The Chicago Cubs are definitely one of the best teams in baseball on paper thanks to a strong offseason in which they swung a trade for pitcher Edward Cabrera and signed Alex Bregman in free agency.
Yes, the Cubs lost Kyle Tucker (and to the Los Angeles Dodgers, of all teams), but the rest of their roster is undeniably impressive.
As a result, it will be tough for some fringe players to actually make Chicago’s roster, and that includes pitcher Ben Brown.
Brown made 25 appearances and 15 starts last season, going 5-8 with a 5.92 ERA while allowing 121 hits and racking up 121 strikeouts over 106.1 innings of work. The strikeout numbers were impressive, but the overall results were obviously more than questionable.
The 26-year-old is now in a tough spot with the Cubs given their starting rotation depth, but Brandon Glick of Cubbies Crib has pitched a potential solution for Brown: moving to the bullpen.
The Chicago Cubs should make Ben Brown a full-time reliever
For some reason, Chicago is insisting on attempting to make Brown a starter when it seems pretty clear that he has the stuff to become a very good reliever.
“The problem is (and remains) that he only has two offerings. Brown would make for a fine reliever with his combination of velocity and big breaker, but the Cubs remain committed to keeping him stretched out for the rotation,” Glick wrote. “That’s a tall ask for someone who can’t really make it through the order multiple times without showing every trick up his sleeve.”
Relievers typically have only a couple of key pitches that they employ, and in Brown’s case, it certainly works for him when it comes to fanning hitters. He also has pretty good control, owning a lifetime 2.8 BB/9 through two big-league campaigns. He also owns a very respectable 3.63 K/BB ratio.
So why is Chicago being stubborn in trying to give Brown a spot in the rotation?
The right-hander posted a 6.30 ERA as a starter in 2025. Sure, his 4.99 ERA out of the bullpen wasn’t sparkling, but his 4.44 K/BB ratio as a relief pitcher indicates that there is potential for Brown to actually become an integral cog late in games.
The Cubs should absolutely abandon the idea of Brown as a starter and convert him into a reliever. We’ll see if they actually make the right move.
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