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Player Outlook
It was a mostly forgettable 2023 campaign for the veteran Drew Smyly. On a positive note, he was able to rack up 142.1 innings across 41 appearances (23 starts), which was his biggest workload since 2016. However, Smyly didn't pitch particularly well while he was out there, finishing with a 5.00 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. By comparison, the lefty managed a 3.47 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 2022, which was his first season with the Cubs. He lost a few ticks on his fastball, falling from a 92.6 mph average in 2022 to 92.0 last year, though his K/9 actually increased in 2023, settling in just below 9.0. Smyly ultimately suffered from some bad luck in 2023, as evidenced by his .305 BABIP, which was up 30 points from a year earlier. The lefty also had a 3.54 BB/9, which was his highest mark since 2019. That season was also the last time Smyly had an ERA of 5.00 or higher, so it stands to reason that if he can cut down the free passes some in 2024, he should be able to lower his ERA as well. Whether the veteran attempts to do that from a starting role remains to be seen. The Cubs have Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Kyle Hendricks locked into rotation spots, with the likes of Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad and Hayden Wesneski behind them. That could push Smyly into more of a long-relief or swing role, which would limit his already diminished fantasy value.

Fantasy Stats

Year fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
ip
Innings Pitched
w
Wins
l
Losses
sv
Saves
so
Strikeouts
bb
Base on Balls (Walk)
era
Earned Run Average
whip
Walks and Hits Allowed Per Inning
2024 0.00 0.00
2023 246.56 142.3 11 11 141 56 5.00 1.43
2022 215.59.8 106.3 7 8 91 26 3.47 1.19
3y Avg. 2457.9 125.0 10 8 116 41 4.39 1.34
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Roster
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Fantasy News

  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Misses out on rotation spot

    Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed Thursday that Smyly will begin the season in the bullpen, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports. Though Jameson Taillon (back) is slated to begin the season on the injured list, the Cubs are electing to fill the final two spots in the five-man rotation with Jordan Wicks and Javier Assad rather than opening the campaign with Smyly in a starting role. Counsell noted that he still expects Smyly to make starts at some point this season, so the 35-year-old lefty presumably checks in at seventh on the organization's rotation depth chart, including the injured Taillon.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Could serve as spot starter

    Smyly could start the regular season in the rotation with Jameson Taillon (back) set to miss some time into April, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. Taillon could return as soon as April 8 in San Diego, but the Cubs will have to fill his rotation spot until then. Justin Steele is set to start Opening Day on March 28, and Chicago gets an off day after that. However, the Cubs then have games on five straight days, so a full rotation will likely be needed. Beyond Steele, Kyle Hendricks and Shota Imanaga should be locked into starting spots, and Jordan Wicks is making a strong case in camp. That could leave Smyly, Javier Assad and Hayden Wesneski to compete for the No. 5 spot, at least until Taillon returns.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Pitches well Sunday

    Smyly tossed 3.1 scoreless innings in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rangers. He allowed four hits and a walk, while striking out four. Smyly still has a rough 6.14 ERA in Cactus League play due to some rough outings earlier this spring, but this was a step in the right direction. The veteran lefty is likely headed for a bullpen role at some point, though a short-term opportunity to start may open up with Jameson Taillon (back) in jeopardy of missing time to start the regular season. Righties Javier Assad and Hayden Wesneski are also options for spot starting duties.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Gets hit hard Thursday

    Smyly allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk across two innings during Thursday's Cactus League game against the Rockies. He struck out one. Smyly allowed a pair of home runs in his two frames and was just hit around the park in general. The veteran lefty was much better in his first spring start Saturday, but he now has an inflated 11.25 ERA across four innings in Cactus League play. Smyly is competing for the fifth spot in Chicago's rotation, though he could ultimately end up in a similar swing role to the one he occupied last season.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Competing for rotation spot

    Smyly is likely competing with Hayden Wesneski, Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks for the fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation to begin the season, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. Smyly made 41 appearances, including 23 starts, for Chicago last season and struggled with a 5.00 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. The veteran lefty can still miss some bats, as he recorded 141 strikeouts in 142.1 innings in 2023, and the team may want to deploy him in a relief role to see if his stuff plays up in favorable matchups. Smyly can still have some limited fantasy value in the right spots, though he's likely best used as a streamer if he's starting.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Sticking with Cubs

    Smyly exercised his $8.5 million player option for the 2024 season Monday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. Smyly will remain in Chicago for the 2024 campaign, as he was unlikely to surpass his guaranteed money elsewhere over the next year. He'll look to bounce back after a rocky 2023 season, accruing a 5.00 ERA and 1.43 WHIP with a 141:56 K:BB across 142.1 innings.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Starting Sunday

    Smyly will start Sunday's game against the Brewers, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Smyly figures to work a few innings in what may turn out to be a bullpen game for Chicago after the club was eliminated from postseason contention Saturday night. The veteran southpaw has plenty of experience in a starting role, though he was converted to a reliever for the final month of the season and has worked only 15.2 innings over 11 appearances in September.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Returning to relief role

    Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Thursday that Smyly will return to a bullpen role, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports. It's unclear who might fill the vacant rotation spot, though Hoyer offered an intriguing "no comment" when asked if it could be top pitching prospect Jordan Wicks. Smyly was lit up for seven earned runs over 3.2 innings in his most recent start Tuesday at Detroit and holds a 5.28 ERA in 124.1 total innings (22 starts, five relief appearances) this year with Chicago.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Seven earned runs in loss

    Smyly (9-9) took the loss Tuesday, allowing seven runs on eight hits and three walks over 3.2 innings in an 8-6 loss to the Tigers. He struck out four. The veteran southpaw's return to Chicago's rotation was a disaster, as he allowed 11 baserunners and served up two long homers to Andy Ibanez. Smyly pitched well in his three recent relief appearances, but this marks his second consecutive start allowing seven earned runs. Smyly now has an 8.60 ERA and 1.62 WHIP across 30.1 second-half innings and it remains to be seen whether he will receive another start.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Rejoining rotation Tuesday

    Smyly is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Tigers, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports. The veteran left-hander was shifted to the bullpen earlier in August and covered one frame in each of his past three outings, but he'll return to the rotation Tuesday with Marcus Stroman (ribs/hip) still on the injured list. Smyly hasn't covered multiple innings since his last start Aug. 7, so he could have some workload limitations in Detroit. Even without those limitations, Smyly's 4.92 ERA in 21 starts this year makes him an undesirable fantasy option.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Moved to bullpen

    Cubs manager David Ross announced Wednesday that Smyly has been temporarily moved to the bullpen, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports. Chicago has three days off in the next week and can roll with a smaller rotation for a bit. Also clouding Smyly's role is that Marcus Stroman (hip) is due back within the next few weeks. The 34-year-old left-hander was lit up for seven earned runs over five innings in his last turn Monday versus the Mets as his season ERA rose to 5.05.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Lit up again Monday

    Smyly (8-8) took the loss against the Mets on Monday, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out five batters over five-plus innings. It was another uninspiring performance by Smyly, who was victimized by two Pete Alonso homers within the first three innings that accounted for five of the runs against him. Despite the long balls, the left-handed hurler managed to get through five frames without completely falling apart, but he allowed three straight singles to open the sixth and then departed after walking in a run. Smyly has given up 12 runs over 9.2 innings across his past two starts and has surrendered at least four earned runs in six of eight outings dating back to June 28. That poor stretch has lifted his ERA from a respectable 3.37 to 5.05.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Struggles in no-decison

    Smyly tossed 4.2 innings against Cincinnati on Wednesday, allowing five runs on six hits and no walks while striking out seven batters in a no-decision. Smyly had pitched behind an opener in each of his two previous outings, but he returned to a traditional starting role Wednesday. The change didn't appear to benefit the left-hander, as he fell behind 5-2 after four frames and was pulled with two outs in the fifth. The Cubs eventually came back with a massive offensive outburst in the late innings to take Smyly off the hook, but that doesn't do much to soften the veteran's struggles. After pitching well for a period earlier in the campaign, Smyly has mostly fallen off the fantasy radar, posting an 8.40 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 35:11 K:BB over 30 innings across his past seven starts.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Struggles again Monday

    Smyly (7-7) took the loss against Washington on Monday, allowing five runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over six innings. It didn't take long for Smyly to fall behind in the contest, as he gave up a two-run home run to Jeimer Candelario in the first inning. The southpaw ended up surrendering five runs in the contest, the fifth time in 19 starts he's yielded at least that many runs in a game. Smyly at least managed to make it through six frames after going no more than four innings in each of his previous three appearances, but he wasn't able to put an end to his recent struggles. Over his past four outings, he's gone 0-3 while compiling a 9.87 ERA, 2.08 WHIP and 17:9 K:BB in 17.1 innings.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Gets tagged early

    Smyly (7-6) took the loss Saturday, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks over four innings against the Yankees. He struck out three. Smyly was victimized by the long ball early, surrendering a solo homer to Giancarlo Stanton in the first inning and another solo shot to Josh Donaldson in the second. The right-hander allowed runs in each of his first three innings of work and failed to make it beyond the fourth inning for the third consecutive start. He's now lost five of his last seven starts and has given up at least two homers in three of his last five.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Struggles in no-decision

    Smyly did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks over 3.2 innings against Milwaukee. He struck out five. Smyly got through the first two innings unscathed, but the Brewers tagged him for three runs in the third before forcing the left-hander out of the game in the fourth. Smyly has struggled to a 6.49 ERA over his last seven outings after pitching to a 2.60 mark in his first 10 starts. Overall, the 34-year-old southpaw is 7-5 with a 4.10 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 76:30 K:BB across 90 innings this season. Smyly will look to get back on track in his next outing, tentatively scheduled for next week against the Yankees.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Knocked around by Phillies

    Smyly (7-5) took the loss against Philadelphia on Wednesday, allowing seven runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out two batters over 3.2 innings. Smyly, working on eight days of rest since his previous start, allowed a season-high seven earned runs and recorded his second-shortest start of the campaign while tying a season-low mark with just two punchouts. The left-hander gave up multiple homers for just the second time this year, though both of those instances have come across his past three starts. He has been mostly boom-or-bust in terms of performance this season, allowing two or fewer earned runs in 11 starts but surrendering five-plus earned runs in four of the other five appearances.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Cruises to seventh win

    Smyly (7-4) tossed five scoreless innings to earn the win Monday against the Pirates. He allowed three hits and five walks while striking out four. The Cubs scored three runs in the second inning and that was more than enough for Smyly in the eventual 8-0 victory. The lefty struggled with control, issuing a season high in walks, and needed 94 pitches to cover five innings, but he was otherwise strong as he lowered his season ERA to 3.38. Smyly is now tied for second on the team in wins, one behind Marcus Stroman. The veteran will look to build on this in his next outing, which will likely come early next week against the Phillies, as the Cubs have two off days this week that will push the whole rotation back.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Struggles early but earns win

    Smyly (6-4) earned the victory in Wednesday's 10-6 win over Pittsburgh, allowing five runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out four over six innings. The Pirates jumped on Smyly for three runs on a pair of homers in the first inning, but the veteran left-hander settled down from there, holding Pittsburgh to two more runs over his final five frames as the Cubs came back for a 10-6 win. The win snapped a three-start losing streak for Smyly, who's pitched to a 6.04 ERA over his last four outings after he hadn't allowed more than two earned runs in his previous nine starts. He now sports a 3.59 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP and 65:21 K:BB through 14 starts (77.2 innings) this season.
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  • Cubs' Drew Smyly: Takes fourth loss

    Smyly (5-4) took the loss Thursday, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks over six innings against the Angels. He struck out four. Smyly suffered from a lack of run support as he delivered his fifth quality start of the season. The southpaw has been fairly consistent in 2023, not allowing more than two earned runs in 10 of his 13 outings. The veteran is tentatively slated to face the Pirates at home in his next start.
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