David Ross Announces Fifth Starter and Bullpen Options

It’s no surprise with the pleather of starter options the Cubs have this season, this spring training fans will see competition for the fifth spot in the rotation. Between Adrian Sampson, Hayden Wesneski, and Javier Assad, all three arms showed promise last year to be reliable options in 2023. You’re probably wondering about where Kyle Hendricks fits in the mix, according to Montemurro he will start the 2023 season on the IL.

In 19 starts last season, Sampson posted a 3.11 ERA with 73 strikeouts, 27 walks, a 132 ERA+, a 3.79 FIP, and a 1.227 WHIP in just over 104 innings pitched. The right-hander also made 14 starts where he threw at least 5 innings. His most impressive month last season was September. In six starts he posted a 1.50 ERA in 36 IP with 20 strikeouts, 9 walks, and a .210 opponent batting average. He made five starts in a row where he threw at least six innings per start.

After being traded from the Yankees for former Cubs relief pitcher Scott Effross, Wesneski proved why he was the Yankees' former number 2 pitching prospect in their organization. In six games in 2022, he made four starts while posting a 2.18 ERA with 33 strikeouts, seven walks, a 190 ERA+, a 3.20 FIP, a 0.939 WHIP, and a 9 SO9 in 33 innings pitched. In all four of his starts, he never gave up more than two walks or two earned runs. Let’s also not forget his immaculate inning last September in Pittsburgh.

Assad also showed a lot of promise last season when he made his debut after the All-Star break. In eight starts the righty posted a 3.11 ERA with 30 strikeouts, 20 walks, a 133 ERA+, and a 1.460 WHIP. In five of his eight starts, he threw at least five innings and walked no more than three batters.

All three options would be good choices for the number five spot in Ross’ rotation. It will also be interesting to see who the other invites are to “try out” for the fifth starter spot this spring. Hayden Wesneski could be an option. In the short amount of time he spent in the big leagues in 2022, the righthander wowed fans with his electric stuff. Baseball-Reference has his 2023 projections at just 65 innings pitched with a 3.32 ERA, but if he can prove this spring that 2022 wasn’t just beginners' luck, don’t be surprised to see the Houston, Texas native penciled in at the five-spot of the Cubs’ 2023 rotation. 

Ross Talks Bullpen Options

Ross also announced that both Keegan Thompson and Adbert Alzolay will be in the bullpen mix this season. When talking about Alzolay, Ross said to “expect big innings out of him this year.”

Thompson proved to be a reliable multi-inning arm out of the bullpen last season. In his first seven outings last season, Thompson appeared from the bullpen a posted a 1.17 ERA with 21 strikeouts, eight walks, a 3.29 FIP, and posted a .184 opponent batting average in 23 innings pitched. In all seven relief appearances, he threw at least two innings, and in five of those outings, he threw at least three innings while giving up just one earned run. After spending time as a starter for the majority of the season, Thompson returned from the IL at the end of the year as a bullpen guy. In four outings in September/October, he posted a 1.69 ERA with 17 strikeouts and just six walks in 10.2 innings pitched.

After spending the majority of the season on the IL, Alzolay finally made his 2022 debut from the bullpen in mid-September. In six outings he had a 3.38 ERA with 19 strikeouts, a 0.825 WHIP, and a 12.8 SO9 in just over 13 innings pitched. Although it was a small sample size, the Venezuelan native may have found his calling. If Alzolay can carry his 2022 season over into 2023, the righty could be another multi-inning relief weapon alongside Thompson in the Cubs’ bullpen.