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Chicago Cubs Should Use Closer by Committee Approach

By Dan Schmelzer

October 20, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon (70) motions to the bullpen in the second inning against the New York Mets in game four of the NLCS at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
October 20, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon (70) motions to the bullpen in the second inning against the New York Mets in game four of the NLCS at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Despite making a big trade for Wade Davis, the Chicago Cubs should not be married to the idea of having only one closer.

The Chicago Cubs did not pay up to bring back Aroldis Chapman this off season. Chapman signed a five-year, $86 million contract with the New York Yankees this off season, making him the highest paid relief pitcher in the history of the game. Chapman is great, but Theo Epstein and company obviously did not think he was worth that.

Instead of bringing Chapman back, the Cubs swung a trade with the Kansas City Royals. The Cubs sent high-upside low-output outfielder Jorge Soler to the Royals in exchange for closer Wade Davis. When healthy, Davis is one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. However, Davis missed a majority of the 2016 season with an elbow issue. He appears to be healthy now, but arm injuries are always extremely scary for pitchers.

Since becoming a full-time relief pitcher with the Royals in 2014, Davis has become one of the best in the game. In 185 relief appearances over the last three years, Davis has a ridiculous 1.18 ERA while striking out 11.5 batters per nine innings. He has a nasty sinker/slider combination that is incredibly difficult to hit, and when batters do, they typically just pound it into the ground. Davis also shows pin-point control with all of his pitches.

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Simply put, the Chicago Cubs landed one of the best relief pitchers in all of baseball this off season. Davis does not pump in consistent 103 MPH fastballs like Chapman, but he is an incredibly talented and reliable back of the bullpen arm.

That being said, I do no think that Joe Maddon and the Cubs need to make him their full-time closer. Davis is great. He will be consider the Cubs’ closer on paper. However, this team is set up to do some creative things in the bullpen. Instead of continuing to throw Davis out there in pressure filled situations, they would be wise to keep him fresh. Especially considering that he is coming off of a serious arm injury.

Other Options

Hector Rondon was an extremely effective closer for the Cubs before they traded for Chapman last season. He did struggle a bit down the stretch, but that appeared to have a lot to do with his triceps injury. Rondon missed some time at the end of the regular season and was never able to get his year back on track.

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Carl Edwards Jr. is also a strong option for the Chicago Cubs out of the pen. Edwards was a huge part of the Cubs’ pitching staff down the stretch last season and probably has the best natural “stuff” out of anybody in the pen. Edwards is a little erratic, but his pitches are nasty.

Pedro Strop has been an extremely reliable set-up man for the Cubs the past couple of seasons. He does not have a lot of closing experience. However, Strop has a nasty slider that could certainly be used in certain end-game situations.

Along with adding Davis, the Cubs signed free agent relief pitcher Koji Uehara this off season. At 41-years-old, Uehara does not have the pure stuff of some others on this list, but he does have a lot of closing experience. Also, despite being a right-handed pitcher, Uehara is great against left-handed hitters. I could see Maddon using him in specific closing situations where the lineup is lefty-heavy.

The Chicago Cubs have an impressive back of the bullpen with a lot of intriguing and talented options. This is a loaded team who will likely have no issues getting back into the post season this year. While they should not take anything for granted, the Cubs may be able to get creative and make sure all of their bullpen arms get plenty of rest this season.

The Maddon Factor

Maddon is a mad scientist when it comes to creating lineups, and I would like to see him get equally creative with his bullpen usage. Do not be afraid to mix and match based on opposing matchups or giving guys days off. If Davis closed the game the day before and Edwards hasn’t pitched in a few days, do not hesitate to use the young guy in a save situation.

Joe Maddon is one of the best managers in the game. He is particularly incredible at knowing what is best for his players. There is not anybody who would be better at mixing and matching a bullpen situation like this than Maddon.

Next: Predicting the Cubs' 2017 Opening Day Lineup

The only goal for the 2017 Chicago Cubs will be winning another World Series Championship. Getting creative with the bullpen to keep everybody fresh for the stretch run only helps that ultimate goal. The Cubs have a ton of potential closing options. Davis is probably the best of the bunch, but that does not mean that the others cannot be useful in the ninth inning.

Joe Maddon should use a closer by committee approach with the Chicago Cubs in 2017.

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