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Embrace the Target: The Cubs’ Bullpen Options Are Good in 2016, Pt. I

Last week, I wrote about the wealth of bench options the Cubs have available to them in 2016. Happily, the team finds itself in exactly the same circumstances with respect to its bullpen, which is loaded with dozens of pitchers competing for just a few spots. Sure, the final composition of the ‘pen isn’t locked in […]

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Edwards and Rosscup: How to Turn Two Erratic Specialists into One Jam-Defusing Buzzsaw

The Cubs called up right-handed reliever Carl Edwards, Jr. on Monday, adding an extra arm to their bullpen for a stretch run that seems sure to include at least one bullpen day and a plethora of opportunities for mop-up or emergency appearances, like the one he made in his big-league debut Monday afternoon. Edwards pitched […]

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A Long Season in Short Relief

The truth about contending teams’ bullpens is that very few of them remain the same throughout a season. The easiest thing to add at the trade deadline is an extra relief arm, and the easiest guy to displace to make room for any addition is the last guy in a bullpen, but that’s only part […]