So, Brandon Morrow Threw a Ton of Innings in 2017

This week, the Cubs officially brought reliever Brandon Morrow in the fold, fresh off a resurgent, dominant year with the Dodgers.

Here are the pitchers who had a better FIP than Morrow’s 1.55 in 2017:

Kenley Jansen (1.31)
Craig Kimbrel (1.42)

That’s it. Whatever you might be concerned about with Morrow’s health or durability, there can be no argument that he was overwhelmingly good in 2017.

But, yeah, that health and durability stuff. The Cubs aren’t signing 2017 Morrow, they’re signing 2018 and 2019 Morrow. As Michael detailed in our profile, Morrow, now 33, has had a career filled with injuries. Most recently, Morrow dealt with the dreaded “shoulder problems” in 2015, which ultimately led to surgery. On the bright side, when he was able to pitch in 2015 and 2016, he was very good, and obviously he was healthy and ready to go in 2017.

In fact, despite the shoulder surgery – heck, probably partially thanks to it – Morrow saw his velocity climb dramatically in 2016 and 2017 as he transitioned into the bullpen (Brooks):

Excuse me while I’m just over here fantasizing about watching a 98 mph fastball, a 93 mph cutter, and an 89 mph slider next year.

Still, I can’t help but take note of just how heavy the workload was on Morrow in 2017. How really, really heavy it was, given his history.

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Consider that, in 2016, now a reliever coming back from shoulder surgery, Morrow threw 63.0 innings combined at various levels of the Padres’ system, but only 16.0 innings at the big league level, where you’d presume the “competitiveness” was quite a bit higher than while he was rehabbing. (And, even then … it was the Padres.)

By contrast, in 2017, Morrow threw a whopping 77.1 innings between the minor leagues (20.0), Major League regular season (43.2), and Major League postseason (13.2) – the latter two sets of innings coming in some of the highest-leverage, highest-stress moments a pitcher can face.

To be sure, a number of relievers threw that many innings last year, but Morrow hasn’t thrown that many innings in a season since 2012, when he was a starter with the Blue Jays. Moreover, he did see his effectiveness wane in the postseason (HR rate spiked to 1.98/9 from 0.00 in the regular season, groundball rate dropped, strikeout rate dropped), though we can’t know for sure if that was the effect of the grind, or simply the effect of seeing better bats.

Is it even fair to fantasize about those huge velocity numbers from 2017? Because of the injuries, Morrow doesn’t have a lot of mileage on his 33-year-old arm, and relievers sometimes carry their great stuff well into their 30s. But given the substantial workload in 2017 – a workload that I have no doubt impacted the high end of Morrow’s market – I’m going to temper my expectations a bit for what he’ll definitely be in 2018, even assuming he’s healthy. (Which, full disclosure, is not necessarily fair to assume as a lock.)

All that said, I’m still really excited about this guy. When he was finally healthy and given a chance to be a full-time reliever with the Padres in 2016 and the Dodgers in 2017 for the first time in his career, he was absolutely fantastic. There’s little reason to believe he won’t be very good for the Cubs in 2018, if healthy.

written by

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

more cubs news

The First Chicago Cubs Lineup of the Year is Here!

*SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

I Dug Deep on the Cubs 2024 Schedule (And I Like What I See)

Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we'd take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule. You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here...

Here’s What I’m Betting on the Cubs for Opening Day

I get it. Sports betting isn't for everyone — like, say, the interpreter for an international baseball superstar — but some of us quite enjoy it! If you are one of those people, this article is for you. Below, I'm...

WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

Latest News

Braves vs. Phillies: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

Ronald Acuna Jr. and the Atlanta Braves take on Kyle Schwarber and the Philadelphia Phillies in their season opener on Friday, with first pitch at 3:05 PM ET.See how to watch the Atlanta-Philadelphia matchup below.When is Braves vs. Phillies and...

Jonas Valančiūnas Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The New Orleans Pelicans face the Milwaukee Bucks at 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, and one of the 3-pointer props available for this matchup requires only one trifecta from Jonas Valančiūnas.Jonas Valančiūnas' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksJonas Valanciunas' over/under...

Top 25 College Basketball Picks and Best Bets: March 28

The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa State Cyclones hit the court in one of four games on the college basketball slate on Thursday that include a ranked team.How to Bet on Top 25 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Top 25 Games for...

What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Arizona Diamondbacks start their season as home favorites (-230) in a matchup with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID from Chase Field.Zac Gallen will get the ball for Arizona while Colorado will counter...

Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Seattle Mariners are moneyline favorites (-154) to begin their season with a home win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN.Seattle's Luis Castillo gets the start, and he'll go against Boston's Brayan...

Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Cleveland Guardians start their season as road favorites (-156) in a matchup with the Oakland Athletics on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET, live on NBCS-CA from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Cleveland's Shane Bieber and Oakland's Alex Wood have been named the...

Damian Lillard Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, and if the Bucks' Damian Lillard drains four 3-pointers, he'll beat his over/under.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDamian Lillard's over/under for three-pointers in this...

Brook Lopez Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans at 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this matchup requires two trifectas from Brook Lopez.Brook Lopez's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansBrook Lopez's over/under for...

Giannis Antetokounmpo Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

On Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, the Milwaukee Bucks meet the New Orleans Pelicans, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's 3-pointer prop for this clash requires just one trey.Giannis Antetokounmpo's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansGiannis Antetokounmpo's over/under for three-pointers in this game:...

more cubs news