Wild John Lackey numbers from 2016 spell out what the Cubs need this offseason

John Lackey didn't come to the Windy City for a haircut. He came for a ring and got it, playing a key role for the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs. Looking back, everyone remembers Kyle Hendricks' ERA title, Jon Lester finishing runner-up in NL Cy Young balloting and reigning Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta carrying his historic 2015 performance into the early-going.

But the man at the back of the rotation, veteran John Lackey, was an unsung hero - a true workhorse who put his nose to the grindstone every five days, always giving his team a chance to win.

This week, Lackey turned 46. (Somehow he's been out of the league already for seven years). It felt as good of a time as any to look back at what he brought to the table during that unforgettable 2016 run. The right-hander tossed 188.1 innings, making 29 regular-season starts for manager Joe Maddon and posting the best WHIP of his 15-year MLB career.

Cubs need to add a proven established starter to the rotation

Digging into his numbers, I couldn't help but think about the state of the Cubs' starting rotation heading into the offseason. When was the last time any Chicago starter threw that many innings, let alone the team's #4 starter? You have to go back to 2018, when Kyle Hendricks stacked up 199 frames in a season that ended in utter heartbreak in a gut-wrenching loss in the one-game wild-card at home to Colorado.

Since then? Hendricks is the only Cubs starting pitcher to eclipse the 180-inning mark (2022). Several others have come close, but it goes to show how unique that 2016 rotation was in terms of the workload shouldered by the starting rotation (not to mention their uncanny ability to stay healthy that year).

This year, injuries to key pitchers led to Craig Counsell piecing his rotation together with whatever he had at his disposal on any given week. Lengthy IL stints for multiple starters torpedoed any hope of consistency in the rotation - and Justin Steele has even publicly stated his goal for next year is to be healthy from start to finish after an Opening Night hamstring injury shelved him right away this season.

Adding a workhorse to slot in alongside Steele and Imanaga atop the rotation would go a long way toward reducing the pressure on young arms like Ben Brown, Cade Horton and Jordan Wicks, which should help lengthen the staff and improve the options in the bullpen. I get it. Starting pitchers aren't asked to throw 200 innings regularly anymore. But adding another proven commodity to this rotation could be a real difference-maker over the course of a 162-game grind.