Tim Kurkjian just reported on ESPN according to Buster Olney that the Chicago Cubs are closing in on a trade with the Seattle Mariners. Olney adds that the Cubs have been looking at Mariners lefty reliever Mike Montgomery.
Update #1: According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports the Cubs would send 1B/DH Dan Vogelbach to the Mariners if a trade is completed
Vogelbach, 23, is enjoying a breakout season for the Iowa Cubs hitting an impressive .318/.425/.548 with 16 home runs, but didn't have a future in Chicago because the Cubs already had Anthony Rizzo at first base and Vogelbach didn't play any other position.
Meanwhile Montgomery has appeared in 32 games for the Mariners this season with two of them being starts. He has pitched to a 2.34 ERA in 61.2 innings pitched with a 7.9 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. Most of his success has come against lefties with a .164/.269/.254 line against them.
Update 3: Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has confirmed the deal
Update 4: Jon Morosi of Fox Sports and Rosenthal both report that the deal could expand.
Update 5: Rosenthal says the Cubs are sending RHP prospect Paul Blackburn to the Mariners as well and the Cubs will get a Triple-A pitcher in return.
Blackburn, 22, has pitched well for the Tennessee Smokies this year with a 3.17 ERA in 18 starts and 102.1 innings pitched with a WHIP of 1.19. Although he projected as more of a backend starting pitcher he could have more value in the pitchers friendly Safeco Field.
Update 6: Bob Nightengale reports that the AAA pitcher the Cubs are getting is 26-year old right hander Jordan Pries. He has pitched more as a swingman for the AAA Tacoma Rainers this year making three starts and four relief appearances. In his starts he has pitched 6 innings in each of the starts with an ERA of exactly 2 giving up 16 hits and striking out 16 while walking five.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Cubs send Dan Vogelbach to Mariners for Mike Montgomery
Tim Kurkjian just reported on ESPN according to Buster Olney that the Chicago Cubs are closing in on a trade with the Seattle Mariners. Olney adds that the Cubs have been looking at Mariners lefty reliever Mike Montgomery.
Update #1: According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports the Cubs would send 1B/DH Dan Vogelbach to the Mariners if a trade is completed
Vogelbach, 23, is enjoying a breakout season for the Iowa Cubs hitting an impressive .318/.425/.548 with 16 home runs, but didn't have a future in Chicago because the Cubs already had Anthony Rizzo at first base and Vogelbach didn't play any other position.
Meanwhile Montgomery has appeared in 32 games for the Mariners this season with two of them being starts. He has pitched to a 2.34 ERA in 61.2 innings pitched with a 7.9 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. Most of his success has come against lefties with a .164/.269/.254 line against them.
Update 3: Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has confirmed the deal
Update #1: According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports the Cubs would send 1B/DH Dan Vogelbach to the Mariners if a trade is completed
Vogelbach, 23, is enjoying a breakout season for the Iowa Cubs hitting an impressive .318/.425/.548 with 16 home runs, but didn't have a future in Chicago because the Cubs already had Anthony Rizzo at first base and Vogelbach didn't play any other position.
Meanwhile Montgomery has appeared in 32 games for the Mariners this season with two of them being starts. He has pitched to a 2.34 ERA in 61.2 innings pitched with a 7.9 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. Most of his success has come against lefties with a .164/.269/.254 line against them.
Update 3: Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has confirmed the deal
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Mets finish sweep of Cubs
The New York Mets finished a four games sweep of the struggling Chicago Cubs at Citi Field with a final score of 14-3. The Mets poured it on the Cubs early on and rode some great pitching by young flamethrower Noah Syndergaard.
Jeimer Candelario made his major league debut for the Chicago Cubs starting at third base and struck out on three pitches in his first two at bats but in the seventh inning he collected his first major league hit with a single off of Syndergaard.
The day got off to a good start for the Cubs in the first inning Jason Heyward doubled with one out and Rizzo eventually drove him in with an RBI single. But in the bottom of the frame Curtis Granderson, with a lifetime .223/.296/.397 line against lefties tied the game at one with a home run off of Jon Lester right after a pitch that should've been a called strike three.
The game quickly fell apart for the Cubs as Wilmer Flores led off the second with a home run for the Mets, his first of a remarkable six hits in the game. Rene Rivera hit a home run to make it 4-1, then Granderson, Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker, and Wilmer Flores hit four straight RBI singles to make it 8-1 finally knocking Lester out of the game.
The Cubs bullpen struggled today with Spencer Patton (3 ER) and Joel Peralta (2 ER) both allowing the Mets to pour it on and bottom of the seventh with two outs Cubs manager Joe Maddon put in catcher Miguel Montero to pitch and he threw an inning and a third giving up one run on four hits.
Wilson Contreras led off the ninth with his fourth home run of the year off of Logan Verrett and Javier Baez later scored on a wild pitch to conclude the scoring.
The game wasn't necessarily all negatives for the Cubs as Javier Baez had a good 3-4 game with a double but was picked off on a play that should've been called a balk, Albert Almora Jr went 2-2 and Addison Russell went 2-3.
Jeimer Candelario made his major league debut for the Chicago Cubs starting at third base and struck out on three pitches in his first two at bats but in the seventh inning he collected his first major league hit with a single off of Syndergaard.
The day got off to a good start for the Cubs in the first inning Jason Heyward doubled with one out and Rizzo eventually drove him in with an RBI single. But in the bottom of the frame Curtis Granderson, with a lifetime .223/.296/.397 line against lefties tied the game at one with a home run off of Jon Lester right after a pitch that should've been a called strike three.
The game quickly fell apart for the Cubs as Wilmer Flores led off the second with a home run for the Mets, his first of a remarkable six hits in the game. Rene Rivera hit a home run to make it 4-1, then Granderson, Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker, and Wilmer Flores hit four straight RBI singles to make it 8-1 finally knocking Lester out of the game.
The Cubs bullpen struggled today with Spencer Patton (3 ER) and Joel Peralta (2 ER) both allowing the Mets to pour it on and bottom of the seventh with two outs Cubs manager Joe Maddon put in catcher Miguel Montero to pitch and he threw an inning and a third giving up one run on four hits.
Wilson Contreras led off the ninth with his fourth home run of the year off of Logan Verrett and Javier Baez later scored on a wild pitch to conclude the scoring.
The game wasn't necessarily all negatives for the Cubs as Javier Baez had a good 3-4 game with a double but was picked off on a play that should've been called a balk, Albert Almora Jr went 2-2 and Addison Russell went 2-3.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Cubs activate Miguel Montero, DFA Ryan Kalish
The Chicago Cubs made a move today activating Miguel Montero from the disabled list, and in a corresponding move designated reserve outfielder Ryan Kalish for assignment.
Montero has been on the shelf since April 28th with lower back stiffness, but has been on a rehab assignment with AAA Iowa for the past few days going just 2-10 with three strikeouts.
Overall Montero had gotten off to a slow start in 2016 hitting just .208/.316/.333 in his 57 plate appearances before going on the DL, but his presence is still a boost for the Cubs as he is well regarded as a good defensive catcher with great pitch framing skills.
Kalish was a late signing by the Cubs as he joined the team right before they started playing Spring Training games. He had his contract purchased by the Cubs when Matt Szczur went on the disabled list after hitting .368/.471/.509 in 70 plate appearances for the Iowa Cubs.
Dumping Kalish for Montero is an interesting move because the Cubs already have catchers David Ross and Tim Federowicz on the active roster, but they have a ton of positional flexibility on the roster with Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Tommy La Stella, and Ben Zobrist so they probably figured they could role with three catchers.
Montero has been on the shelf since April 28th with lower back stiffness, but has been on a rehab assignment with AAA Iowa for the past few days going just 2-10 with three strikeouts.
Overall Montero had gotten off to a slow start in 2016 hitting just .208/.316/.333 in his 57 plate appearances before going on the DL, but his presence is still a boost for the Cubs as he is well regarded as a good defensive catcher with great pitch framing skills.
Kalish was a late signing by the Cubs as he joined the team right before they started playing Spring Training games. He had his contract purchased by the Cubs when Matt Szczur went on the disabled list after hitting .368/.471/.509 in 70 plate appearances for the Iowa Cubs.
Dumping Kalish for Montero is an interesting move because the Cubs already have catchers David Ross and Tim Federowicz on the active roster, but they have a ton of positional flexibility on the roster with Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Tommy La Stella, and Ben Zobrist so they probably figured they could role with three catchers.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Cubs sign Jake Buchanan
The Chicago Cubs have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with RHP Jake Buchanan according to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle.
Buchanan, 26, split time between the big league level and AAA Fresno last season for the Astros, In the big league level he appeared in only five games posting an ERA of 2 in 9 innings pitched, but he walked four and only struck out five. In AAA he posted an ERA of 4.76 in 81.1 innings pitched. He gave up 101 hits while striking out only 46 and walking 22.
His only significant big league action came in 2014 for the Astros were he appeared in 17 big league games (2 starts) pitching 35.1 innings with a 4.58 ERA (3.73 xFIP). Like 2015 he struck out a low amount of batters at 5.1 per 9, primarily focusing on getting ground balls at a 59.8% rate.
According to Brooks Baseball, Buchanan's repertoire consists of a sinker, slider, curveball, and change up. His sinker has averaged 88.7 MPH, while his slider averages 82.4 MPH and he can drop in a slow curve at 76.6 MPH.
Buchanan will most likely provide organizational depth at AAA for the Cubs. The might try to develop him into a swing man out of the 'pen like they did with Travis Wood and Clayton Richard in 2015 and Carlos Villanueva in 2013 and '14.
Buchanan, 26, split time between the big league level and AAA Fresno last season for the Astros, In the big league level he appeared in only five games posting an ERA of 2 in 9 innings pitched, but he walked four and only struck out five. In AAA he posted an ERA of 4.76 in 81.1 innings pitched. He gave up 101 hits while striking out only 46 and walking 22.
His only significant big league action came in 2014 for the Astros were he appeared in 17 big league games (2 starts) pitching 35.1 innings with a 4.58 ERA (3.73 xFIP). Like 2015 he struck out a low amount of batters at 5.1 per 9, primarily focusing on getting ground balls at a 59.8% rate.
According to Brooks Baseball, Buchanan's repertoire consists of a sinker, slider, curveball, and change up. His sinker has averaged 88.7 MPH, while his slider averages 82.4 MPH and he can drop in a slow curve at 76.6 MPH.
Buchanan will most likely provide organizational depth at AAA for the Cubs. The might try to develop him into a swing man out of the 'pen like they did with Travis Wood and Clayton Richard in 2015 and Carlos Villanueva in 2013 and '14.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Cubs finish Arizona season with 10-0 win over Rockies
You know it is going to be a good day for the Cubs offense when even Jon Lester is able to contribute to the offense. He hit a two-run homer to the opposite field to increase their lead to 5-0 in the fourth inning. Kyle Schwarber followed him up with a blast to put them up 5-0.
Lester was able to cruise through this one going five strong giving up a hit and a walk while striking out 10. He turned it over to Adam Warren who gave up two hits and struck out one in two innings of work, Warren was followed by Clayton Richard who gave up two hits and a walk with a strikeout over his two innings of work to close out the ballgame.
The Cubs got off to an early start offensively as David Ross hit a two-run double in the second inning that plated two and a seven run fourth inning allowed the Cubs to cruise to a 10-0 victory.
David Ross was the star offensively going 3-3 with three doubles and four runs driven in. Aside from Matt Szczur every starter got a hit but Szczur did drive in a run and drew a walk. Jorge Soler ended the Cactus League season on a good note going 2-4 with 2 RBIs.
Lester was able to cruise through this one going five strong giving up a hit and a walk while striking out 10. He turned it over to Adam Warren who gave up two hits and struck out one in two innings of work, Warren was followed by Clayton Richard who gave up two hits and a walk with a strikeout over his two innings of work to close out the ballgame.
The Cubs got off to an early start offensively as David Ross hit a two-run double in the second inning that plated two and a seven run fourth inning allowed the Cubs to cruise to a 10-0 victory.
David Ross was the star offensively going 3-3 with three doubles and four runs driven in. Aside from Matt Szczur every starter got a hit but Szczur did drive in a run and drew a walk. Jorge Soler ended the Cactus League season on a good note going 2-4 with 2 RBIs.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
The Cubs final 25-man roster and thoughts
Earlier today the Cubs revealed their final 25-man roster and included in it were Matt Szczur, Tommy La Stella, and Neil Ramirez along with the moves was the announcement that Javier Baez would start the season on the 15-day disabled list with a thumb contusion.
The battle for the final roster spot seemed to be between La Stella/Szczur but the injury to Baez opened the door for them to both made the roster. Szczur probably had the upper hand anyway due to the fact that he was out of options, but both had been injured early on in the Spring and had recently returned to game action. Both have had good spring with Szczur going 7-16 with a pair of home runs and La Stella hitting 5-16 with a walk. Although the best option would be to have Baez healthy and having to choose between La Stella and Szczur. Both of them should be able to make an impact off the bench and give the Cubs extra flexibility.
Neil Ramirez had a lights out season in 2014 but seemed to be relying on a bit of luck to get through it with a 3.48 xFIP compared to his 1.44 ERA and a LOB% a well above average 82%. In 2015 he was on and off the disabled list with shoulder and abdominal issues and was limited to just 19 appearances. He pitched well in those games with a 3.21 ERA (4.04 xFIP) but it wasn't enough to guarantee him a roster spot for 2016. He hasn't pitched particularly well in Spring Training with a 12.60 ERA in 5 innings giving up 7 earned runs and striking out only four while walking one.
Overall I think this is the best roster the Cubs could come up with the Baez injury. They have a player that can play every outfield position in Szczur and who can play two infield positions in La Stella. I think Szczur was going to be on the roster no matter what because the Cubs didn't want to risk losing him early on to a team like the Phillies who are looking for outfielders. Ramirez has been battling a velocity drop only throwing in the early 90s this spring and not generating as many strikeouts as he did a few years ago so the Cubs will get an extended look at him early on in the year, but will have to decide on his future with the organization early on. I think he still has a ton of potential to be a top notch reliever in the NL but he will have to earn the playing time out of the 'pen.
The battle for the final roster spot seemed to be between La Stella/Szczur but the injury to Baez opened the door for them to both made the roster. Szczur probably had the upper hand anyway due to the fact that he was out of options, but both had been injured early on in the Spring and had recently returned to game action. Both have had good spring with Szczur going 7-16 with a pair of home runs and La Stella hitting 5-16 with a walk. Although the best option would be to have Baez healthy and having to choose between La Stella and Szczur. Both of them should be able to make an impact off the bench and give the Cubs extra flexibility.
Neil Ramirez had a lights out season in 2014 but seemed to be relying on a bit of luck to get through it with a 3.48 xFIP compared to his 1.44 ERA and a LOB% a well above average 82%. In 2015 he was on and off the disabled list with shoulder and abdominal issues and was limited to just 19 appearances. He pitched well in those games with a 3.21 ERA (4.04 xFIP) but it wasn't enough to guarantee him a roster spot for 2016. He hasn't pitched particularly well in Spring Training with a 12.60 ERA in 5 innings giving up 7 earned runs and striking out only four while walking one.
Overall I think this is the best roster the Cubs could come up with the Baez injury. They have a player that can play every outfield position in Szczur and who can play two infield positions in La Stella. I think Szczur was going to be on the roster no matter what because the Cubs didn't want to risk losing him early on to a team like the Phillies who are looking for outfielders. Ramirez has been battling a velocity drop only throwing in the early 90s this spring and not generating as many strikeouts as he did a few years ago so the Cubs will get an extended look at him early on in the year, but will have to decide on his future with the organization early on. I think he still has a ton of potential to be a top notch reliever in the NL but he will have to earn the playing time out of the 'pen.
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