-30-year-old right-hander Shelby Miller is re-inventing himself this spring, adding a slider to his arsenal for the first time.

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So far, so good. While it’s far from a finished pitch, the addition of another weapon has helped the former All-Star get off to a solid start this spring. In seven innings of work, spanning three relief appearances and one start, Miller has allowed just one earned run while striking out eight and walking only two.

“Opposing hitters have to respect a whole other pitch that they haven’t seen,” Miller said. “I’ve just got to keep throwing it, and hopefully it gets better. And I’m just going to go out there and get outs. That’s all I can say really.”

Right now, I think Miller is leading the race for the final spot in the rotation. He’s pitched better than both Mills and Alzolay this spring and if Alzolay winds up having a minor league option left, the Cubs could face a much easier decision, utilizing Mills as the long man in the pen and letting Miller get a chance in the rotation.

But a lot can – and likely will – happen between now and April 1, when the Cubs will take on the Pirates on Opening Day at Wrigley Field. There are a lot of ways this could all play out and we’ll have to see how things shake out.