RADIO
When you sign a $155 million contract over the next 6 years, you are expected to have an immediate impact for your ball club. In a completely expected move, new Chicago Cubs manager Joe Madden announced on March 2nd that the wealthy Jon Lester would be the opening day pitching starter on April 5th. Immediate impact required.
The Cubs, not shockingly at all, have high expectations this season based on few nice signings and young pieces. The past 100+ years of the franchise, however, give us reason to believe that those expectations will not be met. The biggest signing of all is Lester, who solidified himself as a bonafide number 1 starter with a 2.46 ERA over 32 starts. With a career average of 8.2 strikeouts per 9 innings, Lester is a safe fantasy selection as a top 15-20 pitcher in all formats.
According to Madden, behind Lester, the Cubs will have a rotation made up of strikeout ace Jake Arrieta, innings eater Jason Hammel, and the young gun Kyle Hendricks.
Arrieta is easily the most intriguing fantasy prospect out of the group. With his improved command, already excellent strikeout rate, and now the fact that his starts will follow Lester's, his upside is huge. He is 28 years old and has only thrown 566 Major League innings, so fatigue is not a factor. He averaged a much improved 167:41 strikeout to walk ratio in 156⅔ innings in 2014. Some may think that he will struggle with his new found success and regress to the mean, but I am of the belief that his 2014 numbers ARE his mean.
All in all, this Cubs rotation should be interesting to follow this season. I expect Lester and Arrieta to be a devastating one-two punch for the Cubs.
