As Cubs manager Craig Counsell took questions before Wednesday’s 8-6 loss to the Brewers, the focus was obvious: the bullpen. It’s on everyone’s mind. The expected best relievers have not been getting the job done, and few seem on the verge of getting back on track.
Everyone has suggestions on what to do next, and frankly, Counsell seems ready to listen.
“I’m open to everything, yeah,” Counsell said when asked about Colin Rea working in bigger moments.
Rea has largely been in mop-up duty since moving out of the rotation. The veteran righty has a 4.47 ERA and a 17.4 percent strikeout rate this season. Those numbers hardly scream that he needs high-leverage usage, and they aren’t different when he’s been used out of the bullpen. Javier Assad, also currently in the bullpen, struggles to miss bats as well, but he has a knack for getting outs, so maybe he deserves more opportunities in big moments.
This is where the Cubs are right now. All ideas have to be considered.
Jacob Webb is in a rut — at least, the Cubs have to hope that’s all it is. Daniel Palencia is struggling to miss bats and find consistency since returning from the injured list. His swinging-strike rate is 7.5 percent over those seven appearances, much lower than his 12.9 percent career rate, and his overall strikeout rate is just 20.7 percent. The Cubs must hope that’s largely due to facing the Brewers three times, a team that strikes out the least in baseball, but that also doesn’t bode well if they meet in the playoffs.
Ryan Zeferjahn has shown signs he’s turning a corner since incorporating his sinker, correcting his sweeper and leaning less on his four-seamer. He hasn’t been perfect, but his strikeout rate is starting to jump again, and his batted-ball numbers look better.
Those are the guys the team needs to step up. Counsell won’t focus on the veterans at Triple A, but they could become options soon. Shelby Miller will likely be the next to arrive. If he can show that his stuff is on par with previous seasons, he could quickly earn Counsell’s trust. How he recovers and how often he can be used is another question.
Perhaps one wild card in all this is Aaron Civale. The Cubs picked up Civale in a minor trade with the Athletics in mid-July when they were searching for any help they could find with the pitching staff. At one point, he seemed like a placeholder, a pitcher who would eventually lose his spot on the roster as others got healthy. Instead, his performance earned him more high-leverage opportunities.
“Aaron’s pitching great for us,” Counsell said. “We gotta get 27 outs in the game. Aaron’s doing a fabulous job getting a lot of outs. He got the last nine outs we won the other day by not a big margin. He got six outs in a tie game (Tuesday). Regardless of where they pitch, we need the outs. I don’t really care what the order is.”
Civale has a 1.27 ERA and a 25.2 percent strikeout rate in 28 1/3 innings with the Cubs. That’s as effective as anyone in the bullpen.
Could Civale maybe be used in shorter bursts, meaning he could be used more often?
“I’ll take the mound whenever they ask me to,” Civale said. “Whether it’s for as many outs as I can or a short outing. I’ve done both since I’ve been here.”
Counsell seemed less enthused by the idea.
“We have a pitcher that’s pitching really effectively and in a really good role for him,” Counsell said. “He’s getting important outs. The ability to get more than three outs is a valuable commodity. He’s in a good role right now. He’s been pitching in big innings, and he’s going to continue to.”
That’s a fair assessment. While Counsell doesn’t say it, it’s important that he said this is a good role for Civale. It’s unknown how well he could bounce back the next day. Could he pitch two out of three games? Or even back-to-backs? That may not be possible for him, or he may not be as effective. Civale said that’s something he hasn’t done since college, over a decade ago, but that he tests his body every day and is willing to try it if the Cubs asked.
When a bullpen struggles as mightily as the Cubs’ has of late, these questions have to be asked. As Counsell said, every option has to be considered. It’s not April or May, months when it’s acceptable to filter through options to figure out who works best in the bullpen. The Cubs haven’t had set roles all season, but somehow, for the most part, they made it work.
Suddenly, there aren’t any solid answers. Everywhere Counsell looks in his bullpen, there are more questions.
“We have some talented pitchers out there,” Counsell said. “The end of the season is about those guys being successful and being in a good place. I have confidence that they’re going to get the job done because I think they’re talented guys. So they are going to be the group that you’re going to see.”