"Barring injury, they'll open the season with Cade Horton - who should be the Opening Day starter - Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Shota Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon in the rotation. Neither of those last two figures to be moved to the bullpen unless disaster strikes, and every member of that group has had health issues at some point."
"My immediate thought is that they will implement a six-man rotation that sees Steele piggybacking with a long reliever in the early going."
"I agree that it makes the most sense to use someone who's already on the roster in order to maintain flexibility and give Jonathon Long consistent ABs in Triple-A, so Miguel Amaya looks like the best bet."
The Cubs will open the season with Cade Horton as the Opening Day starter, followed by Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Shota Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon in the rotation. All five starters have experienced health issues at various points, though Imanaga is relatively healthy. When Justin Steele returns in early May or June, the team will likely implement a six-man rotation with Steele working alongside a long reliever. Miguel Amaya appears to be the best option for Michael Busch's backup at first base, using someone already on the roster to maintain roster flexibility. Matt Shaw has played multiple positions this spring and could potentially add first base to his defensive repertoire.
#cubs-rotation-strategy #justin-steele-return #roster-management #spring-training #opening-day-lineup
Read at Cubsinsider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]