Chicago Cubs: 5 Key Questions That Need Answering in Spring Training

Even the defending champs have some questions that need answering.

The Chicago Cubs have as much talent as any team in baseball; however, the coaching staff needs to decide who will fill the final spots on the bench and in the bullpen.

If there's one area that could turn into a compelling position battle, it's the No. 5 starter spot. An injury-plagued veteran with major upside, a standout reliever and a top prospect-turned-reclamation project are among the options.

Then there's the matter of discussing a potential extension with All-Star starter Jake Arrieta.

With pitchers and catchers set to begin reporting in a matter of days, here's an in-depth look at the five key questions the Cubs will need to answer this spring.

Who Wins the Final Bullpen Spot?

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Brian Duensing looks like the favorite to serve as the second lefty out of the pen.

Seven relievers appear to be locks to break camp as part of the Cubs bullpen:

• RHP Wade Davis
• RHP Carl Edwards Jr.
• RHP Justin Grimm
• LHP Mike Montgomery
• RHP Hector Rondon
• RHP Pedro Strop
• RHP Koji Uehara

The team is planning to carry eight relievers this season as opposed to the standard seven, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, so that leaves one spot up for grabs.

A handful of 40-man roster players will get a look:

• RHP Jake Buchanan
• LHP Brian Duensing
• RHP Pierce Johnson (R)
• LHP Jack Leathersich
• RHP Alec Mills (R)
• RHP Felix Pena (R)
• RHP Jose Rosario (R)
• LHP Caleb Smith (R-Rule 5)
• LHP Rob Zastryzny (R)

There are also several non-roster invitees worth keeping an eye on:

• RHP Maikel Cleto
• RHP Dylan Floro
• RHP Jim Henderson
• RHP Conor Mullee
• LHP Manny Parra
• RHP Fernando Rodriguez

Assuming the team wants to carry two lefties, the favorites have to be Rule 5 pick Caleb Smith and veteran free-agent signing Brian Duensing—who inked a one-year, $2 million deal earlier this offseason.

Rob Zastryzny could be the X-factor depending on whether the team prefers to keep him stretched out as a starter in Triple-A or opts to utilize him as a reliever for a more immediate impact.

Who Wins the Final Bench Spot?

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Matt Szczur will be fighting for the final spot on Chicago's bench.

The push for the final bench spot is considerably less convoluted.

All due respect to Jemile Weeks, Munenori Kawasaki, Chris Dominguez and a handful of other non-roster invitees, but it's a two-man race.

• Matt Szczur: 200 PA, .712 OPS, 15 XBH (5 HR), 24 RBI, 30 R, 0.4 WAR
• Tommy La Stella: 169 PA, .763 OPS, 15 XBH (2 HR), 11 RBI, 17 R, 0.6 WAR

Given the versatility of players like Ben Zobrist, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant, the Cubs are not pigeonholed into carrying a position-specific player like a utility infielder or fifth outfielder. Instead, it could come down to the simple matter of who has the better spring.

Szczur provides solid defense at all three outfield positions, decent wheels on the bases and a good pinch-hit option after he led the team and ranked fifth in the majors last season with 12 pinch-hits. Meanwhile, La Stella has plus on-base skills with gap power, and he's capable of providing league-average defense at second and third base.

Both players are unlikely to clear waivers. That could give Szczur a leg up since he's out of minor league options, while La Stella still has two options remaining.

Then again, La Stella did not take kindly to a demotion late last season, and he could push for a trade if he's not part of the Opening Day plans.

Can Eddie Butler Be a Diamond in the Rough?

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Top prospect Eddie Butler turned into spare-part Eddie Butler awfully quick in Colorado. The Cubs are hoping there's still something there.

The 25-year-old was acquired from the Rockies earlier this month in exchange for minor league reliever James Farris after he was designated for assignment.

Butler twice appeared on Baseball America's list of the top 100 prospects, checking in at No. 24 in 2014 and No. 77 in 2015, but he's yet to enjoy much in the way of MLB success.

Working 159.1 innings over the past three seasons, he went 6-16 with a 6.50 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and 94-to-70 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Despite those struggles, vice president of player development Jason McLeod seemed to like his upside while talking with 670 The Score (via CBS Chicago).

Butler is potentially controllable through the 2021 season and not arbitration-eligible for the first time until 2019. If he does prove to be a viable option, he'll be cheap.

Brett Anderson Is the No. 5 Starter, Right?

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It's not often you see a free-agent deal as incentive-laden as the one Brett Anderson signed this winter. He'll earn a base salary of $3.5 million on the one-year pact, but it could be worth as much as $10 million if he hits all the available health incentives.

According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, Anderson will receive $500,000 when he makes his 11th start, $750,000 when he reaches 14 and 17 starts, $1 million each for 20, 23 and 26 starts and $1.5 million for 29 starts.

Anderson has reached the 30-start mark just twice in his eight-year career, and he pitched a grand total of 11.1 innings last season after undergoing back surgery.

The current assumption is that, as long as he makes it through spring training in one piece, he'll break camp as the No. 5 starter, replacing the departed Jason Hammel.

However, that won't stop the team from stretching out Mike Montgomery this spring just in case, and the Cubs could also give Rob Zastryzny a look in a starting role. There's also that Eddie Butler character we highlighted a moment ago.

Is a Potential Jake Arrieta Extension Still on the Table?

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Coming to terms on an extension with Jake Arrieta, a Scott Boras client, might be little more than a pipe dream. That won't stop Theo Epstein and Co. from trying, though.

"Years and dollars are always complicated, but I'm sure we'll take a stab at it," Epstein told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Arrieta didn't sound as optimistic during the Cubs Convention, via Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago: "The timeline is kind of coming to an end as far as leading up to free agency. I am here for one more year, and I am going to enjoy every moment of it."

He continued: "This is a great place to play. Everybody knows that. If it happens, it happens. I don't know where we stand. I really don't. We do have some time to maybe work something out. If it doesn't, I will become a free agent."

The 30-year-old will earn $15.64 million this season in his final year of arbitration and figures to be eyeing a new deal of at least five years that is well north of $100 million.

Stephen Strasburg, another Boras client, surprisingly inked a seven-year, $175 million extension last May ahead of what would have been his first crack at free agency this winter.

Could a similar deal come together for Arrieta and the Cubs?

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.com unless otherwise noted. Contract information via Spotrac.