A. Let that rookie, Dillon Maples, stay on the mound and take one for the team? He’d pitched the day before in his big-league debut.

B. Bring in one of the eight relievers who are still available? (Chicago is rolling with an 11-man ‘pen after a September roster expansion.)

C. Put an outfielder on the mound to make his debut with the franchise?

Of course you chose C, because you’re Joe Maddon.

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Maddon decided to give Leonys Martin the ball with one out and runners on first and second. The strong-armed Martin was acquired from the Mariners at the Aug. 31 deadline but had yet to appear in a game with his new team.

Martin flashed a low-90s fastball and a mid-70s curve, but he didn’t fool anyone. Four of the five Bucs batters he faced hit rockets, including a long two-run homer by David Freese. Martin did eventually record the final two outs, but the Cubs were down 12-0 at that point.

The extra runs were meaningless, of course; the Cubs were destined to lose regardless of how Martin fared. Maddon also knew the Cubs weren’t losing ground in the NL Central standings because the second-place Brewers had lost earlier in the day. He was also aware the Cubs are in the midst of a 20-games-in-20-days stretch that runs through Sept. 10. Why not loosen it up a bit, right?

Martin sure got a kick out of it; he was smiling for most of his appearance.

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But what’s the point of having an 11-man bullpen? Maddon couldn’t have dipped into his “A” group, which he uses in close games, and given one — say, Pedro Strop, who last pitched Friday — a low-leverage tuneup appearance?

Well, he could have; he chose not to. Instead, he decided to lighten the mood and use a position player, something he has now done three times this season (Miguel Montero and Jon Jay were the others). He chose to save . . . somebody for when it really matters.  

Maddon will look like the ultimate players’ manager by having fun and protecting his staff’s precious bullpen arms.

All eight of them.