MESA, Ariz. — An entire offseason and almost all of spring training flew by and Jordan Montgomery still makes sense for the Chicago Cubs in theory. This waiting game couldn’t have been what Montgomery envisioned after he helped the Texas Rangers win last year’s World Series. Free agency hasn’t gone as planned for Montgomery, a Scott Boras client who remains unsigned into March Madness.

Instead of sensing an opportunity, sources indicated the Cubs seem content to let things play out before making their next big moves at the trade deadline. At the start of camp, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts described the luxury-tax threshold as “a natural place for us.” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer then closed a deal with Boras to retain Cody Bellinger, taking a $30 million chunk out of this year’s payroll.

The expectation that Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon (back) will start the season on the injured list hasn’t caused a rush toward Montgomery, a 6-foot-6 lefty who’s made 94 starts over the past three seasons. Montgomery has also pitched in the playoffs for the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals. A week out from Opening Day, though, there isn’t the same bring-back-Belli buzz in the clubhouse. The front office either doesn’t have the financial flexibility or the sense of urgency.

“We’re still having conversations,” Hoyer said Thursday at the team’s Arizona complex. “But I expect that we generally have a sense of the guys that are going to go north with us.”

“Or east with us,” Hoyer said, because the Cubs open their season in Texas against the defending champs.

To make it to October, a franchise that has historically struggled to develop homegrown pitching will need major contributions from its young pitchers. Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed the Opening Day rotation will feature rookie Jordan Wicks, a 2021 first-round pick, and Javier Assad, who originally signed with the organization out of Mexico and split the past two seasons between Double-A Tennessee, Triple-A Iowa and the majors.

Javier Assad, Painted 95mph Two Seamer. 🖌️🎨

And is fired up. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zshlqUwJzG

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 23, 2023

This homegrown group also includes Justin Steele, who was drafted by the Cubs in 2014 and gradually developed into an All-Star last year. The Rangers drafted Kyle Hendricks, but he was an unknown Class-A pitcher when the Cubs acquired him in the Ryan Dempster deal at the 2012 trade deadline. For an organization that began overhauling its entire baseball operations department toward the end of the 2019 season, it’s a clear sign of progress when 80 percent of the Opening Day rotation is developed from within and the team has playoff aspirations.

“We obviously had a dry spell in that regard,” Hoyer said. “We had to make some changes. Both scouting and player development have done a nice job with making those adjustments. You have to have that in today’s game. It’s hard to rely on the free-agent market for enough pitching. It’s really expensive and it’s usually older. Hopefully we have some young arms that can help us.”

This is also the moment when you can hear Boras cackling. The Cubs won the 2016 World Series without a homegrown pitcher throwing a single pitch during that postseason run. In fact, the Cubs haven’t used a homegrown pitcher in a playoff game since 2008 when Carlos Zambrano, Kerry Wood, Jeff Samardzija, Carlos Marmol and Sean Marshall appeared in the three-game series that the Los Angeles Dodgers swept.

The Cubs constructed this roster around depth and flexibility for the 162-game schedule as well as the next several years, anticipating that a top-rated farm system should produce more impact talent. Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga, who’s at the start of a four-year, $53 million contract, has quickly connected with teammates and coaches. Another buzzy name at the Sloan Park facility, Cade Horton, is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and on track for a potential major-league debut this summer.

Wicks, a polished college pitcher at Kansas State, immediately gravitated toward the resources and instruction available in professional baseball. Assad, an unselfish pitcher who has a 3.06 ERA in 147 career innings as a major-league swingman, also exhibited a great feel for pitching during his rise.

“I like calm, clear-headed competitors,” Counsell said. “That’s what you feel from those guys when they’re on the field. In a lot of ways, it’s a gift.”

Counsell has credibility with pitchers because of his successful track record managing the Milwaukee Brewers. Drew Smyly, the veteran left-handed pitcher who was informed that he will start the season in the bullpen, mentioned Counsell’s experience as another reason to accept that decision and help the team win games.

Of course, it helps to have pitchers like Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Josh Hader and Devin Williams. But imagine if the Cubs could combine the intellect of one of the best managers in the game with big-market resources and waves of homegrown talent.

“It’s a credit to the organization with the pitching development,” Wicks said. “There’s a lot of coaches and a lot of coordinators and a lot of guys who are a little bit more behind the scenes and don’t get near the credit they deserve.”