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Brett Anderson
The Cubs signed the veteran lefty as a depth/6th starter in an attempt to keep guys like John Lackey, Jon Lester, and Jake Arrieta fresh throughout the season and into the postseason. However, with the addition of Brett Anderson to the rotation, it takes away a bullpen/bench spot away from the team. Now, the Cubs position players are incredibly flexible in the field which could allow them to absorb the blow of losing a player off their bench. Adding Anderson while subtracting a Tommy La Stell is far more ideal than losing a bullpen arm, but maybe Anderson can fill the role of depth starter and long reliever when necessary?
Right now, Fangraphs has Brett Anderson projected to start in 10 games this season and nothing more. With Anderson’s extensive injury history, that might be plenty of games for the Cubs to feel they received adequate value for the 29-year old. But, if Anderson were able to give the Cubs maybe 5-10 more appearances from the pen, it could allow the Cubs to carry another bat or glove on their bench for pinch hitting or defensive reasons.
Either way, Anderson’s addition to the Cubs brings about many intriguing possibilities and with a manager like Joe Maddon, you can never really tell how he plans on using a player until he does it.
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