In recent years, the Cubs’ inability to develop homegrown pitching has reached such mythical proportions that it has become part of the banter in minor-league clubhouses and bullpens throughout the farm system.
“It’s well documented,” said Jason McLeod, the Cubs’ top scouting and player development executive. “It’s been such a topic for discussion we talk about it openly with our minor league guys, wanting our pitchers to take that challenge and see that there are opportunities for them to take some major steps, and come up here and be part of what this club’s trying to do and insert themselves into a playoff-type environment, where they can help the team.”
So it was certainly not lost on touted right-hander Adbert Alzolay that only six pitchers in eight seasons have thrown even one pitch for the Cubs after being acquired as amateurs and developed on McLeod’s and team president Theo Epstein’s watch. None has come close to sticking – much less throwing a playoff pitch.
It was against this backdrop that No. 7 made his major-league debut in relief of Tyler Chatwood on Thursday night against the Mets.
“It’s just crazy,” said Alzolay, who carried by far the most promise among that group – if not the hope of those behind him – into a debut that is expected to lead to at least a start or two before the All-Star break.
“You’re just trying to reach here,” he said, “and to be the first guys is a big responsibility, too, because I think you have to share that with all those guys [in the minors], too.”
Alzolay, 24, was on the radar for a big-league debut last year before suffering a season-ending lat strain in May, and he opened this season late because of a similar injury.
Now the kid from Venezuela, who signed as an amateur in 2012 for $10,000, gets the chance to be what first-round draft pick Pierce Johnson could not – what international signee Jen-Ho Tseng could not.
Thursday’s spot in the rotation opened when Kyle Hendricks (shoulder) was put on the injured list Saturday.
Alzolay might get the start instead of Chatwood the next time that spot comes up – or perhaps more likely they start back-to-back days as the Cubs go to a temporary six-man rotation to spell veteran starters.
Either way, he should get chances to stick for as long as he can persuade the Cubs he makes them better.
“We’ve already discussed different methods in trying to keep him here,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He has the kind of ability that could transform a group.
“Then, again, you don’t want to lay too much on him,” Maddon quickly added. “He’s a young man. He’s trying to make his mark. I think with the surroundings here and other guys that are on the staff that wrap their arms around him, this is the perfect situation for him to morph into a team like this.”
That’s the thing.
It’s not fair to put the next wave of organizational hopes in developing starting pitcher on the shoulders of one kid.
But it’s also the natural result of eight years of an almost unheard of failure to develop pitching – even for an organization that puts heavy, intentional emphasis on hitters.
Consider those six before him have combined for just four starts, 34 relief appearances and 62 total innings – and, again, not one pitch in 37 postseason games.
How important does that make having a homegrown pitcher on the Cubs’ staff? How big a deal for any staff?
“If you’re running the organization it’s a big deal,” Maddon said. “When you have them right out of the womb, man, there’s a lot of investment in that right from the scouts to the developmental people, to the big-league staff.
“The fact that we’ve had a hard time developing pitchers, yeah, it’s good to get your feet on the ground with that and then try to recreate the template as you continue along.”
