According to Dave Kaplan of NBC Sports Chicago the Cubs will be activating Addison Russell from AAA Iowa. The corresponding moves will be another player up from Iowa with Ben Zobrist and Daniel Descalso to the injured list.
Zobrist was scratched last night for "personal reasons" and Descalso has been battling ankle soreness since Saturday. It's not clear what a time frame would be for their return, but it's unlikely either of them would miss significant time.
Russell has played in 12 games for AAA Iowa hitting .222/.357/.467 with three home runs and two doubles along with 13 driven in. He probably won't start everyday, but could be a defensive asset off the bench.
The move will obviously be disappointing to a lot of Cubs fans after Russell was suspended 40-games due to horrific allegations of abuse by his ex-wife. To me, there's no good way to speak about this and ultimately I trust Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer along with the rest of the baseball ops department to make the best choice in regard to this.
Update: The Cubs have announced the moves and the original report was not completely correct.
To summarize: Zobrist is placed on the restricted list indefinitely, Russell is back, Descalso is still on the active roster, Pedro Strop has been placed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain, and Mike Montgomery is back with the big league club.
Apparently Strop strained his left hamstring at some point and is likely to miss a few weeks. He strained the same hamstring last year and also strained his right hamstring during Spring Training.
Not sure what is going on with Zobrist, but whatever it is I hope it is not serious and that he will be back as soon as he is able to.
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Monday, May 6, 2019
Cubs bring back Carl Edwards Jr, option Dillon Maples
Before the first place Cubs start their four game series against the Miami Marlins they made a small bullpen shakeup.
Carl Edwards Jr has been recalled from AAA Iowa, he was originally demoted after showing a complete inability to command his pitches with five walks and a 32.40 ERA in four games this season along with allowing two home runs. He pitched much better in Iowa though, with a 2.16 ERA in seven appearances with two walks and seven strikeouts in eight and a third innings pitched.
Command will be the big thing for Edwards, if he can return to his 2016 form then he can be a huge asset to the Cubs bullpen, but that's easier said than done. The Cubs should start building his confidence by only using him in low leverage situations and slowly giving him a bigger role if he pitches well.
Going down is right-hander Dillon Maples, who struggled with his command with five walks in two and two thirds innings pitched although he hadn't allowed a run.. His control issues take away from his incredible stuff, and unless he can learn to throw strikes, he is going to turn into the typical reliever with great stuff, but just can't figure it out in the big leagues.
Carl Edwards Jr has been recalled from AAA Iowa, he was originally demoted after showing a complete inability to command his pitches with five walks and a 32.40 ERA in four games this season along with allowing two home runs. He pitched much better in Iowa though, with a 2.16 ERA in seven appearances with two walks and seven strikeouts in eight and a third innings pitched.
Command will be the big thing for Edwards, if he can return to his 2016 form then he can be a huge asset to the Cubs bullpen, but that's easier said than done. The Cubs should start building his confidence by only using him in low leverage situations and slowly giving him a bigger role if he pitches well.
Going down is right-hander Dillon Maples, who struggled with his command with five walks in two and two thirds innings pitched although he hadn't allowed a run.. His control issues take away from his incredible stuff, and unless he can learn to throw strikes, he is going to turn into the typical reliever with great stuff, but just can't figure it out in the big leagues.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
The Cubs shortstop problem
On May 3rd Addison Russell will be eligible to return to the Cubs after his suspension for domestic violence, whether he will join the club at that point remains to be seen, but either way it creates a problem for the Cubs.
Who's gonna start at short?
Russell is a natural shortstop, and aside from a stint at second in 2015, has been the only position he's played in the big leagues. Although his bat has been a disappointment with a .245/.311/.376 line since the start of 2017, he has been one of the top defensive shortstops in the National League saving a combined total of 28 runs in those two years.. He's gotten six minor league rehab games, and has started four at short, but also got a start at second which is a possibility at the big league level.
Right now Javier Baez is starting at short for the Cubs, and he has given them no reason to switch his position. The 2018 NL MVP runner-up has crushed the ball to the tune of a ridiculous .315/.356/.640 line with a .408 wOBA. His nine home runs rank 5th in the National League, and he has managed to improve his walk rate to 5.9 percent. He's been pretty good on the field as well with a DRS of 5 and a UZR of .7
If you were to immediately place Russell back into the starting lineup whether it be at second or short, then you are also displacing one of David Bote or Daniel Descalso who have both been excellent this year.
Mark Zagunis will most likely go down if Russell is brought back, and he's been a disappointment so far with a .250/.276/.357 line with 12 strikeouts and one walk in 29 plate appearances. He's got options left and the Cubs already have enough outfielders.
The best bet for the Cubs might be to bring Russell in a part time role. His defense, while excellent, isn't enough to make up for his well below average bat. If the Cubs can use him in a part-time role they don't have to displace one or two of Baez/Descalso/Bote. He could still get starts at second or short, but most likely to give someone a day off.
Who's gonna start at short?
Russell is a natural shortstop, and aside from a stint at second in 2015, has been the only position he's played in the big leagues. Although his bat has been a disappointment with a .245/.311/.376 line since the start of 2017, he has been one of the top defensive shortstops in the National League saving a combined total of 28 runs in those two years.. He's gotten six minor league rehab games, and has started four at short, but also got a start at second which is a possibility at the big league level.
Right now Javier Baez is starting at short for the Cubs, and he has given them no reason to switch his position. The 2018 NL MVP runner-up has crushed the ball to the tune of a ridiculous .315/.356/.640 line with a .408 wOBA. His nine home runs rank 5th in the National League, and he has managed to improve his walk rate to 5.9 percent. He's been pretty good on the field as well with a DRS of 5 and a UZR of .7
If you were to immediately place Russell back into the starting lineup whether it be at second or short, then you are also displacing one of David Bote or Daniel Descalso who have both been excellent this year.
Mark Zagunis will most likely go down if Russell is brought back, and he's been a disappointment so far with a .250/.276/.357 line with 12 strikeouts and one walk in 29 plate appearances. He's got options left and the Cubs already have enough outfielders.
The best bet for the Cubs might be to bring Russell in a part time role. His defense, while excellent, isn't enough to make up for his well below average bat. If the Cubs can use him in a part-time role they don't have to displace one or two of Baez/Descalso/Bote. He could still get starts at second or short, but most likely to give someone a day off.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Cubs place Jon Lester on IL, call up Tim Collins
The Cubs today announced they placed Jon Lester on the injured list and called up Tim Collins from AAA Iowa.
Lester injured himself running the bases during the home opener, and it was a shame because he had been pitching well. Before he left the game he had pitched two innings giving up three hits and a walk, but had also struck out four and had good stuff. Overall for the season he has a 2.57 ERA in 14 innings with 14 strikeouts and six walks.
Although he is likely to only miss a few starts losing Lester is still a huge blow to the Cubs already shaky pitching staff. Tyler Chatwood will make his first start of the season Sunday in Lesters place, but it is unknown who will fill in if he has to miss a second start.
To take Lesters place the Cubs called up Tim Collins from AAA Iowa. Collins had been signed to a big league contract towards the end of Spring Training, but had started the season at Iowa and had pitched well in his first few appearances. In three appearances he pitched two and two thirds innings allowing a run on two hits with a walk and three punch outs.
Last season he made his first big league appearance since 2014 and pitched alright in his return. In 38 appearances for the Nationals he posted a 4.37 ERA in 22.2 innings with 21 strikeouts to 12 walks. It was a solid return considering he was coming back from back-to-back Tommy John surgeries.
If he can prove he is fully back from his injuries than he has the potential to play a key role in the Cubs bullpen, but for now he's just a temporary call up unless he pitches very well then the Cubs could send down Randy Rosario and keep him up.
Lester injured himself running the bases during the home opener, and it was a shame because he had been pitching well. Before he left the game he had pitched two innings giving up three hits and a walk, but had also struck out four and had good stuff. Overall for the season he has a 2.57 ERA in 14 innings with 14 strikeouts and six walks.
Although he is likely to only miss a few starts losing Lester is still a huge blow to the Cubs already shaky pitching staff. Tyler Chatwood will make his first start of the season Sunday in Lesters place, but it is unknown who will fill in if he has to miss a second start.
To take Lesters place the Cubs called up Tim Collins from AAA Iowa. Collins had been signed to a big league contract towards the end of Spring Training, but had started the season at Iowa and had pitched well in his first few appearances. In three appearances he pitched two and two thirds innings allowing a run on two hits with a walk and three punch outs.
Last season he made his first big league appearance since 2014 and pitched alright in his return. In 38 appearances for the Nationals he posted a 4.37 ERA in 22.2 innings with 21 strikeouts to 12 walks. It was a solid return considering he was coming back from back-to-back Tommy John surgeries.
If he can prove he is fully back from his injuries than he has the potential to play a key role in the Cubs bullpen, but for now he's just a temporary call up unless he pitches very well then the Cubs could send down Randy Rosario and keep him up.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Cubs make some necessary roster moves
Although it's just seven games it's very clear the Cubs needed to make changes to their bullpen. They made several moves today hoping to stop the bleeding before it gets worse.
The Cubs optioned Carl Edwards Jr to AAA Iowa, placed Mike Montgomery on the injured list with a left lat strain, recalled Kyle Ryan, purchased the contract of Allen Webster, and designated Jen-Ho Tseng for assignment.
Edwards Jr has completely fallen apart this season with a 32.40 ERA in four appearances. In an inning and two thirds he has allowed three hits along with five walks and two home runs. It's fair to wonder if his new delivery, which was declared illegal by the MLB, has had an impact on his numbers. Either way a reset to AAA Iowa will do him good and give him a chance to build confidence.
Montgomery had already missed time in Spring Training with a shoulder issue and now a lat injury threatens to derail his season even further. Like Edwards Jr, he's had an absolutely horrible start to the season with a 16.88 ERA in four appearances. He's been giving up a ton of baserunners while also being prone to the long ball. The Cubs expected him to eat significant innings out of the 'pen this year so if he misses a good amount of time it'll be a huge blow to the Cubs.
Ryan was in the mix for the final bullpen job, but ultimately ended up being sent to AAA Iowa. He pitched well in Spring Training with a 2.84 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched along with a mediocre 1.42 WHIP. He last appeared in the big leagues in 2017, but he had a solid 2016 with the Tigers posting a 3.07 ERA in 55.2 innings pitched. He had made just one appearance for AAA Iowa giving up a run in and inning and two thirds.
Webster was another guy in the bullpen mix, and had a dominant Spring Training with a 1.50 ERA in nine appearances. The former top prospect has been working on a conversion to relief pitching, and had good results in the Cubs system last season. Like Ryan he's made just one appearance for Iowa going an inning and giving up one hit along with a strikeout.
Tseng was at one point a highly regarded international prospect, but has failed to live up to expectations in the Cubs system. He hasn't been impressive in the big leagues at all, but he's still just 24. The Cubs would love to be able to retain him and give him some more time to develop.
The Cubs optioned Carl Edwards Jr to AAA Iowa, placed Mike Montgomery on the injured list with a left lat strain, recalled Kyle Ryan, purchased the contract of Allen Webster, and designated Jen-Ho Tseng for assignment.
Edwards Jr has completely fallen apart this season with a 32.40 ERA in four appearances. In an inning and two thirds he has allowed three hits along with five walks and two home runs. It's fair to wonder if his new delivery, which was declared illegal by the MLB, has had an impact on his numbers. Either way a reset to AAA Iowa will do him good and give him a chance to build confidence.
Montgomery had already missed time in Spring Training with a shoulder issue and now a lat injury threatens to derail his season even further. Like Edwards Jr, he's had an absolutely horrible start to the season with a 16.88 ERA in four appearances. He's been giving up a ton of baserunners while also being prone to the long ball. The Cubs expected him to eat significant innings out of the 'pen this year so if he misses a good amount of time it'll be a huge blow to the Cubs.
Ryan was in the mix for the final bullpen job, but ultimately ended up being sent to AAA Iowa. He pitched well in Spring Training with a 2.84 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched along with a mediocre 1.42 WHIP. He last appeared in the big leagues in 2017, but he had a solid 2016 with the Tigers posting a 3.07 ERA in 55.2 innings pitched. He had made just one appearance for AAA Iowa giving up a run in and inning and two thirds.
Webster was another guy in the bullpen mix, and had a dominant Spring Training with a 1.50 ERA in nine appearances. The former top prospect has been working on a conversion to relief pitching, and had good results in the Cubs system last season. Like Ryan he's made just one appearance for Iowa going an inning and giving up one hit along with a strikeout.
Tseng was at one point a highly regarded international prospect, but has failed to live up to expectations in the Cubs system. He hasn't been impressive in the big leagues at all, but he's still just 24. The Cubs would love to be able to retain him and give him some more time to develop.
Friday, April 5, 2019
What the hell is the Cubs problem?
The Chicago Cubs are 1-6.
The team that has averaged almost 97 wins in the past four seasons is tied for the worst record in Major League Baseball and their is one area to blame: their pitching.
The Cubs pitching staff has posted a 7.85 ERA throughout their seven games, which is just completely unacceptable. They have walked an obscene 46 in 57.1 innings pitched and have allowed 16 home runs. The bullpen has been the biggest culprit, blowing three late inning leads and putting the Cubs out of reach in two others.
The starting pitching hasn't been too sharp either, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt early on. Cole Hamels strike zone tightened at the worst time,the defense completely failed Kyle Hendricks, and Yu Darvish is still getting back into the swing of things.
It's fair to say a lot of their struggles, though, are not sustainable at all. Going into Fridays game their pitching staff has posted a .355 BABIP, a 64.4 LOB%, and a 26.8% HR/FB rate. All of which are incredibly unlikely to remain at those rates.
However, just because it's early and the Cubs are getting unlucky, doesn't mean there shouldn't be cause for concern. Every game in the regular season counts and if the Brewers are as good as their record, them the catch up job will be extremely difficult.
Carl Edwards Jr has been horrendous and the Cubs need to take a serious look at moving him down to Iowa. He's pitched in four games with an awful 32.40 ERA. He's pitched just 1.2 innings but has managed to give up six earned runs thanks to three hits and five walks allowed.
Of course Edwards is not the only guy to blame. Mike Montgomery has allowed six earned runs, Steve Cishek has a 10.13 ERA, Brad Brach has six walks in four innings. The failures are just all over the place.
It's fair to say the Cubs aren't at full strength right now. Brandon Morrow, Xavier Cedeno, and Tony Barnette are all on the IL, and all of them figured to see significant innings out of the pen when healthy.
It's easy to blame Tom Ricketts for not wanting to open up the checkbook, but I don't think anyone thought it was possible for the pitching to be THIS bad. It's only seven games and I think the bullpen will bounce back, but it's also fair to have some worry.
The team that has averaged almost 97 wins in the past four seasons is tied for the worst record in Major League Baseball and their is one area to blame: their pitching.
The Cubs pitching staff has posted a 7.85 ERA throughout their seven games, which is just completely unacceptable. They have walked an obscene 46 in 57.1 innings pitched and have allowed 16 home runs. The bullpen has been the biggest culprit, blowing three late inning leads and putting the Cubs out of reach in two others.
The starting pitching hasn't been too sharp either, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt early on. Cole Hamels strike zone tightened at the worst time,the defense completely failed Kyle Hendricks, and Yu Darvish is still getting back into the swing of things.
It's fair to say a lot of their struggles, though, are not sustainable at all. Going into Fridays game their pitching staff has posted a .355 BABIP, a 64.4 LOB%, and a 26.8% HR/FB rate. All of which are incredibly unlikely to remain at those rates.
However, just because it's early and the Cubs are getting unlucky, doesn't mean there shouldn't be cause for concern. Every game in the regular season counts and if the Brewers are as good as their record, them the catch up job will be extremely difficult.
Carl Edwards Jr has been horrendous and the Cubs need to take a serious look at moving him down to Iowa. He's pitched in four games with an awful 32.40 ERA. He's pitched just 1.2 innings but has managed to give up six earned runs thanks to three hits and five walks allowed.
Of course Edwards is not the only guy to blame. Mike Montgomery has allowed six earned runs, Steve Cishek has a 10.13 ERA, Brad Brach has six walks in four innings. The failures are just all over the place.
It's fair to say the Cubs aren't at full strength right now. Brandon Morrow, Xavier Cedeno, and Tony Barnette are all on the IL, and all of them figured to see significant innings out of the pen when healthy.
It's easy to blame Tom Ricketts for not wanting to open up the checkbook, but I don't think anyone thought it was possible for the pitching to be THIS bad. It's only seven games and I think the bullpen will bounce back, but it's also fair to have some worry.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Cubs extend David Bote through 2024
In a really curious move the Cubs have extended infielder David Bote through 2024. The deal also has two options attached to it. According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Bote will get $15 million over the next five years and also says the club options are worth $7 million and $7.6 million.
Bote broke into the major leagues last year with a .239/.319/.408 line with six home runs in 74 games. That's not the most impressive line, but he had some huge clutch hits for the Cubs, including a game-tying ninth inning home run, an Ultimate Slam, and a walk-off home run against the Reds. He has quickly become a fan favorite and since the guarantee isn't too high it's a really savvy move by the Cubs.
It's an incredibly small sample size, but Bote has gotten off to a good start in 2019 going 4-11 with a double. He's shown his defensive versatility throughout his time with the Cubs spending time at second, third, short, and the outfield. He's also logged two innings at first base.
Bote has a really great story from being an 18th round draft pick in 2012 to initially struggling in the minor leagues and almost quitting the game. He broke through in 2017 and crushed in the Arizona Fall League before making his MLB debut in 2018.
It's a really smart move by the Cubs to lock up one of their younger players. Bote isn't necessarily a franchise cornerstone, but he can prove to be a steady, and reliable plug and play player. The contract locks him up through at the least his age 31 season and could keep him in Chicago through his age 33 season.
Bote broke into the major leagues last year with a .239/.319/.408 line with six home runs in 74 games. That's not the most impressive line, but he had some huge clutch hits for the Cubs, including a game-tying ninth inning home run, an Ultimate Slam, and a walk-off home run against the Reds. He has quickly become a fan favorite and since the guarantee isn't too high it's a really savvy move by the Cubs.
It's an incredibly small sample size, but Bote has gotten off to a good start in 2019 going 4-11 with a double. He's shown his defensive versatility throughout his time with the Cubs spending time at second, third, short, and the outfield. He's also logged two innings at first base.
Bote has a really great story from being an 18th round draft pick in 2012 to initially struggling in the minor leagues and almost quitting the game. He broke through in 2017 and crushed in the Arizona Fall League before making his MLB debut in 2018.
It's a really smart move by the Cubs to lock up one of their younger players. Bote isn't necessarily a franchise cornerstone, but he can prove to be a steady, and reliable plug and play player. The contract locks him up through at the least his age 31 season and could keep him in Chicago through his age 33 season.
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