Four years ago, it didn’t really matter whose turn came up in the Cubs rotation. Manager Joe Maddon had a staff loaded with talent, including the reigning NL Cy Young winner in Jake Arrieta and a pair of 2016 NL Cy Young finalists in Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks. Even the back end of that staff, which featured right-handers John Lackey and Jason Hammel, was a strong tandem capable of working deep into ballgames and giving the team quality almost every time out.
That’s not how this season is going to go.