Chicago Cubs: Justin Grimm and obsolescence by design

“Bullpen workhorse” is both a compliment and death sentence for pitchers like former Chicago Cubs reliever Justin Grimm. But don’t expect the revolving door of burned-out young arms to end soon.

The Chicago Cubs meticulously manage innings and pitch counts of their high-investment starting pitchers. But with fewer starters league-wide throwing 200 innings, bullpens must cover a continually increasing workload. The result: shorter careers for max-throwing non-closers.

Such was the fate of recently released Justin Grimm. Drafted as a starter in 2010 by the Texas Rangers, Grimm struggled in the minors to average five innings per start. Converted to a max-throwing reliever, he unfortunately…