Last-minute rotation projection adds needed upside to the Cubs' starting staff

The writing has been on the wall for some time now, but all signs point to hard-throwing right-hander Ben Brown opening the year as the fifth and final member of the Chicago Cubs starting rotation.

In his latest pre-Opening Day Cubs roster projection, Patrick Mooney penciled Brown into the rotation, calling out his potential ceiling in his write-up. Anyone who saw the lanky right-hander at his best early last year knows exactly what he's talking about.

Brown turned heads in the first half, working to a 3.58 ERA in 55 1/3 innings of work that was actually far more impressive than that earned run average indicates. For nearly two full months - from the start of April to the end of May - the right-hander posted a 1.61 ERA and 2.05 FIP, holding opponents to a .174 batting average.

Bookending that stretch was a tough Opening Night assignment against the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers in relief of an injured Justin Steele and a pair of appearances directly preceding his being placed on the injured list due to a neck injury that wound up ending his season in early June.

But when he was healthy, he was a real difference-maker, helping the Cubs weather the loss of Steele early in the first half. Brown brings swing-and-miss stuff and fastball velocity that nobody else on this rotation really possesses and helps change up the look opposing teams get.

Ben Brown offers several things no other Cubs starter can

Shota Imanaga is definitely a location specialist who relies on hitting his spots to find success. That's not to say he can't run a fastball by a guy, but he's not an overpowering arm. The same can be said for Steele - and while Jameson Taillon has focused on adding velocity this winter, he's not the upper-90s arm he was early in his MLB career.

Brown has shown flashes of being that young, controllable power arm the Cubs have lacked for the better part of two decades. If he can stay healthy, he's got the stuff to be a formidable presence at the back of the rotation, lengthening the entire staff in the process.

Of course, Brown's potential entrance into the Cubs' rotation is the result of Javier Assad's spring injury. The right-hander is starting to ramp back up, throwing 40 or so pitches in recent bullpens and preparing to throw live BP in the not-too-distant future. Since Assad went down, Brown has been the guy for that final spot in my mind and it sounds like we're drawing ever close to that becoming a reality.