The Chicago Cubs acquired veteran right-handed pitcher Colin Rea on a one-year, $5 million free agent deal.
The acquisition came as a surprise to many, as most felt the Cubs would be targeting a shutdown closer for the bullpen, a younger and stronger starting arm, and/or infield depth pieces with third base possibility.
Keen observers definitely did not see Chicago picking up a 34-year-old, bottom of rotation piece rather than all of the above.
Acquiring Colin Rea Was Puzzling
Rea is not a bad pitcher and the deal, which includes a team option for 2026, isn’t a bad deal. On most teams, this would’ve been considered a solid acquisition.
But adding Rea doesn’t line up with the Cubs’ needs. It also pulls money away from Chicago’s other, more pressing, needs– a frustrating detour for a team that seems more and more concerned with budget issues.
On the surface, Rea was brought on to provide depth and flexibility. He would be an insurance policy in case of injury, a capable veteran who would serve as a bullpen long relief guy until needed to step into a rotation spot.
He could even win a rotation spot, adding more veteran stability to the staff.
At the very least, Rea is a stable presence that could assume a leadership role if/when the Cubs make a playoff run. Manager Craig Counsell knows him from his Milwaukee Brewers days and, apparently, trusts and values his ability to contribute. That could be good enough to earn a roster spot ahead of a younger, less-proven pitcher.
But, could there be another reason behind adding Rea to a staff that, apparently, doesn’t currently need his services?
Chicago Cubs Toying With The Idea Of A Six-Man Rotation?
The idea of experimenting with a 6-man rotation has been tossed around a bit and it could be a possibility for the Cubs in 2025.
Moving from the 5-man rotation has its pros and cons, both in theory and in limited MLB practice.
On the pro side, a 6-man starting crew preserves pitcher arm strength and lets starters bring more of their physical “A game” to the latter part of the season. It’s also considered to combat injury and fatigue. Limited use in MLB has shown all of the above to be true, with advanced analytics confirming the physical benefits.
Those against the idea point out that such a rotation can throw pitchers off their schedule and routine. It also, ultimately, gives fewer innings to the aces of the staff as they will have fewer starts. Another factor is that the addition of an extra starter means one fewer reliever. Analytics show that bullpen performance drops over the long haul as the extra burden begins to wear on relievers.
The Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan regularly uses a 6-man rotation as standard practice and the benefits of health and longevity for their starters is clearly evident.
The Rotation, As Of Today
As things sit with the Cubs right now, the starting five is pretty much set at Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, and Javier Assad. Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, Cade Horton, and now Colin Rea are also rotation possibilities.
It wouldn’t take much imagination to picture Counsell slipping Rea in as the sixth starter in a 6-man rotation. The move could specifically benefit Imanaga and Assad as pitchers who may struggle with a full season workload. It could also help the recently rehabbed Boyd. It wouldn’t be the craziest idea to want to preserve rotation vitality for the dog days of summer.
We’ll see soon enough what the Cubs have in mind with Rea.
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