Chicago Cubs: Who is the fifth starting pitcher?
The Chicago Cubs starting rotation was their strength during their World Series title run in 2016. Entering the 2017 season, the Cubs are still searching for a fifth starter.
Starting pitching was the Chicago Cubs strength during the 2016 Major League Baseball regular season and post-season.
Starting pitchers Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks were viable candidates for the National League Cy Young award last season. Veteran John Lackey was consistent as the team’ No. 4 starting pitcher. While Jake Arrieta did regress in 2016, he still was a top-tier starting pitcher for the Cubs last season.
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Lester, Hendricks, Arrieta, and Lackey are already penciled into the Cubs’ rotation for the 2017 season but the team has a question mark at the fifth starter spot. With Jason Hammel leaving via free agency this off-season, one of the main battles to watching during Spring Training will be for the fifth spot in the Cubs’ starting rotation.
The leading candidate is Mike Montgomery. The Cubs acquired Montgomery from the Seattle Mariners last season prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. Montgomery mainly served as a reliever after being acquired by the Cubs last season but the front office has always maintained that his long-term projection may be in the starting rotation.
With Spring Training about two weeks away, Montgomery seemingly has a leg up on the competition. Dating back to the end of the 2016 season, Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon has teased the idea that Montgomery could be a part of the team’s 2017 starting rotation.
In terms of competition, Montgomery’s biggest hurdle to the fifth spot in the rotation may be recently signed Brett Anderson. While Anderson has been plagued with injuries recently, when healthy, he is an effective pitcher.
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The Chicago Cubs’ rotation was a strength last season because all five of their starters strung together quality performances. Mike Montgomery will need to contribute to that trend in 2017 if the Cubs’ rotation is going to dominant once again.