The Cubs knew lefty Drew Smyly would miss most or all of the 2018 campaign when they signed him to a two-year deal this past winter. He was still working back from July 2017 Tommy John surgery and the understanding was that anything he’d be able to provide the team this season would be gravy. But that gravy started to looking pretty enticing after injuries and poor performance ate up a lot of the other food on the table.
The club’s primary pitching acquisitions, Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood, have been disappointing for different reasons and the starting rotation has been largely inconsistent.