Cubs Season Report Card: Starting Pitching part 2 |
The other day, we broke down and graded the front end of the Cubs rotation, and today, we shift to the back end. For as good as their starting pitching was most of the season, the back end of the rotation was the biggest question mark, and it will continue to be a question mark in the future.
Sure, some guys had some strong runs of success, but you also had to deal with a rash of injuries hampering the seasons of several young starters. At the same time, another aging veteran went through the worst season of his professional career. Despite that, the Cubs still put forth one of the best rotations in all of baseball but will again be looking for more starting pitching help this offseason.
Perhaps the biggest enigma regarding the Cubs' rotation is whether or not Javier Assad fits in the long term. You can't argue with his results this past season, as the results did the talking, and he earned a spot in the rotation for the entire season. His biggest issue is his inability to put hitters away consistently. His command issues often made it difficult to get through five innings consistently, which does hurt a team's bullpen over time. Still, Assad tied for the team lead with 29 starts and posted a 7-6 record and a 3.73 ERA. That ERA is a bit deceiving as he was below 3.4 most of the season until completely imploding at the end of the season for his worst career start. Even at that, Assad has proven he has what it takes to be a starter, as he has posted a 14-11 record across 47 starts and has pitched to a 3.40 ERA in those games. Season Grade B-: Assad deserves tons of praise for his effort this season, but some things make him a liability in the rotation long-term. The biggest issues are the lack of command and his ability to go five innings consistently, but so is pitching around traffic. Most pitchers try to avoid traffic on the bases, but Assad invites the traffic for whatever reason, as he seems to pitch better with men on base. That isn't a recipe for long-term success; sooner or later, Assad will find out the hard way that you can't make a living that way.
In what could be the end of an era, the last remaining member of the 2016 World Series roster toed the rubber for his 10th season in the organization. Known for his calm demeanor on the mound and the ability to pitch in big games, Hendricks was one of the best ever to do it, as he has gone 97-81 with a 3.68 ERA in his career with the Cubs. However, all good things must come to an end, and after a comeback season in 2023 led to another year in a Cubs jersey, his career in Chicago might be over, and it could be over in a painful way. It's no secret that Hendricks isn't your typical pitcher in today's game, but that hasn't stopped him from adapting to the game and using his strengths to his advantage. This season, however, was a struggle right from the start. Hendricks not only went 4-12 across his 29 games (24) starts, but his 5.92 ERA was also the worst ERA of his career. He doesn't have what it takes to be a starter anymore. Watching him crumble the way he did this season hurts, but his final start made the fans forget about his struggles one last time, as it was vintage Hendricks on the mound that day. Season Grade D: While most of you may give him an F for his season, I can't do that to him, knowing what he meant to the Cubs. He acknowledged that he was struggling this season but also said he would do whatever was asked of him to help make this team better. That meant a brief stint in the bullpen to get back on track, but that was short-lived. Entering free agency for the first time since he signed his extension with the Cubs, it will be interesting to see if he has one last ride left in the tank. While those two made the bulk of the starts for the back of the Cubs rotation, the Cubs still had a trio of arms in Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, and Hayden Wesneski, all making at least five starts this season. All three have several things in common: They are not only young arms expected to play significant roles in this team's future, but all of them dealt with injuries halting their development. Because of that, they are not earning individual grades but instead combined grades, as they receive a C+ for the combined grade. Brown is a big reason why their grade is that high, with Wicks being the reason why it is in the middle of where it could be. These guys will all be question marks heading into the offseason, and it will be interesting to see how the Cubs will go about them this offseason.Javier Assad
Kyle Hendricks
