Chicago Cubs DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Chicago Cubs pitchers Javier Assad, Drew Smyly, and Hayden Wesneski are expected to compete for the fifth starting pitcher role during Spring Training, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Former first-round pick Jordan Wicks is also in the mix, but Bastian notes that he's likely "better served" opening the year at Triple-A. That leaves three pitchers for presumably just one spot in the rotation, assuming the top four starters remain healthy and productive this spring. All three hurlers have potential; Assad limited hits and runs last year, Wesneski boasted a .224 OBA and 10.67 K/9 following the All-Star Break, and Smyly is a lefty with plenty of MLB experience. The two odd men out will be top candidates for a shift to the bullpen, even if temporary.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jordan Wicks is a candidate to open the year at Triple-A Iowa, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Wicks is presumably competing with Javier Assad, Drew Smyly, and Hayden Wesneski for the No. 5 role in the rotation, and Bastian notes that Wicks could be "better served" establishing a starter's routine in Triple-A until needed at the big-league level. The 24-year-old showed flashes of promise during his rookie season last year, going 4-1 with a 4.47 ERA, 6.23 K/9, 2.86 BB/9, and .269 BABIP.

The Chicago Cubs acquired infielder Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte earlier this week from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for lefty Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope. The Athletic's Keith Law thinks Busch is a natural first baseman and will almost certainly play there for the Cubs. He also has experience at second and third base, although he's much more comfortable at the keystone. The 26-year-old gives the Cubs more left-handed thump in the lineup and hits southpaws well enough to project as an everyday player. Busch has been on Law's preseason top-100 prospect rankings for the last three offseasons and is an advanced hitter who has hit for power and hard contact for three straight years in Double-A and Triple-A (79 homers in the last three seasons). In a full-time big-league role, though, Busch is expected to be more of a doubles guy with more of a line-drive swing.

The Chicago Cubs and infielder Nick Madrigal have settled on a one-year, $1.81 million deal to avoid arbitration. The 26-year-old was hampered by a hamstring injury in the 2023 season but reportedly entered the offseason with no physical restrictions. Despite excellent contact skills and bat control, Madrigal's production at the plate has cratered over the last two seasons. He hit a decent .263 in 2023 but slugged just a pair of home runs and walked in only 3.4% of his plate appearances a season ago. He struck out in only 8.2% of his 294 plate appearances but his 83 wRC+ at the plate represented production 17% below the league average after posting a 71 wRC+ in 59 games in 2022. His fantasy baseball value is minimal as a result.

The Chicago Cubs and left-hander Justin Steele have avoided arbitration and have agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal for the 2024 campaign. The southpaw is coming off of an excellent season that saw him work to a 3.06 ERA across a career-high 30 starts and 173 1/3 innings of work. He did so despite limping to the finish line as he surrendered six runs twice over his final three starts with 15 runs total allowed over 14 1/3 innings in that span. Nonetheless, Steele now sports a 3.30 career ERA across 74 appearances (63 starts) spanning 349 1/3 innings of work. His 2023 campaign also included a trip to the All-Star game and a fifth-place finish in NL Cy Young voting. Even without spectacular strikeout stuff, Steele should be a reliable fantasy option again in the 2024 season.