Cubs have the Daniel Palencia they desperately needed for NL Wild Card Series

The biggest question the Chicago Cubs needed to answer during the final week of the regular season was who would be the closer for the team during the playoffs? The Cubs' bullpen has been the subject of much scrutiny over the past month, but with the NL Wild Card series approaching next week, the Cubs may have found their closer.

It's been an up-and-down season for Daniel Palencia. He looked electric during the World Baseball Classic, and while he was getting results early in the season, the Cubs weren't really providing him with a lot of save opportunities. Then came the injuries, and when Palencia made his return to the team in August, it certainly didn't look like he would be capable of holding down a high-leverage role during the playoffs.

Through his struggles, Craig Counsell stressed that if the Cubs' bullpen was going to find stability ahead of the playoffs, it would be through the guys he had on the roster. In other words, Shelby Miller, who has already been shut down, and Justin Steele weren't going to be the savior for the pitching staff.

As it turns out, that savior may once again be Palencia. Entering Wednesday's game against the Marlins, Palencia's last five outings have not only been scoreless, they've been hitless. In addition, of the 19 batters he's faced during that stretch, he's only walked two while striking out five.

Daniel Palencia once again appears to be emerging as the hyrbid high-leverage arm for the Cubs' playoff run

Funny enough, Palencia is following a similar trajectory to what his role was with the Cubs last season. After serving as the team's closer throughout the season, a late-season injury couple with regression led to some question over how effective he would be for the Cubs during the playoffs. The concern was quickly erased, considering he was flawless for the Cubs during their Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres.

That is the version of Palencia the Cubs will need once again, and that is what this recent trend suggests he will be. The problem is that Palencia was a hybrid high-leverage option for the Cubs during last year's playoff run, and they may not have the luxury of deploying him in that fashion this time around.

Considering the recent struggles of Jacob Webb, Palencia almost certainly will need to be the team's closer during the playoffs. While that doesn't speak much of the pieces around Palencia, his return to form is an important development for the Cubs moving forward.

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