Constructing the ideal Chicago Cubs' starting rotation ahead of Opening Day

MLB's official Opening Day is rapidly approaching us, as all 30 teams will be in action Thursday for the true and official start to the season.

The Cubs will play their third game of the season. Last week, they traveled to Japan for a two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. They lost both games by scores of 4-1 and 6-3. Starting pitching was the culprit of one loss, and the bullpen was the culprit of the other.

Chicago's starting pitching was a huge topic of the offseason as the Cubs front office continuously added starting pitching depth. Injuries and minor league decisions have made the picture a bit more clear, and in saying that, here is what the ideal Cubs rotation will look like to begin the season.

1. Justin Steele
2. Shota Imanaga
3. Jameson Taillon
4. Matthew Boyd
5. Ben Brown

Despite a not-so-great outing, Steele should be considered the Cubs ace until Imanaga or anyone else challenges him for that title. Steele will be given the nod when the Cubs travel to Arizona and take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in a four-game series.

He will then be followed by Taillon in Game 2, Imanaga in Game 3 and the Game 4 starter is currently unknown. The decision to start Steele over Imanaga tells a lot about the way that manager Craig Counsell feels about his two-left handers. The 2-4 slots in the rotation in feel pretty locked down, despite Boyd not having the greatest Spring Training performances. The most intriguing spot in the Chicago rotation is the No. 5 spot.

The expectation headed into the spring was that Brown, Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, and Colin Rea would be the four competing for the last spot in the Cubs rotation. That group has thinned itself out, as Assad is set to begin the season on the injured list and Wicks was just optioned to Triple-A Iowa to begin the season.

Brown was the first man out of the bullpen in Game 1 of the Tokyo series and he was used in a long reliever type role, throwing 65 pitches in 2 2/3 innings against the Dodgers. Brown being the first man out of the Cubs bullpen in the first game of the season also is very telling of how Counsell views Brown and has many speculating that the No. 5 spot in the rotation is his to lose. If that is indeed the case, Rea will begin the season as the long reliever out of the Chicago bullpen

It will be intriguing to see how Counsell chooses to make things work when Assad returns from his injury, but until then, the Cubs rotation seems to be set for the time being.