Milwaukee Brewers
Cubs @ Brewers: Game 161
Ian Happ brought the Cubs back with a solo shot before Chicago fell to the Brewers in an extra innings defeat. They had a strong chance to put up multiple runs in the tenth but couldn't collect a single hit to drive home Swanson and Morel from second and third. The Cubs go into their final two games 1.5 behind the Marlins and tied with the Reds. With disadvantage in both potential tiebreakers, the Cubs must win both remaining games and need two losses from the Marlins and one from the Reds--any other outcomes render the final game moot.
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Cubs @ Brewers: Game 160
The Cubs enter the final series of the season half a game out of the final NL Wild Card spot. A devastating sweep in Atlanta puts them in a difficult position. And the fact that they played each game closely against the best team in the majors comes as little consolation--particularly as defensive miscues and a depleted bullpen can be blamed for each loss rather than the petty baseball fates. The Cubs have an uphill climb as they take on the NL Central leaders. Mere weeks ago, fans could hope that the Cubs would come into this series with a chance to knock the Brewers off of that hilltop.
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Cubs vs. Brewers: Series Thread (Games 131-133)
The Cubs have gone seven for their last ten, climbing into the second Wild Card position. They next get their opportunity against the Milwaukee Brewers, who are eight are on an eight-game winning streak that extended their NL Central lead to four. This is the first of two crucial series remaining in which the Cubs directly confront the Brew Crew. See below for matchups in this three game series at Wrigley Field.
Game 131, Monday, August 28, 7:05 pm central
CHC: RHP Jameson Taillon (7-8, 5.60 ERA)
MIL: LHP Wade Miley (6-3, 3.18 ERA)
Cubs @ Brewers: Series Thread (Games 83-86)
The Cubs dropped the rubber match to the Guardians in the 10th to lose the series 1-2. They enter a three-game four-game road series against the Brewers 38-44, six games back in the division and only 3.5 in front of the last place Cardinals. The Brewers begin 45-39 and ties for the NL Central lead with the Reds. See below for your holiday series matchups.
Game 83, Monday, July 3, 1:10 pm central
CHC: LHP Drew Smyly (7-5, 3.96 ERA)
MIL: RHP Julio Teheran (2-3, 2.85 ERA)
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Cubs vs. Brewers: Series Thread (Games 1-3)
The Chicago Cubs open the 2023 with a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Bring your mittens and balaclavas. See below for the daily matchups, such as they stand. Updates to come as the Cubs announce their starters for games two and three. [Updates made March 31.]
Game 1, March 30, 1:20 pm central
CHC: RHP Marcus Stroman (0-0, -.-- ERA)
MIL: RHP Corbin Burnes (0-0, -.-- ERA)
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Cub-Fan Misery Loves Company
It's not that there is absolutely nothing positive to say about the Cubs right now. It's that the positives are so deep beneath so much raw sewage, I just don't have it in me to go baling through the muck to uncover them.
Instead, I have decided that the best way to get through this latest low spot in this awful season is to find a National League team even more woeful than our Cubs.
There are some solid candidates:
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Cubs vs. Brewers Series Preview
Cubs (2-1; 1st in NL Central) vs. Brewers (1-2; 4th in NL Central) at Miller Park
Head-to-head Record
First meeting in 2009. Cubs won 9 of 16 games between the teams in 2008.
Pitching matchups
Friday, 3:05pm
Rich Harden (0-0) vs. Braden Looper (0-0)
Saturday, 6:05pm
Carlos Zambrano (1-0, 1.50) vs. David Bush (0-0, 18.00)
Sunday, 7:05pm
Ryan Dempster (0-0, 3.00) vs. Jeff Suppan (0-1, 13.50)
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17% of the Brewers' Home Opener is Already Shot to Hell
From coverage of this afternoon's Cubs/Brewers game, Milwaukee's home opener, in Friday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Recent comments
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?
Arizona Phil (view)
In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!
And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).