The Chicago Cubs have seen some awful showings from Jameson Taillon this spring with time running out before Opening Day.
Through four starts, Taillon has a 22.18 ERA after allowing 23 earned runs in just 9.1 innings. His velocity is down, his command looks off, and balls are getting hit extremely hard off him over these innings so far.
and while he did express confidence that he can get things fixed over his two additional spring starts, there is concern there as well.Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images "If I just sat here and told you I don’t care, I’d be lying straight to your face," the right-hander said. "It matters in the sense that you’re going to be facing lineups in the season that are good, and I’m going to have to execute pitches...If they’re telling you that your s— is not very good, then that matters." Taillon tried as best he could to explain exactly what is going wrong from a mechanics and execution standpoint, but ultimately it's up to him to get it fixed. “As you get older, sometimes you manipulate some things and adjust some things,” Taillon said. “We’ve seen a trend of some of my stuff ticking down. We were trying to tick it back up. There’s some clear things I can get better at — backside connection, using my lower half a lot better...That being said, it’s also on me to make sure when you’re in a game, you go out and compete. "It is hard to be thinking about a million things, but I’ve always been good at that in my career, tinkering and adjusting and going out when it’s time to compete. Right now, I’m not doing that. I’m kind of all over the place."Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Taillon is as much a student of the game as anyone in baseball, and when it comes to hitting the lab and breaking down mechanical issues, it's tough to bet against someone who has been so consistent for so long. At the same time, the team would be right to be at the point of worry with the veteran, because if they can't count on him this year, they have some serious depth issues in this pitching staff. These final two starts of the spring should be watched very closely, and if they go poorly, then other plans may have to be made.Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.Cubs May Be Nearing Panic Button With Jameson Taillon
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