2 Cubs relievers who will begin the season in Triple-A and 1 who won't

The Chicago Cubs finally appear to have the makings of a solid bullpen with several young arms looking to make the Opening Day roster this season.

Pitching development has gone from the organization's biggest weaknesses to one of its most important strengths. The rewards of this redirection have already begun to show on the big-league rotation in the form of Justin Steele, Jordan Wicks, and Javier Assad. However, there is also a group of relievers set to take the next step and compete for a long-term role in the bullpen. Here is where three of those arms will likely begin the 2024 season.

Triple-A: Daniel Palencia

With the additions of Hector Neris and Yency Almonte, Daniel Palencia will likely begin the year in Triple-A. It's a shame because I think Palencia has some of the best potential out of any reliever on the 40-man roster right now. He's only 24 years old, is under team control for years to come, and features a blistering fastball that regularly touches 100 mph. However, control was one of Palencia's major issues as his walks per nine innings pitched was 4.45 last year.

But Palencia only had about half a season of work last year with 28.1 innings pitched and a 4.45 ERA. The velocity is elite and if he can develop his secondary pitches and keep the walks down, Palencia should become a decent setup man down the road.