Craig Counsell may have telegraphed Cubs' Opening Day roster decision with Ben Brown

Ben Brown has been one of the success stories for the Chicago Cubs during spring training. Brown has unveiled a sinker as his third pitch and has been seeing terrific results. The 26-year-old pitcher has always been one of the better swing-and-miss arms on the Cubs' pitching staff, but he's taken it to a new level this spring, striking out over 33% of the hitters he's faced.

The longstanding expectation was that Brown would start the season at Triple-A Iowa, remaining stretched out in the event that the Cubs needed him in the starting rotation. Part of the problem with that strategy is that Brown only has one minor-league option remaining, so the Cubs ideally need to identify his long-term role by the end of the season.

How Craig Counsell deployed Brown in the Cubs' most recent spring training game could foreshadow the decision that looms for Brown. Edward Cabrera got the start in the Cubs' 16-8 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, but Brown pitched an inning out of the bullpen.

Craig Counsell may have tipped Cubs Opening Day plan with Ben Brown

It was the first time this spring that Brown only pitched one inning, and it could have been the coaching staff experimenting with the idea of him being used as a reliever this season. Brown did pitch a scoreless inning while striking out two, but he also gave up three hits.

The longstanding theory that has surrounded Brown during the offseason was the idea that he could be used as a relief pitcher this season. By most accounts, the Cubs don't want to give up on the idea that Brown could be a long-term option in the rotation, but the fact that he was used for only an inning with a week to go before Opening Day would suggest that he's in the mix for the final bullpen spot.

There's a handful of non-roster invites also vying for the spot. Many were quick to point to Corbin Martin as the Cubs' next version of the success they had with Brad Keller last season, but the former second-round pick has an 8.10 ERA in seven appearances this spring and has had command issues. Collin Snider is another gamble the Cubs made this offseason, hoping he can find the success he had with the Seattle Mariners in 2024, but he has a 5.14 ERA this spring.

Javier Assad is also in the mix, but with two minor-league options remaining, his situation isn't as timely as Brown's. With Wednesday being a clue, Brown could suddenly be on the inside track to breaking camp with the Cubs.