Recent comments

Arizona Phil 1 day 18 hours ago (view)

Childersb3: I think there was an issue with Luke Little coming into a game with men on base. He seems to need a "clean" inning to be dominant. So he is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AAA. Same goes for Michael Arias. He needs to come into a "clean" inning, and is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AA. Porter Hodge is a more versatile pitcher, a better version of Keegan Thompson (multi-inning RP). But Little, Arias, and Hodge (probably in that order) are the Cubs top three RP prospects (all three are Cubs Top 15 prospects).

TarzanJoeWallis 1 day 19 hours ago (view)

So, let’s do a little war gaming. Taillon is back for tonight’s game. He pitched two rehab games, just a few innings each, and not especially sharp. Let’s face it, he hasn’t been lights out since the Cubs gave him the big contract. In other words, as flat out bad as Hendricks has been, the chances of Taillon being the savior don’t look exactly promising.

If Taillon is equally ineffective or perhaps even worse, what’s the next move? Winning teams can often find a way to work around a dud fifth starter - kinda. Two dud starters make things much more difficult.

I believe the biggest reason for the recent bullpen moves was dissatisfaction with the recent blowing of big leads and the recognition that the bullpen wasn’t all it was thought to be. In other words, they are exploring alternate options and configurations. If similar juggling becomes necessary (even more so than it already is), what kind of reasonable maneuvering do we think could be explored?

Childersb3 1 day 19 hours ago (view)

Cubdom needs to prepare themselves for Wicks to be sent to Iowa for Taillon to come up.
Ben Brown has 4 appearances. Wicks has 4 appearances.
Ben has 16.1 IP.  Wicks has 17 IP
Ben was a 1.1 WHIP.  Wicks has a 1.7 WHIP. Wicks does have significantly more SOs. 
Ben has been better, though.
I love Wicks. I think he's a fighter and his stuff has improved.
But, Jed isn't ditching Hendricks just yet. He should. But he won't.
Hendricks should go to the IL and Taillon-Imanaga-Assad-Wicks-Brown should be the rotation.
Wont' happen though.

Childersb3 1 day 19 hours ago (view)

AZ Phil,
Did you agree with the demotion of Luke Little? He'd been pretty good up until the AZ/wild pitch appearance. I know that can't jettison Smyly (just yet) so they didn't need another LHRP. Especially with Leiter effectively being a LHRP. I still thought he deserved to stay. It's not permanent. He'll be back. Lots of moves to come with Taillon, Steele and other guys coming and going.

Also, do you see Hodge being able to "control/command" his stuff to get a chance this year?
Is Arias better than Hodge?   Thanks

crunch 1 day 20 hours ago (view)

just waiting to hear patrick wisdom and masterboney are spotted at the airport going in opposite directions...

aj puk going for the marlins (lefty)...gotta imagine we'll see wisdom in the lineup.

someone has to make room for taillon, too.

crunch 2 days 9 hours ago (view)

he's a low-level cubs star in the modern history of the cubs (c.zambrano, k.wood, r.dempster, etc), but that star has dimmed...and has been dimming since 2021.

2024 has been ugly the whole way and we're only in mid-april.  homers aside (even though there's been 7 in 17ip) he gave up 29 hits in 20 spring innings and 31 in 17 regular season innings.

he's pretty much only got 2 pitches at this point in his career and the mix isn't fooling anyone.  he threw a noticable amount more curves in his last start to add to the mix and it didn't help his issues.  he don't have many moves left to break out.

Eric S 2 days 9 hours ago (view)

Definitely needs a 10 day stint for the hangnail - have to nip those things in the bud or suffer the consequences (ie, more opponent home run derby, etc)

Eric S 2 days 10 hours ago (view)

Thanks for checking and yeah, that’s a double ouch

Sonicwind75 2 days 10 hours ago (view)

Believe you are correct, checked and appears Cubs have a $2.51 million obligation to Barnhart this season per Cot's Contracts.  Also paying Trey Mancini $7mil this season.  Ouch.  

crunch 2 days 11 hours ago (view)

m.busch had 0hr and 2 doubles when he was last at wrigley.

we'll probably see a few more of his jerseys in the seats when they return tomorrow.

wonder who will go down for taillon.  hey hendricks, you got a hangnail or something?

Eric S 2 days 11 hours ago (view)

Nice work by Wesneski with some solid defense behind him and the late tack on runs were welcome. Gladly take a 5-4 West Coast swing, particularly down two key starting pitchers … Now just don’t get swept by the Marlins for Pete’s sake. 

crunch 2 days 11 hours ago (view)

dansby takes the team lead in SB today after a SB with 2 SB total.  the team has 3.  madrigal has the other one.

cubs also have 7 triples, 7 players each.

crunch 2 days 11 hours ago (view)

sure am ready for p.wisdom and m.masterboney to swap roster spots.

Eric S 2 days 12 hours ago (view)

The fifth inning has not been kind to Wicks this season. Giving up leadoff doubles to Tucker Barnhart is also not good for business. IIRC, the Cubs are on the hook for the majority of Barnhart’s salary this season to add insult to injury (could definitely be wrong here). 

Cubster 2 days 13 hours ago (view)

Kris Bryant to IL with low back strain. He’s keeping the Rockies docs busy.

crunch 2 days 13 hours ago (view)

m.busch out here bunting for a hit with the infielders back.

it worked.

Arizona Phil 2 days 14 hours ago (view)

Cubs recall RHSP Hayden Wesneski and select RHRP Colten Brewer from AAA Iowa (Brewer was Iowa's closer), option Luke Little and Daniel Palencia to Iowa, and transfer Julian Merryweather to the 60-day IL.  

BTW, Brewer is out of minor league options in case that becomes an issue at some point.

Also, now that Merryweather has been transferred to the 60-day IL, he cannot be reinstated any earlier than June 5th. 

Dolorous Jon Lester 2 days 14 hours ago (view)

Busch has been great so far, but the Dodgers are one of the orgs I’m always leery of trading with. They’re so savvy about their internal scouting.

videographer 2 days 15 hours ago (view)

Here is an interesting thought:  There seems to be an assumption that the Cubs had to trade 2 prospects to get Busch with Almonte thrown in to even out the trade.  What if the initial trade was Ferris for Busch, but Hoyer wanted Almonte (a cheap RP) and Hope was the ask from the Dodgers.   This scenario makes the trade more complicated to ponder the future ramifications.  

Arizona Phil 2 days 18 hours ago (view)

Zyhir Hope and Reggie Preciado were co-MVPs at Cubs AZ Instructs last fall, and every MLB organization had scouts at the AZ Instructs games so Hope was well-known to everybody (and was clearly a Cubs Top 30 prospect with a bullet). 

https://www.thecubreporter.com/cubs-2023-arizona-instructional-league-s…