2021 Gameday Post
Cubs @ Cardinals: Series Thread (Games 160-162)
Cubs fans get their last chance to savor the 2021 season. The Cards have clinched the second NL Wild Card spot. And the Cubs can neither rise nor fall any places in the division. Despite the lack of stakes, this is a rivalry series and most of the Cubs' roster has something to prove. Games will begin at 7:15, 6:15, and 2:15 central time on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Cubs @ Pirates: Series Thread (Games 157-159)
The penultimate series of 2021 has the 4th place Cubs facing the 5th place Pirates in Pittsburgh. The Cubs can continue to audition and indulge fringey minor league vets as they sort out potential 2022 contributors. Mills, Hendricks, and Steele will start for the Cubs, facing Keller and a pair of question marks. The games will begin at 5:35 central Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Cubs vs. Cardinals: Series Thread (Games 153-156)
The Cubs take on the Cardinals in a four-game set. This gives the 2022 auditionees a chance to take a chunk out of the redbird's wild card lead. They'll kick things off with a day-night double-header and follow up with a pair of matinees.
Cubs vs. Twins: Series Thread (Games 151-152)
The Cubs face the Twins for a two-game series.
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Cubs @ Brewers: Series Thread (Games 148 - 150)
The Cubs are trying to wring every last bit of good things out of the end of the season. As I am in an analogous situation with my father, this is the full post. Like many of you, my father is my first connection to baseball. Enjoy these games with your people if you can.
Cubs vs. Phillies: Series Thread (Games 145-147)
The Cubs dropped three to K.B. and the Giants--two close ones and a laugher. Next, they'll visit the recently underwater city of brotherly love for three games. See below for the daily matchups.
Cubs vs. Giants: Series Thread (Games 142-144)
The Cubs welcomed back Kris Bryant and dropped game 1 of the series on Friday. They continue the series against the contending Giants as the North Siders get their say in the NL Wild Card throughout the final month of the season.
Cubs vs. Reds: Series Thread (Games 139-141)
The Cubs have taken six in a row from sub-.500 teams and now turn their attention to the Cincinnati Reds. This will be the final matchup of 2021 between the Cubs and the second place Reds. The Cincinnati crew enters the series only half a game out of a wild card spot and eleven games back in the NL Central. See below for the daily matchups.
Cubs vs. Pirates: Series Threads (Games 135-138)
I didn't get to put up a post and the Cubs won two close games in Minnesota. Does that mean I should continue to not post? We'll never know! Next up, four games against the last-place Pirates. See below for the matchups.
Cubs @ White Sox: Series Thread (Games 130-132)
The Cubs split their doubleheader to take two out of three from the Milwaukee Brewers. Next up they play spoiler to the cross-town Sox, who stand at 74-55 and a full 9 games up in the AL Central. See below for the weekend's matchups.
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).