Two games into the season and we’ve already had weird baseball. We’ve also gotten full justification for the Cubs’ decision to carry Timothy Edward Butler as the final member of the bullpen.
Butler was almost an afterthought, a guy who got his spot mainly because he was out of options and no one else really stepped up to take the role. There was also the matter of his ability to step in as an emergency starter or long reliever, the latter of which was on full display Friday night in Miami.
The issue with Butler has never really been stuff — he’s got a five-pitch mix with a fastball that has nice arm-side run and can touch 97 mph — but the ability to command it.