A potential Justin Steele backup plan for the Cubs may yet come from free agency

While the Chicago Cubs wait on a second opinion for Justin Steele’s elbow, it feels like most people in and around the club are bracing for the worst. Even if that second opinion comes back with “won’t need Tommy John surgery,” it’s possible that he’ll be out beyond the minimum. 

Should Steele be on the IL longer than a week or two, the Cubs may need to look outside of what is currently available to shore up the rotation. Jordan Wicks is the odds-on favorite to take the bump on Sunday, but after that? A team looking to compete for a playoff spot and going through a brutal April schedule might want a more proven, veteran commodity.

Enter former Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Spencer Turnbull. The talented swingman is still unsigned (for some reason) and, according to Jon Heyman, was throwing for teams just a few days ago. What teams were in attendance and whether Chicago was among them is not clear. But it’s not like the rotation was on the most stable footing even before Steele went on the IL.

The big drawback, of course, would be that there’s no guarantee that the rotation would be any more stable if Turnbull joined its ranks. One reason he’s unsigned, despite posting a 3-0 record and a 2.65 ERA while striking out 58 batters in 54.1 innings is that he’s also had some injury issues of his own.

He appeared in just 17 games last year, starting seven of them. The year before he only made seven appearances. He has exactly one full season in six MLB years, and that was 2019.

Last year, he suffered a lat strain in June and missed the rest of the season, then didn’t see his market materialize the way he would have hoped. Now he’s trying to prove he’s healthy and can help a team.

There is one big reason the Chicago Cubs might not view Turnbull as a real option. He’ll need to ramp up in the minors before he can join the big league club. There’s no telling how much time and how many starts that would have the club needing to fill until he got there. But if Steele is indeed out for the season, Jed Hoyer will leave no stone unturned.