CHICAGO — The first glimpse of the Chicago Cubs’ revamped roster can finally be counted down in days, not weeks.
The Cubs bring a largely completed roster to Mesa, Ariz., one of the finishing touches coming Friday when they reached an agreement with right-hander Michael Fulmer to give their bullpen an experienced arm.
Ahead of the first workout for Cubs pitchers and catchers Wednesday at Sloan Park, here are three storylines to watch.
1. How will the rotation shake out?
Improved starting pitching depth gives the Cubs options for how they want to put together the rotation to open the season. Some of that will be dictated by pitchers’ health and how they progress through the spring buildup process. The biggest uncertainty entering camp is Kyle Hendricks’ status. He is unlikely to be ready for the start of the regular season as he continues to build up from the capsular tear that shut him down in August. Hendricks said last month that he doesn’t anticipating throwing off a mound until around March 1. The Cubs will want to be deliberate and careful with how they add to his workload over the next six-plus weeks to avoid a setback, which given this type of injury could mean surgery, a scenario Hendricks acknowledged.
Marcus Stroman will be away from the team for a stretch while he pitches for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic next month. Ample opportunities to stake a claim to a rotation spot should yield good camp competition. Barring injuries, right-hander Jameson Taillon and left-handers Justin Steele and Drew Smyly are expected to slot into the rotation with Stroman. Right-handers Adrian Sampson and Hayden Wesneski are projected to be in play for the final rotation spot if, as anticipated, Hendricks is not ready at the onset of the season.
The Cubs might prefer Wesneski start the year in the Triple-A Iowa rotation rather than find a way to keep him on the pitching staff in a multi-inning relief role. While rotation injuries led right-hander Keegan Thompson to transition to the rotation from his usage as the Cubs’ go-to multi-inning weapon, his effectiveness out of the bullpen should make him an obvious choice to be harnessed in his versatile relief role from the get-go. The Cubs also must weigh how to best utilize right-hander Adbert Alzolay, who missed most of 2022 with a right shoulder injury but showed flashes of great stuff as a multi-inning arm during the final three weeks of the season.
Aside from bringing in Taillon, the Cubs will be relying on the same group to replicate its 2022 second-half performance when their starters combined to post the third-best ERA in the majors.
2. Who will get the bulk of playing time at third base?
For a team that did not adequately address last season’s offensive power problems, adding Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson, Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini creates a deeper lineup. Patrick Wisdom, coming off a season with a 102 OPS+, 25 home runs and 28 doubles, can give the Cubs much-needed pop and usually is solid defensively at third base, though he was uncharacteristically shaky at times last year. Strikeouts will always be a concerning part of Wisdom’s offensive profile. But the offseason additions mean the Cubs won’t need to rely on Wisdom in key spots in the batting order, giving him upside lower in the order.
Wisdom most often appeared in the No. 5 spot in 2022, and all but 24 of his 103 starts featured him hitting between Nos. 3 and 6 in the order. Perhaps the Cubs can limit opposing pitchers’ ability to exploit Wisdom, both by limiting him to his best platoon matchups, dropping him down in the lineup or sandwiching him consistently between contact hitters.
Christopher Morel is their most intriguing option at third base. His captivating on-field energy gives the Cubs a boost, and the 23-year-old showed potential during his rookie season, particularly during the first half as he struggled to get on base over the final 10 weeks. Manager David Ross values defensive versatility. Morel ultimately could settle into a super-utility role, especially if his inconsistent accuracy on throws from third carry over from last year despite the pregame work he put in during the season.
If the Cubs opt for a platoon setup at third, which seems likely given the 40-man roster construction, Zach McKinstry and Miles Mastrobuoni will be competing for an opening-day roster spot and starts at the position. Nick Madrigal also has been taking reps at third but never has played an inning there professionally since the White Sox drafted him in 2018.
3. Can Seiya Suzuki build off his first big league season and be an offensive force?
A blistering April performance that earned him National League Rookie of the Month honors was exactly the kind of start Suzuki wanted to his major league career. He struggled to sustain that level, thwarted by a fluky finger injury and the type of adjustments one would expect when transitioning from the Nippon Professional Baseball league to MLB. Suzuki closed out 2022 with a strong final month.
For the second consecutive year, Suzuki faces an abnormal spring schedule. The lockout prevented Suzuki from signing with the Cubs until mid-March, limiting his spring action and compressing his schedule to prepare for the season. Suzuki, who already has reported to the Cubs complex in Mesa, will return to Japan in a couple of weeks to play for his home country in the WBC. Suzuki taking his all-around game to the next level and hitting more like the version the Cubs saw in April and September would go a long way in the organization’s efforts to deliver a winning record and potential postseason appearance for a roster that needs some players to exceed projections.
Suzuki can be an impactive hitter in the Cubs lineup, and camp will be the first step to get rolling.
