In between the very impressive showing by the Chicago Cubs rotation and their bullpen brethren so far, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have built an enviable pitching staff with depth and redundancies across levels. We have already seen guys like Mike Montgomery and Eddie Butler get extended outings in games to keep them stretched out in the event that a multiple-inning reliever or a spot starter is needed, and of course I did talk about trying a hybrid five-plus-one rotation to keep everyone fresh, healthy, and productive.
Having said goodbye to Jake Arrieta, John Lackey, Justin Grimm, and Wade Davis this spring, the Cubs had to reset their rotation and bullpen to sustain this current run of contention.