Chicago Cubs: John Lackey has no interest in a move to the bullpen

If he is asked to do so, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher John Lackey has no interest in a move to the bullpen.

The Chicago Cubs are riding high. After a slow first half, the Cubs have raced out of the gates in the second half, winning their first six games since the All-Star break. Things are looking bright on the North Side, as they continue to inch closer to the National League Central lead.

A major reason for the Cubs’ struggles in the first half was the poor performance of their starting rotation. The Cubs could not get any sort of consistency out of their starting staff and it really hurt their ability to run off of a long stretch of wins. John Lackey was the Cubs worst starter in the first half.

The 38-year-old Lackey has some ugly season-long numbers. His 5.04 ERA and 5.69 FIP through 18 starts is simply not getting it done on a contending team. Home runs have been a particular issue for Lackey this season, as his 25 home runs allowed are the second most in the entire MLB.

But he has been better recently

Lackey’s season-long number show an old and worn out pitcher who has little chance of turning it around. However, he has looked a bit better as of late and is coming off of a five inning performance where he only allowed one run against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.

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Lackey still has his struggles, but he has pitched a quality start in three of his last five games. That does not even include his start on Tuesday where his five innings did not make him qualify for a quality start.

How will the rotation shake out

Kyle Hendricks‘ return from the disabled list is right around the corner. When Hendricks returns the Cubs will have a strong front four in their rotation of Hendricks, Jon Lester, Jose Quintana and Jake Arrieta. Lackey as the fifth starter in that group is not the worst thing in the world.

Mike Montgomery will likely head back to the bullpen when Hendricks returns, but he was brilliant in his start on Wednesday, allowing only one run and two hits in six innings of work. Montgomery is valuable in the bullpen but he is almost undeniably a better option than Lackey in the rotation.

Trade for an arm?

Also, even after acquiring Quintana via trade last week, the Cubs could still look to add to their rotation ahead of the July 31st trade deadline. Someone like Kevin Gausman of the Baltimore Orioles would make a lot of sense for the Cubs, who are going to have significant holes in the rotation next season.

Even if the Cubs move Montgomery back to the ‘pen, Lackey’s rotation spot would be in serious trouble if they acquire another starting pitcher. Would Lackey consider a move to the bullpen? According to the Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma, not a chance.

I suppose I could envision a scenario where the Cubs acquire a starter and leave Lackey in the rotation, going with a six-man starting staff. However, for a team that is fighting for their playoff lives, that seems extremely unlikely. They need to get as many starts out of their top-tier pitchers as possible.

Don’t blame Lackey

Lackey not being interested in a move to the bullpen does not make him a bad teammate. He is a veteran pitcher who has not made a relief appearance for 15 years. He has been bad this season, but at this point, he is comfortable in his ways. I would not fault Lackey a bit if he wanted to retire or asked to be waived as opposed to going to the bullpen.

The most likely scenario here is that the Chicago Cubs move Montgomery back to the bullpen and do not acquire another starting pitcher. They will look for one, but a move is far from guaranteed. This would keep Lackey as the Cubs fifth starter, a role that he would likely fill at a respectable level for the rest of the season.

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However, things can change quickly and if Lackey is not willing to move to the bullpen, he may soon be looking for a new job. It should be interesting to see how this all plays out.