MESA, Ariz. (670 The Score) -- With Brandon Morrow expected to be sidelined through April as he continues rehabbing from arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow, Cubs manager Joe Maddon has a handful of experienced relievers to choose from to fill the closer's role on any given night.
Pedro Strop, Steve Cishek, Brad Brach and Carl Edwards Jr. will be in the mix to fill the ninth-inning role. Who gets most of the chances isn't completely clear, as Maddon won't name a closer to begin the season. He will instead define roles for his pitchers the day before or the morning of a game.
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Taking the pressure off of relievers is part of the logic behind the closer-by-committee approach.
"Sure, the idea is not to worry about when you are pitching, just be ready to pitch," Maddon said. "We will give them heads up. That will come on a daily basis. When you got a bunch of guys who work from that premise, it makes our jobs (as coaches) a lot easier. That should benefit the team. It is just about routine."
Strop has been a rock in the bullpen, posting a 2.91 ERA or better with the Cubs in every season he has spent in Chicago. He ended 2018 nursing a hamstring strain but will again be counted on in high-leverage moments.
Brach, 32, signed with the Cubs in late January. He had a viral infection that cut back the original value that he had agreed to after a medial review. Brach had agreed to a contract with a $3-million salary for 2019 and which guaranteed him at least $4.65 million with the buyout clause. The restructured deal is now for $1.65 million in 2019, though there are bonuses included for days spent on the active roster.
Brach is expected to make his Cactus League debut Wednesday afternoon.
"Brach has been progressing well -- not quickly, but well," Maddon said. "So he is feeling good right now. He seems like a tough guy who may keep some things internal. He is feeling stronger, so now we let him pitch."
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Maddon likes the flexible approach the Cubs plan to use with Morrow out. In some days, he'll use Strop as the closer in the ninth inning, while other days he may bring him in early during a key situation in the seventh or eighth inning.
"The ability to mix and match is always interesting," Maddon said. "You have all of those options available to you at the end of a ballgame. You do not have to beat anyone up. You can bring them in and out of different situations. You show trust in all these guys. By the end of the year, they are all (usually) pitching very well."
When Maddon does have the luxury of a dominant arm, he would prefer having one individual closing. That will be Morrow's role when he's healthy.
"It is always easier for a manager when you have an anchor at the end of the game," Maddon said. "That way you only have to build your pen through eight innings. That is always somewhat easier to do. But when you do not have the ninth taken care of, you must always hold somebody back that day. I must make sure the ninth is covered. So you may not bring a reliever in as early, and the game can get away from you. The ninth-inning job is the toughest three outs. Mentally, it's tough for you. The other team seems to rise to the occasion normally. With a closer, you only have to get nine outs (from your other relievers) instead of 12. These things always seem to happen when you don't have that regular ninth-inning closer."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
