3 bold Chicago Cubs predictions heading into 2022

3 bold Chicago Cubs predictions: #2 – Bullpen finishes among the league’s best

Before I delve into prediction number two, let me just say: this coming to fruition – and the Cubs bullpen finishing as a top 5 squad in the Senior Circuit – depends heavily on the rotation getting healthy.

Remember what happened last year? The bullpen was a huge strength for Chicago early on; then, between being wildly overworked and then gutted at the trade deadline, it was a total disaster as the months wore on. Hopefully there can be some more consistency out there this year, even with an almost entirely new-look group of arms.

Veteran Jesse Chavez impressed in the spring and will break camp with the team. His first Cubs stint was spectacular, so let’s hope he can be a go-to guy even at age 38. I’ve always been a big Rowan Wick guy and would love to see him get a chance to seize the ninth-inning role early on.

Scott Effross has all the makings of a weird arm angle reliever who just keeps guys endlessly off-balance. He might open the year at Iowa, but Manuel Rodriguez is going to contribute to this bullpen in 2022. Throw in the hodge podge mix of veterans Jed Hoyer went out and picked up this winter and, I don’t know – this is an area of the team I think really has the potential to surprise some folks.