Chicago Cubs Mailbag: Spring Training 2019 Edition

You asked. We answered. With Opening Day just around the corner, here are the answers to your questions about the Chicago Cubs’ 2019 season.

It’s been over a month since the Chicago Cubs reported to spring training, and while it’s been a relatively quiet four weeks, Cubs fans have tons of questions about the upcoming season.

What potential trades could we see? Which players could have a huge season? What about the lack of depth in the bullpen? We’ll answer those and much more here in our first edition of the Cubs mailbag.

Before we get started with the questions, let’s take a look at the general feel of things as Opening Day approaches.

The Cubs lineup is looking strong once again, especially with a rejuvenated Kris Bryant back in the middle of the order. For a team that struggled so much at the plate in the second half, you’d be hard pressed to find any team with more depth among position players.

On the other hand, the team’s pitching staff looks like a house of cards.

The starting rotation is set and could be quite good if things go right, but it’s an aging group and there are notable performance and injury concerns for nearly every member of the rotation. A few big injuries could quickly sink the team’s playoff hopes in what is sure to be a very competitive division.

In the bullpen, things look similar. There is a ton of upside among the relievers – almost an identical core of players produced a collective 3.35 ERA last season, the second best of all teams – but there are big question marks.

How do Pedro Strop and Brandon Morrow perform when they come back from their injuries? Can Carl Edwards Jr. finally limit his walk rate and become an elite bullpen option? Can the Cubs find someone to perform consistently in those final few bullpen slots?

With so little certainty on the pitching side of things, it’s no wonder that many of your questions focused on that half of the game. Let’s get started.