RADIO
Carl Edwards Jr. 2019: Holds, Strikeouts, and maybe Saves
6 years agoAt one point in the 2018 season, Carl Edwards Jr. seemed destined to claim the Cubs' closer position. Through the first two months of the season, Edwards owned a 2.88 ERA a 14.4 K/9 rate, and a 26.7 K-BB%. Then he hit the DL and struggled to get right the rest of the season. Edwards lost his control, saw his strikeouts plummet, his walks skyrocketed, and he limped through the rest of the season with an abysmal 6.0 K-BB%. Edwards ERA didn’t explode, but he was a shadow his former self in the second half of the season. Despite his struggles and missed time, Edwards still managed to accrue 52 innings pitched, which shows just how much the Cubs relied on him. Presumably, Pedro Strop will reprise his role as the team’s closer, at least until Brandon Morrow returns. However, Morrow has always struggled with health issues, and Strop has been in decline the last two seasons. The Cubs love Edwards in the fireman role, but Cubs GM Theo Epstein learned the importance of a functional closer while he was in Boston, and if Strop and Morrow struggle or are unavailable, Edwards will be first in line to inherit the closer’s seat.
