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Chicago Cubs: A sleeper starting pitcher to replace poor performers in rotation

By Dan Schmelzer

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 15: A Chicago Cubs grounds crew member cleans off the Chicago Cubs logo prior to game one of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field on October 15, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 15: A Chicago Cubs grounds crew member cleans off the Chicago Cubs logo prior to game one of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field on October 15, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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This Double-A pitcher could be a strong addition to the Chicago Cubs starting rotation.

The Chicago Cubs have struggled with consistency all season long in their starting rotation. Jon Lester has been solid, but besides him, there is nothing but questions on the Cubs’ starting staff. In particular, guys like John Lackey and Eddie Butler appear to be completely overmatched on the mound.

Unless they start to turn it around quickly, the Cubs simply cannot keep throwing Lackey and Butler out there on a consistent basis. They will be able to bump one of them from the rotation (probably Butler) when Kyle Hendricks returns from injury soon. However, if this team is going to compete at a high level, they need to replace both.

The Cubs will undoubtedly be aggressive in the trade market for a starting pitcher prior to the July 31st MLB trade deadline. That being said, a move in the rotation before that would be ideal.

Digging deep for a replacement

The problem is that the Cubs do not have any obvious in-house candidates to come in and start. There isn’t anybody in Triple-A worth trying, but if you go one level deeper, Jen-Ho Tseng, currently pitching at Double-A Tennessee, could be worth a shot.

Tseng has always been a solid, yet under-the-radar prospect in the Chicago Cubs system. He was not great in Double-A last season (4.29 ERA in 22 starts), but he has pitched much better in 2017 and may be ready for an aggressive promotion.

In 15 Double-A starts this season, Tseng has an impressive 2.99 ERA and his 3.35 FIP suggests that he has not just been a lucky pitcher. On top of that, Tseng has a perfectly solid 22.1% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate (according to FanGraphs).

You would certainly like to see a higher groundball rate than Tseng’s 39.4% this season, but he has had a lot of success doing things the way that he has. If he can continue to stay away from the walks, Tseng could easily have MLB success.

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Tseng is not a top-tier pitching prospect but he is a talented 22-year-old who has had a lot of success at arguably the best level in the minor leagues. Sending him from Double-A straight to the majors may seem aggressive, but the Chicago Cubs need help in the rotation right now. I mean, let’s be honest, he can’t really be much worse than Lackey and Butler. Calling Tseng up to make a few starts before a big move can be made is worth a shot.

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