Brad Wieck

2020 was basically a lost season for Wieck. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in February and would have likely missed the beginning of the season if it had started on time. He was able to recover in time for the start of the abbreviated campaign in July, but the lefty then landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain after his first appearance of the year. Wieck subsequently suffered a setback during his rehab and never returned to the Cubs. When he was healthy in 2019, Wieck posted a 5.71 ERA across 34.2 innings, but his 4.54 FIP and 12.72 K/9 were more promising. Assuming he can get back to full strength during the offseason, Wieck should slot in as a middle-relief option for the Cubs in 2021, though he could conceivably move up the pecking order due to his ability to miss bats.

Wieck's seven-inning debut in 2018 was too short to place much stock in his 1.29 ERA, but his drop to a 5.71 ERA in 34.2 frames in 2019 was still quite disappointing. His peripherals were not nearly so poor, as he combined a strong 33.1 K% with a roughly average 8.8 BB%. His primary problem was a 2.1 HR/9, the product of a low 31.3% groundball rate and a high 19.5% HR/FB rate. The latter number likely represents some bad luck, so if that regresses to Wieck's benefit, he could be a valuable member of the Cubs' bullpen in 2020. The Cubs lack an established hierarchy in front of Craig Kimbrel, and Wieck has the strikeout rate to conceivably pitch in high leverage. His lack of a track record means he's not a great investment during draft season, though he could become interesting as the season progresses.

A velocity spike in 2017 allowed Wieck to finally clear the last hurdle and make his major-league debut as a 26-year-old last year. He threw seven innings of relief for the Padres, allowing just one run while striking out 10 batters. The lefty's numbers with Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso were similarly impressive, as he posted a 2.53 ERA in 46.1 innings, striking out 36.1% of batters while walking 8.8%. With a fastball that can touch 99 mph and a plus curveball, Wieck would seem to have plenty of potential as a high-leverage reliever. It would be a surprise to see him push toward the closer conversation in 2019, but he could have some fringe deep-league value regardless as his average appearance last season lasted 1.4 innings, suggesting he'll be more than just a LOOGY.