Cubs Finally Find Replacement for Drew Smyly

Earlier this week David Ross was asked about Drew Smyly possibly moving to the bullpen and he defended the veteran left-hander after his rough outing against the Detroit Tigers. Ross also said that there wasn't anyone waiting in line to step in to join the rotation.

Well, Jed Hoyer made sure to address Smyly's status and on Thursday he confirmed that Smyly will be going to the bullpen, as speculation around Jordan Wicks picked up steam after the prospect was scratched from his start at Triple-A. Wicks was seen throwing in the bullpen, getting in some side work with the Iowa Cubs and although his next start wasn't confirmed, it looked clear the team was getting Wicks prepared to pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend.

Iowa Cubs beat reporter Tommy Birch has been all over the recent development and according to him Wicks may now be in line to start on Saturday, as the left-handed pitcher has left Indianapolis, where Iowa is playing this week.

Many thought that Wicks would simply fill in on Sunday, when Smyly was next scheduled to start, but if Wicks does indeed pitch on Saturday, then right-hander Javier Assad would get pushed back. That would give him an extra day of rest after throwing a season-high 91 pitches on Monday against the Tigers.

Wicks, 23, was promoted up to Triple-A at the end of June and his last four starts have been fantastic for the 2021 first round pick out of Kansas State. The lefty starter has allowed five earned runs in his last 19.2 innings, coming out to a 2.29 ERA. His last outing was on Aug. 17, and Wicks silenced concerns about his decreasing strikeout rate and ability to miss bats at Triple-A, by striking out seven batters in 4.2 innings.

Overall at Triple-A, Wicks has recorded a 3.82 ERA in 33 innings, with 30 strikeouts to 13 walks and 1.18 WHIP. Combining his numbers at Double-A, Wicks has a 3.55 ERA in 91.1 innings in 2023 with a 3/1 K/BB ratio.

It's tough to temper expectations when a prospect comes up, but it is important to view anyone who comes up with context. Like so many of the Cubs pitching prospects, Wicks has not gone deep in many starts this season. The left-hander has only gone six innings once in 2023, which came back on May 25, when Wicks was still at Double-A.

Here's a brief scouting report from MLB Pipeline.

Via MLB.com.

Wicks had the best changeup in his Draft class, a plus-plus offering in the low 80s that tumbles at the plate and helps the rest of his repertoire play up because it keeps hitters so off balance. His four-seam fastball is more notable for its riding action than its velocity, usually ranging from 91-93 mph and topping out at 96, and he'll also mix in an occasional sinker. The Cubs have helped him add sweep to his low-80s slider, which has become an average breaking pitch in contrast to his fringy upper-70s curveball. 

While Wicks can't overpower hitters, he compensates by repeating his low-effort delivery so easily that he can locate his pitches where he wants. He's creative and competitive on the mound, and his enhanced slider will help him miss more bats against more advanced competition. He has a high floor as at potential mid-rotation starter and could arrive at Wrigley Field before he reaches 200 innings in the Minors. 

Good call on the timeline because Wicks will be making his MLB debut with 193 minor league innings under his belt. There's a chance that if Ben Brown had not gotten injured that he would have been up, but there's no denying that Wicks has earned his upcoming call up to the major leagues.