When looking at the Chicago Cubs rotation in 2024, the top four arms appeared locked in entering Spring Training. Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Kyle Hendricks, Jameson Taillon, and a young arm out of camp were the combination the organization was expecting. However, Taillon is expected to miss some time and not be ready for Opening Day due to a lower back injury.
With the second-year Cub out, manager Craig Counsell went from needing to add one starter in the rotation to two. He announced Thursday morning that right-hander Javier Assad and southpaw Jordan Wicks would round out the starting pitching to begin the season. Veteran left-hander Drew Smyly just missed out on joining the rotation and will begin the season in the bullpen.
Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks will be in the Cubs rotation to start the season, Craig Counsell said.
Drew Smyly goes to the bullpen.
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) March 21, 2024
Counsell Announces the Rest of the 2024 Cubs Rotation
Young Pair Joining the Experienced Arms
It was assumed that Wicks would be the fifth man on the staff, no matter who else was or was not healthy. The former first-round pick carved up hitters in his first taste of the show after being called up in late August of last season. He made seven starts, having a 4.41 ERA and a 4-1 record. Wicks’ ability to successfully compete and help win games at the big league level made him a heavy favorite to make the rotation. All that Cubs fans needed to hear from Counsell was the confirmation that Wicks was in, and they got just that.
Assad appears to be the fill-in for Taillon. The 26-year-old right-hander bounced back and forth between the bullpen and rotation in 2023. In 41 games, Assad made 18 starts and recorded a 3.06 ERA across 147.0 total innings on the hill. Most believe that Assad’s long-term fit resides in the bullpen in Chicago, but some slight promise that he has shown in a starting role throughout his young career intrigued Counsell enough to pencil Assad in as one of the final starters. When Taillon returns to action, it appears likely that Assad will return to his swing role as a spot starter while routinely operating out of the ‘pen.
A Veteran is the Odd Man Out
Smyly’s 2023 season got off to a strong start, which included a near-perfect game against the Dodgers in April. Unfortunately, he cooled off considerably as the year went along. The former second-round selection of the Detroit Tigers had a second half he’d rather forget looking at the numbers.
The now 34-year-old finished the season throwing 142 1/3 innings while making 41 appearances for the Northsiders. Despite having the same number of outings as Assad, Smyly made five more starts than his younger counterpart, with 23 total. The southpaw’s 5.00 ERA and 1.426 WHIP were nothing to get extremely excited about in his work last year. The Cubs can’t just cut ties with the veteran, as he signed a two-year deal worth $19 million last offseason. Because of the financial side of his situation, the coaching staff had to find a way to make Smyly work into this staff. The front office never added a veteran left-handed reliever to accompany Luke Little, so Smyly will take that role over himself. Whether it’s in high-leverage situations or long relief, he may need to be versatile to stick around the entire season.
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