Dillon Maples Typifies Cubs’ Pitching Development

The Cubs won a seven-game World Series last year without a homegrown pitcher throwing a single pitch, but a next generation of arms finally is nearing Chicago. That development made it easier to trade righthander Dylan Cease—who still has to master three more minor league levels while also staying healthy—in the Jose Quintana deal with the White Sox.

“It’s been a really good year for pitching development in our system,” president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. “We are excited about certain guys on the way here.”

The Cubs are starting to see returns on their seven-figure investment in Taiwanese righthander Jen-Ho Tseng, who graduated from Double-A Southern League all-star to the Triple-A Iowa rotation at age 22.

The Cubs nearly released righthander Dillon Maples in spring training before he reinvented himself as a reliever who pitches backwards with an off-the-charts breaking ball. Within four months, Maples jumped from high Class A Myrtle Beach to Double-A Tennessee to Iowa, realizing the potential that netted him $2.5 million as a 14th-round pick in 2011 out of high school in Southern Pines, N.C.

Through 45 appearances, the 25-year-old Maples recorded a 2.54 ERA and 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Cubs went outside their comfort zone in the draft this year, using their highest-ever picks on pitchers during the Epstein regime, taking righthanders Brendon Little (No. 27) and Alex Lange (No. 30). During this trading cycle, the Cubs also held onto a number of interesting lower-level pitchers, such as righthanders Adbert Alzolay and Thomas Hatch, who have a chance to someday shape their rotation.

“We made such a concerted effort over the last two or three years to draft and develop pitching,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “We know that’s something that hasn’t been as easy for us as developing hitting and developing offensive players.

“We were reluctant to dip into it more. We wanted to make sure that we protected those guys and allowed those guys to continue to develop with us.”

CUBBYHOLE

• The Cubs hit on so many first-round picks and trade targets that they have a good idea of what their 2021 Opening Day lineup should look like, which will make it less awkward to watch if Eloy Jimenez, also a part of the Quintana trade, becomes a star with the White Sox. Likewise, third baseman Jeimer Candelario can take advantage of an opportunity with the Tigers that he never would have gotten at Wrigley Field because of Kris Bryant.

Patrick Mooney covers the Cubs for CSNChicago.com