For the Chicago Cubs to return to the World Series in 2019, they’re going to need all-hands-on-deck, especially when it comes to the starting rotation. There’s no disputing the talent in this pitching staff, anchored by multiple guys who’ve found themselves in the Cy Young conversation at some point in their career.
That’s the caveat, though. Cole Hamels, who turned in a pair of scoreless frames this week in Cactus League action, last received Cy Young votes in 2014 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Granted, he was stellar last season after coming over via trade, especially in the month of August, but he’s still a 35-year-old lefty with more than 2,500 innings on his arm.