The All-Decade Chicago Cubs Rotation
The Cubs got the best Jake Arrieta had. He arrived from Baltimore as a low-expectation arm, and within two seasons was a 22-6, 1.77 Cy Young Award winner. He made the All-Star team in 2016 on his way to an 18-8 performance. During five seasons in Chicago, Arrieta went 68-31. His career record at all other stops is 38-44.
Kyle Hendricks arrived from Texas in 2014 and, like Arrieta, blossomed. His 2.13 ERA led the National League in 2016 and he finished third in Cy Young Award voting. Over six seasons as a starter, Hendricks hasn’t yet produced a losing record.
When the Cubs signed Jon Lester as a free agent prior to the 2015 season, it marked the beginning of their ascendency. With the Cubs, Lester has been ace-level. He has a 74-41 record and 3.54 ERA, annually starting in excess of 30 games. In 2016 he finished second in the Cy Young voting. He’s a 2016 and 2018 All-Star selection.
In the dark seasons between 2011 and 2013, Matt Garza was the Cubs’ hope. In 2011 he went 10-10 for a team that lost 91 games, leading the team’s starters in ERA. Injuries limited him to 18 appearances in 2012, then in 2013, he started 6-1 with a 3.17 ERA in 11 appearances for a team that would lose 96 games. Obvious trade bait, he was promptly shipped to Texas for three prospects.
Ryan Dempster filled either the starter or reliever role well. He went 15-12 in 2010 and 30-31 for the final three seasons of his Cub career before being shipped to Texas for Hendricks.