The Chicago Cubs play their first Spring Training game in just two days, and now they’ve got their initial starting pitchers lined up for the Cactus League slate.
Per Jesse Rogers and Mark Gonzales on Twitter, the Cubs’ first three Spring Training starters will be Alec Mills, Tyler Chatwood, and Adbert Alzolay.
It makes perfect sense for these three to get the first starts of the spring, given that they are competing for the fifth starter job. Tyler Chatwood has the inside track, but all three are going to be stretched out, since (1) it’s possible Chatwood doesn’t actually win the job, and (2) you might wind up needing two of these guys in the Opening Day rotation if there’s an injury. I would also expect Colin Rea to get stretched out as a starter, though he’s a little less likely than this trio to seriously compete for a rotation job just yet.
Early in the Spring, your guaranteed rotation guys don’t usually make starts in Cactus League games. You’ll see them out there eventually, but not for a turn or two, and maybe not until after throwing in a simulated/back fields game.
But the guys who are competing for a spot, well, you kinda just want to get as much data and prep work in as possible. It’s unlikely that Spring Training performance sways your decision, but I’m sure there’s all kinds of data being collected by the Cubs throughout the spring that could inform whether they want to stick with this guy or that guy.
Without options, Mills and Chatwood are going to make the team, either in the rotation or the bullpen. Alzolay could wind up opening the season at Iowa in the rotation if the Cubs want to keep giving him time as a starting pitcher (at some point, it might be time to just let him fly as a multi-inning reliever, though).