Cubs @ Pirates: Series Thread (Games 127-130)
The Cubs won another close series, going 2-3 in Detroit. They arrive in Pittsburgh tied with the Reds for a Wild Card spot and 3.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. The Pirates have two TBD starters in this four game series. So, find matchups below such as they stand.
Game 127, Thursday, August 24, 6:05 pm central
CHC: LHP Justin Steele (14-3, 2.80 ERA)
PIT: TBD
Game 128, Friday, August 25, 6:05 pm central
CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (5-6, 3.83 ERA)
PIT: RHP Mitch Keller (10-8, 4.22 ERA)
Cubs @ Tigers: Series Thread (Games 124-126)
The Cubs held on for a 4-3 win on Sunday to take two of three from the Royals. That puts them alone in the third Wild Card spot and three back in the division as they arrive in Detroit. See below for matchups.
Game 124, Monday, August 21, 5:40 pm central
CHC: RHP Javier Assad (2-2, 3.11 ERA)
DET: RHP Alex Faedo (2-4, 5.16 ERA)
Game 125, Tuesday, August 22, 5:40 pm central
CHC: LHP Drew Smyly (9-8, 4.92 ERA)
DET: RHP Reese Olson (2-5, 4.83 ERA)
Cubs vs. Royals: Series Thread (Games 121-123)
The Cubs escaped a two-game sweep by virtue of heroics from Morel's walk-off three-run shot and three consecutive strikeouts from Michael Fulmer. They will continue without Marcus Stroman, whose timeline for return is now a known unknown. They take on the Royals at Wrigley next. See below for matchups.
Game 121, Friday, August 18, 1:20 pm central
CHC: RHP Jameson Taillon (7-7, 5.71 ERA)
KC: LHP Cole Ragans (3-4, 4.21 ERA)
Cubs vs. White Sox: Series Thread (Games 119-120)
The Cubs return to Wrigley to face their cross town rivals. They've made up a ton of ground in the last few weeks and have a forgiving schedule ahead of them before facing the Brewers and Reds when the calendar turns over toward September. Marcus Stroman is expected back for the second game but has not been activated as of my writing. See below for matchups such as they stand.
Game 119, Tuesday, August 15, 7:05 pm central
CHW: RHP Touki Toussaint (1-5, 4.27 ERA)
CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-6, 3.96 ERA)
Cubs @ Blue Jays: Series Thread (Games 116-118)
The Cubs came short on their comeback effort and went 1-2 in New York. They'll cross national boundaries to take on their next opponents, the Blue Jays. See below for matchups.
Game 116, Friday, August 11, 6:07 pm central
CHC: RHP Javier Assad (1-2, 3.35 ERA)
TOR: RHP Jose Berrios (9-7, 3.38 ERA)
Game 117, Saturday, August 12, 2:07 pm central
CHC: LHP Justin Steele (13-3, 2.68 ERA)
TOR: RHP Chris Bassitt (11-6, 3.87 ERA)
Cubs @ Mets: Series Thread (Games 113-115)
The Cubs went 5-2 on a homestand that landed them in a tie with the Reds for second in the Central and for the last NL Wild Card spot. They turn around with no off day to begin a six game road trip that takes them to New York and Toronto. They leave Chicago having taken two of three from the best team in the NL. They also taxed their primary bullpen arms heavily in the process. (No backup cacthers were called on to relieve in the course of that series.) They may have to patch things together to cover high leverage innings before the next day off on Thursday.
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Cubs vs. Atlanta: Series Thread (Games 110-112)
The Cuns knocked the Reds out of first in the central, taking three of four and outscoring Cincinnati 46 to 24 in the series. They are now 2.5 behind Milwaukee as Atlanta comes into town to complete the seven game homestand. The energized squad, reinforced by Jeimer Candelario but down one Marcus Stroman, will be tested against the NL best Atlanta team. See below for matchups.
Game 110, Friday, August 4, 1:20 pm central
ATL: LHP Max Fried (2-1, 2.08 ERA)
CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-5, 3.49 ERA)
Cubs vs. Reds: Series Thread (Games 106-109)
The Cubs ended an eight-game winning streak on Sunday, settling at four games back in the division. The Reds come to Chicago for a four-game series, with both teams likely trying to fill out their rosters before the impending trade deadline. See below for daily matchups.
Game 106, Monday, July 31, 7:05 pm central
CIN: LHP Andrew Abbott (6-2, 1.90 ERA)
CHC: RHP Marcus Stroman (10-7, 3.51 ERA)
Game 107, Tuesday, August 1, 7:05 pm central
CIN: RHP Ben Lively (4-6, 3.76 ERA)
CHC: LHP Justin Steele (11-3, 2.87 ERA)
Cubs @ Cardinals: Series Thread (Games 102-105)
The Cubs enjoyed a two-game sweep of the Southsidees on their way to a 50-51 record. That puts them a game within .500 and 6 games behind the Brewers in the Nl Central. They visit the Cardinals for a four-game weekend series ending just short of the trade deadline. The Cards would surely like to spoil the Cubs' hopes for 2023 as a consolation for their own disappointing season. Matchups for this pivotal series await below.
Game 102, Thursday, July 27, 6:45 pm central
CHC: LHP Justin Steele (10-3, 2.95 ERA)
STL: RHP Miles Mikolas (6-5, 4.33 ERA)
Cubs @ White Sox: Series Thread (Games 100 and 101)
The Cubs have won the last three games to improve to 48-51, clinging to third in the division and pushing the Cardinals further back in fourth place. They enter this series seven games out of first and with only seven games between them and the trade deadline. Hot streaks and cold streaks would have to coincide for Bellinger and Stroman to remain Cubs in August--but that remains with the realm of the possible for now. See below for matchups against the White Sox.
Recent comments
Dolorous Jon Lester (view)
That’s a fantastic deal for SF
crunch (view)
SF snags b.snell...2/62m
Cubster (view)
AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.
Arizona Phil (view)
The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24).
However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time).
Arizona Phil (view)
Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.
Arizona Phil (view)
For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024:
* bats or throws left
Angel Cepeda, INF
* Miguel Cruz, P
Yidel Diaz, C
* Albert Gutierrez, 1B
Fraiman Marte, P
Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B)
Derniche Valdez, INF
Edward Vargas, OF
Jeral Vizcaino, P
And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.
Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect.
F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season.
The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher).
Arizona Phil (view)
DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically.
Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).
Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day.
Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will.
Dolorous Jon Lester (view)
I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.
The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster
Arizona Phil (view)
Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required.
They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).
If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.
If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option).
Childersb3 (view)
Phil,
Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?