Justin Wilson is one of Theo Epstein's most polarizing acquisitions in his Chicago Cubs tenure. The reliever was supposed to solve issues in the back of the bullpen. Seemingly every other outing, however, he just creates more problems. Never was that more apparent than Saturday afternoon (May 19). The reliever was called upon to usher the Cubs from the 11th to the 12th inning in a lengthy affair with the downtrodden Cincinnati Reds. Things didn't go to plan, though. Instead, an embarrassing gaffe led to a terrible ending of the first game of a doubleheader.
What are the pros and cons of having Wilson in the bullpen?
The good
After a bad outing, it always feels as if the sky is falling. But it isn't. Wilson has been solid this season, if not unspectacular. He sports a 3.63 ERA, which is only a hair above his career mark (3.29). For a reliever, that's about middle-of-the-road. Prior to Saturday's blowup, he hadn't allowed an earned run since April 24. Most of his stats date back to April 12, when he gave up a hideous four earned runs.
Otherwise, he's been alright. He may never again be the top-line reliever he appeared destined to become once upon a time. But Joe Maddon knows he can get reliable innings out of him. Wilson's ERA is towards the bottom of the Cubs bullpen, which says a lot about the team's strength there.
He's only 30 years old, so the potential for better days ahead is always there.
The bad
When Wilson blows up, the damage is catastrophic. During Saturday's game, his job was to get outs or at least fail in the effort to do so. Instead, he surrendered a game-winning walk, one of the most shameful gaffes in all of pitching. He would've been better off lobbing one over the center of the plate, that way at least it would seem as if it was a respectable effort at throwing a strike.
Still, this wasn't as bad as April 12. In just 2/3 of an inning, he surrendered three hits (two home runs) and four runs. Chicago only trailed the Pittsburgh Pirates by a run before Wilson blew up. His mistakes put the game well out of reach for Chicago, who was struggling to start the season. Outings like that aren't representative of his overall game, but they can demoralize a team, especially one that will find themselves in a playoff run later on in the year.
Justin Wilson has become a polarizing figure in Chicago. Either he'll be an important piece of a World Series contender or a reason the Cubs fall short. We'll have to wait and see.