One of the big stories heading into the spring for the Cubs was their rotation. With only three spots solidified in their starting five, Chicago left a host of arms to challenge for one of the last two spots.
Despite carrying a pair of guys who were in the rotation last year, Randy Wells and Carlos Silva, Mike Quade left it open to others, including Casey Coleman, James Russell, Andrew Cashner, as well as a duo of journeymen in Braden Looper and Todd Wellemeyer.
While Wells and Silva had appeared favorites to land the spots, considering their experience in the rotation, only one half of the pair appears to be set to join the Cubs' rotation.
Wells has pitched extremely well this spring for Chicago. The former minor league catcher has allowed just two earned runs in 14 spring innings to this point. His WHIP is at a solid 0.86, while opposing hitters are managing just .191 off of Wells.
Silva has melted down this spring, both in the dugout and on the stat sheet. After losing his temper on Aramis Ramirez in the dugout after getting tagged for six runs, Silva has not gotten any better.
In just eight spring innings, Silva has given up 15 earned runs, and 18 overall. Opposing hitters are batting an astounding .439 off Silva.
The struggles of Silva have appeared to open the door for Andrew Cashner, one of the Cubs' top prospects prior to 2010. Cashner spent the 2010 season in the bullpen, flashing a dominating arsenal, but also prone to some rookie struggles.
He hasn't been mindblowing to this point in the spring, but the big reason for optimism comes after his most recent start, which came on Wednesday against Oakland. The young fireballer tossed 3.1 innings, surrendering just one earned on two hits.
The biggest concern for Cashner is whether he can make the transition from hurling just an inning to throwing six or seven in a game. He threw over 70 pitches on Tuesday, getting better as the game went on. More starts like that and Cashner can begin to put those concerns to bed.
With Wells all but locking down the fourth spot in Chicago's rotation, that leaves several guys fighting for one spot. Cashner appears to be the favorite to this point, especially given that he's receiving tips from both Kerry Wood and Greg Maddux, which could allow this young kid to mature much quicker. A scary thought for opposing hitters.
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Cubs Rotation: Cashner The Favorite For Fifth Spot? - North Side State Of Mind
