Shota Imanaga's injury created an opening in the Chicago Cubs rotation that a majority of the fan base hoped top prospect Cade Horton would fill. Instead, when the Cubs placed Imanaga on the IL on Monday, they promoted reliever Gavin Hollowell to take his spot. While Horton wasn't the first man called up to replace Imanaga, he might be the starting pitcher the Cubs call on when Imanaga's rotation turn comes up, based on what president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer had to say.
Hoyer named Horton specifically as one of several options to fill that rotation void. While it was encouraging for Cubs fans to hear his name in the conversation, Hoyer's non-answer gives Cubs fans more questions than answers about the team's plans for that rotation spot.
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Cubs comments on Cade Horton don't give fans answer they're looking for
Again, it's somewhat encouraging to see Horton's name in this conversation, but Cubs fans need more information. He's an option, but is he the option?
Ultimately, only time will tell, but the answer should unequivocally be yes — especially if Imanaga is expected to miss more than the minimum of 15 days, which all indications do suggest.
As Chicago's top pitching prospect, Horton's ceiling is higher than any other Minor League arm in their organization. In addition to his immense potential, Horton has dominated Triple-A hitters this season to the tune of a 1.24 ERA in six starts and 29 innings of work. Command can elude him at times, but he has given up just 12 total hits and has struck out 33 batters. His stuff is overwhelmingly good.
Sure, it's always a bit risky to call on a pitcher who hasn't thrown a single pitch at the MLB level, but the Cubs are now without their two best pitchers with Imanaga and Justin Steele on the IL. Steele won't even be back this season. By promoting Horton now, the Cubs give themselves an opportunity to see just how much of a boost the right-hander can provide this season.
The other options that the Cubs have are guys like Jordan Wicks and Chris Flexen — fine enough No. 5 starters in the right situation, but not good enough to play a major role in a rotation over the long haul like Horton. Cubs fans will likely find the answer they're looking for sometime this weekend. They can only hope Horton is more than just an option.