Chicago Cubs: Offseason priorities, constructing the perfect bullpen

Could Rowan Wick see a larger role in 2020?

Tyler Chatwood had a disastrous 2018 season as a starter but has since done much better as a bullpen arm. He’s one of the most expensive bullpen arms and perhaps he and the Cubs could come to an agreement on a smaller salary this season given his new role. I would expect him to remain in the long-relief role next year unless the Cubs can find a way to unload him to a team that needs a starter. He made 38 appearances (5 spot starts) and had a respectable 3.76 ERA while tossing 76.2 innings and striking out 74 batters. More importantly, he dramatically improved his walk rate.

Rowan Wick looks like a prime candidate to take on an increased workload next season after spinning a 2.43 ERA in 31 games. He struck out 35 batters in 33.1 innings of work and did not allow any home runs. And as previously noted, David Phelps could be in the mix next year as he tossed 17.0 innings with 18 strikeouts to go along with a 3.18 ERA. That being said, Phelps walked 10 batters which could be cause for concern going forward. Walks have killed the Cubs bullpen these last two seasons and I am not sure that’s the direction they’d like to proceed again.

The same goes for Dillon Maples who had nearly identical stats as Phelps but over the course of just 11.2 innings. Maples, 27, has electric stuff when he is on but he has the propensity to walk batters. Brad Wieck was a nice surprise and came over in the Carl Edwards Jr. trade with San Diego. It’s a small sample size but he tossed 10.0 innings and struck out 18 batters with a 3.60 ERA.

The Cubs could potentially look to the farm system for support next season but only a couple names really stand out in that regard. Duane Underwood Jr. was moved to the bullpen last season for the Iowa Cubs and experienced a tremendous amount of success. In that role, he tossed 34.1 innings with 45 strikeouts to just 13 walks and a 3.15 ERA. But he struggled in his brief stint with the big league club spinning a 5.40 ERA in 11.2 innings.

Danny Hultzen is another bullpen arm that generated a lot of interest late last season. The 29-year-old has had quite the journey and tossed 14.1 innings with 23 strikeouts and allowed an opponents’ batting average of 0.087 in Iowa. He made 6 appearances with the big league club last year, tossing just 3.1 innings with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks but didn’t allow any runs.