John Lackey may still have another game in "The Show" before he rides off into the sunset.
The enigmatic veteran pitcher is active for the National League Division Series as the Cubs released the roster Friday morning.
Lackey is not a part of the Cubs' four-man rotation, but will be in the bullpen to face the Washington Nationals. The 38-year-old last appeared out of a postseason bullpen in 2013 with the Boston Red Sox, facing the St. Louis Cardinals twice as a starter in the World Series and once as a reliever.
The Cubs brought Lackey in as a reliever in the final game of the regular season Sunday against the Reds. He gave up a run and was saddled with a loss, but at least he got some experience heading into the postseason. Prior to that, his last regular-season relief appearance came in 2004.
Lackey was the choice over Hector Rondon in the bullpen, a surprising move given Rondon's impact as a high-leverage reliever in the Cubs bullpen over the last few years: He has a 2.87 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 251 games since the start of the 2014 season, saving 77 games in the process. He was on the mound when the Cubs clinched the 2015 NLDS over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
Rondon fell out of favor in Maddon's bullpen last fall when he was injured with a triceps issue and was hardly used in the postseason and ineffective when he did get into the game (3 ER in 6 IP).
The 29-year-old right-hander also missed two weeks in September with an elbow issue, though when he returned, Rondon was still throwing in the upper 90s and only allowed one baserunner in 3.1 innings from Sept. 22-29.
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As for the rest of the roster, the Cubs opted for only seven relievers and 14 position players, adding Leonys Martin to a crowded outfield.
Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and the Cubs coaching staff met during the week to finalize the roster.
Here's the breakdown:
CATCHERS
Willson Contreras
Alex Avila
No surprises here. Contreras figures to play every single postseason game if healthy, filling the cleanup spot in the Cubs order behind Anthony Rizzo and also attempt to shut down the opposition's running game with his elite arm.
Avila still provides fantastic depth at a crucial position, even if he may not draw a start this October. He also supplies Joe Maddon with another valuable left-handed bat off the bench.
INFIELDERS
Anthony Rizzo
Kris Bryant
Javy Baez
Addison Russell
Tommy La Stella
Rizzo and Bryant will start at the corners while Russell and Baez figure to man the middle infield for a second straight October. La Stella will likely be the first bat off the bench against right-handed pitching.
OUTFIELDERS
Jason Heyward
Jon Jay
Ben Zobrist
Kyle Schwarber
Albert Almora Jr.
Ian Happ
Leonys Martin
Maddon will have plenty of decisions to make in the outfield, trying to find playing time for all six guys, assuming Zobrist and Happ don't see any time at second base.
Martin is on the roster as the 25th guy — an elite defender who will be available to play any of the three outfield positions late in close games as well as provide a speedy pinch-runner if Maddon chooses to employ him in that capacity. Martin was credited with 8 Defensive Runs Saved in 2017, despite playing just 299.2 innings. By comparison, Heyward - one of the best defensive outfielders in the game - was credited with 18 DRS in 1008.1 innings.
Case in point:
STARTING PITCHERS
Kyle Hendricks
Jon Lester
Jose Quintana
Jake Arrieta
The Cubs rotation has been known for a couple days. The Professor gets Game 1 with Lester going Game 2 Saturday, Quintana Game 3 and if the series makes it that far - Arrieta in Game 4.
RELIEVERS
Wade Davis
Carl Edwards Jr.
Brian Duensing
Pedro Strop
Mike Montgomery
Justin Wilson
John Lackey
The Cubs bullpen has struggled in the second half, posting a 4.48 ERA since the All-Star Break, good for 18th in the big leagues. Only the Houston Astros (4.49 ERA) have a worse mark among MLB playoff teams.
The decision to keep Lackey made too much sense as soon as he wrapped his head around a possible relief role after stating earlier in the season he would never go to the bullpen. He provides another long option for Maddon if anything happens to a starter early in a game due to injury or ineffectiveness. Lackey and Montgomery could each eat multiple innings at any point for the Cubs.
Beyond that, Wilson also makes sense as another southpaw to possibly come in and face one batter in a crucial spot like Bryce Harper or Daniel Murphy. Wilson has struggled since the Cubs traded for him just before the deadline, but he's been in the postseason before and was a dominant reliever for years before August. He may not be in Maddon's circle of trust, but he still could be a weapon this October.
Lackey's presence on the roster ensured Justin Grimm and Rondon would not have a spot for at least one postseason series. Grimm struggled all season (5.53 ERA) and it became obvious Lackey would be active for the NLDS as the regular season wound down. But the decision to keep Rondon off the roster and put Martin on as the 25th man is curious and may mean the Cubs have some question marks still surrounding Rondon's health.
It's still hard to see Lackey called upon to enter the game in a "dirty" inning with runners on base, something he's not used to at all. Though Lester has no issues with the three-time World Series champ in October:
"I've seen Lack come out of the bullpen and get a hold in a World Series game before.," Lester said. "That's one person I'm not worried about."