Levine: Cubs May Continue 6-Man Rotation In 2nd Half Of Season

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- With a sixth starting pitcher already in the rotation for the Cubs, can this subtle change become a fixture for Chicago and other clubs in the future?

Perhaps, but teams already have a hard enough time finding fourth and fifth guys to traipse out to the mound on a regular basis.

The Cubs are using right-hander Adam Warren this time through the rotation, and they're having meetings to decide if that should continue after the All-Star break. The Cubs play six straight games to start the second half of the season, beginning on July 15.

With his starters all showing some natural wear and tear, manager Joe Maddon was asked if the six-man rotation in the second half of every season made sense.

In other words, will a six-man starting corps be in vogue soon?

"I like it," Maddon replied. "It is definitely a possibility. There are certainly different ways to be creative about that. The biggest problem is having that sixth man you like."

Warren pitched well in his first start for the Cubs on Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits in five innings. He was the Yankees' top starter the first half of 2015 before returning to their bullpen in the second half. Warren was acquired by the Cubs as a swing man, with the notion he would be a stopgap pitcher for the five rotation men. The Cubs' top brass and Maddon helped brainstorm an offseason plan to have numerous bullpen guys with starting experience on the staff.

Trevor Cahill, Travis Wood, Clayton Richard and Warren all had starting experience as a part of their resumes. So in the case of the Cubs, a six-man mix from late July until season's end could be a practical success if everyone bought in.

"The biggest problem with that idea is selling your regular five starters on that," Maddon said. "That is where you have to be proactive, conversationally. You talk to your pitchers in advance of the moment and tell them we are going to do this. You might not agree with it, but we think this will good for both you and us in the later part of August, September and, hopefully, in October."

The key to any new baseball concept is having the manpower to make it happen.

"That is definitely a potential concept that you will see utilized more often," Maddon said. "You want to have a gut you feel good about to do that with."

The Cubs have lost 12 of 18 games since June 19. During this downturn, the rotation has supplied just three wins. Kyle Hendricks has three of the last four wins by a starter. Jake Arrieta has the other win.

Chicago still has the lowest combined rotation ERA in baseball (2.89). The ERA has gone up 0.53, or a half of a run, in the last 17 games.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.