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<title type="text">Chicago Cubs – MLB Trade Rumors</title>
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<updated>2024-04-19T00:15:40Z</updated>
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<entry>
<author>
<name>Anthony Franco</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Kyle Hendricks’ Tough Start]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/kyle-hendricks-tough-start.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=808149</id>
<updated>2024-04-19T00:15:40Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-19T00:15:37Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="MLBTR Originals" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Kyle Hendricks" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Few players have had a more difficult start to 2024 than Kyle Hendricks. The Cubs righty has been rocked for 24 runs over his first 17 innings. He has surrendered an MLB-high seven home runs. Hendricks has allowed more than a run per inning in each of his first four appearances, only completing five innings once.…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/kyle-hendricks-tough-start.html"><![CDATA[Few players have had a more difficult start to 2024 than <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-18_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Hendricks</a>. The Cubs righty has been rocked for 24 runs over his first 17 innings. He has surrendered an MLB-high seven home runs. Hendricks has allowed more than a run per inning in each of his first four appearances, only completing five innings once.
That’s a far cry from his resurgent showing last season. After consecutive seasons with an ERA near 5.00 in 2021-22, the veteran sinkerballer rebounded with a strong 3.74 mark. Aside from a six-week stint on the injured list, Hendricks had a strong year. It was a fairly easy call for the Cubs to exercise a $16.5MM team option for 2024. While it didn’t always seem as if things were trending in that direction, Hendricks’ platform showing was impressive enough that the option was a straightforward decision by the time it was up for consideration.
There’s still plenty of time for him to turn things around, but this clearly isn’t the opening the former ERA champ and the Cubs were expecting. Hendricks’ starts have come against the Rangers, Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks. They’re all above-average to excellent offensive teams, so it isn’t as if the Cubs have faced an easy set of opponents. Still, this is the worst four-start stretch of Hendricks’ 11-year MLB career in terms of run prevention. He has typically been a slow starter — his career ERA in March/April is more than a run and a half higher than in any other month — but this is an especially rough few weeks.
<img class="alignright wp-image-808156" src="https://cdn.mlbtraderumors.com/files/2024/04/USATSI_22993881-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="275" height="183" srcset="https://cdn.mlbtraderumors.com/files/2024/04/USATSI_22993881-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.mlbtraderumors.com/files/2024/04/USATSI_22993881-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mlbtraderumors.com/files/2024/04/USATSI_22993881-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.mlbtraderumors.com/files/2024/04/USATSI_22993881-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.mlbtraderumors.com/files/2024/04/USATSI_22993881-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.mlbtraderumors.com/files/2024/04/USATSI_22993881-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px" />
It’s difficult to know how much emphasis to place on any player’s first couple weeks of the season, especially ones at an extreme. The Cubs surely don’t want to overrate what amounts to a 17-inning sample. Hendricks is a particularly tough pitcher to evaluate because he’s an anomaly in the modern game. He had an excellent seven-year run to start his career behind top-of-the-scale command and an elite changeup to overcome well below-average velocity. Over the past three-plus years, his results have been less consistent.
The velocity and movement profile on Hendricks’ pitches this year isn’t much different than where it was in 2023. His changeup isn’t missing quite as many bats, but his game has never been built on swing-and-miss totals. The far bigger issue has been the damage Hendricks is allowing on contact. Beyond the homers, opponents are hitting almost .400 on balls in play — nearly .100 points higher than the league average.
Both the home runs and BABIP will come down to some extent. Hendricks certainly isn’t going to continue running an ERA above 12.00. Yet it also seems that last year’s sub-4.00 mark was probably anomalous. Hendricks surrendered just 0.85 home runs per nine last season but was in the 1.6 HR/9 range in both 2021 and ’22. Maintaining last year’s success keeping the ball in the yard was always going to be a tough task. Even if his home run rate settles back into the 2021-22 range, Hendricks would project for an ERA approaching 5.00.
That could eventually force the coaching staff to consider moving him out of the rotation. They’re not at that point yet. The Cubs list Hendricks as their probable starter for Sunday’s series finale with the Marlins. That’ll be by far the weakest lineup against which he’s gotten the ball this year. Manager Craig Counsell indicated yesterday the Cubs weren’t considering skipping that start.
“I think frankly, all of our pitching stuff is we’ve got to get through every day,” Counsell told reporters (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/04/17/chicago-cubs-hayden-wesneski-colten-brewer/">link via Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune</a>). “And then we’re in a tough enough spot, right? We’ve just got to get through the day and then reevaluate it and make an assessment going forward. We’re going to need Kyle’s innings in his next start.”
That could lead the Cubs to proceed with a six-man rotation for the time being. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taillja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-18_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jameson Taillon</a> has been reinstated from his season-opening injured list stint and will take the ball Friday. He slots back into a starting staff that also includes <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/imanash01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-18_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shota Imanaga</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wicksjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-18_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Wicks</a>. If the Cubs wanted to go back to a five-man rotation, swingman <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/assadja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-18_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Javier Assad</a> and rookie <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=brownbe02,brown-015ben&search=Ben+Brown&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-18_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ben Brown</a> would be the straightforward candidates for a move to the bullpen or (in Brown’s case) back to Triple-A Iowa. Yet they’ve each pitched well in the early going. Assad has allowed only four runs through 16 2/3 innings. Brown has allowed eight runs — six of them in a rocky first start — over his first 16 1/3 frames with a solid 23.4% strikeout rate.
The Cubs have been without ace <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/steelju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-18_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Steele</a> since he left his Opening Day start with a hamstring strain. He’s coming off a recent 25-pitch bullpen session but won’t be back in an MLB game until sometime next month. That could buy the coaching staff time to stick with a six-man rotation or temporarily bump Brown out of the mix. If everyone else is healthy by the time Steele comes back, they might face a tougher decision on whether to continue giving Hendricks the ball every fifth day.
Chicago is midway through a stretch of 10 consecutive game days. They’re off next Monday, their only reprieve before they play 19 in a row through May 8. After his start against Miami, Hendricks would be in line for matchups against the Red Sox and Brewers if the Cubs stay on a six-man trajectory.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Anthony Franco</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Injury Notes: Albies, Suzuki, Basabe, Gipson-Long]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/injury-notes-albies-suzuki-basabe-gipson-long.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=808130</id>
<updated>2024-04-18T01:39:00Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-18T01:38:57Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Atlanta Braves" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Detroit Tigers" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Notes" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Tampa Bay Rays" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Osleivis Basabe" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Ozzie Albies" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Sawyer Gipson-Long" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Seiya Suzuki" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Braves placed Ozzie Albies on the injured list yesterday after the star second baseman fractured a toe on a hit-by-pitch. The Athletic’s David O’Brien writes that the Braves expect Albies’ absence to be closer to one month as opposed to the three months he lost when he broke his foot during the 2022 season. While that’d…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/injury-notes-albies-suzuki-basabe-gipson-long.html"><![CDATA[The Braves placed <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/albieoz01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ozzie Albies</a> on the injured list yesterday after the star second baseman fractured a toe on a hit-by-pitch. <a target="_blank" href="https://theathletic.com/5421544/2024/04/17/ozzie-albies-toe-braves-win-houston/">The Athletic’s David O’Brien</a> writes that the Braves expect Albies’ absence to be closer to one month as opposed to the three months he lost when he broke his foot during the 2022 season. While that’d be well beyond the 10-day minimum, it’s far from a worst case scenario.
Atlanta’s typically excellent offense has been the best in MLB over the season’s first few weeks. The Braves lead the majors in all three triple-slash stats and entered Wednesday third in runs (behind the Padres and Dodgers, each of whom have played more games). Albies has been a big part of that, hitting .317/.386/.492 with a pair of longballs over his first 70 plate appearances. The Braves selected <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fletcda02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">David Fletcher’s</a> contract after Albies’ injury to add a glove-first utility option. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/guilllu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Luis Guillorme</a> has gotten the start at the keystone in each of the last two days.
A few more health situations of note:
<ul>
<li>An approximate month-long absence also seems to be on the table for Cubs outfielder <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suzukse01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Seiya Suzuki</a>, who went on the shelf on Monday with an oblique strain. Manager Craig Counsell told reporters last night that the injury is in the “four-week range,” although the team will have a clearer timetable once Suzuki’s symptoms subside (<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/M_Montemurro/status/1780379312623177830">X link</a> via Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune). One of Chicago’s hottest hitters, Suzuki was off to a .305/.368/.525 start to his third MLB campaign. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tauchmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mike Tauchman</a> has been pushed into right field action against right-handed pitching, with <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/canaral01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Alexander Canario</a> recalled as a righty complement in the corner opposite <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/happia01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ian Happ</a>.</li>
<li>The Rays were dealt a hit to their infield depth this afternoon. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/basabos01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Osleivis Basabe</a> landed on the minor league injured list. Patrick Kinas, broadcaster for the team’s Triple-A affiliate, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/PatrickKinas/status/1780670373098319874">tweets</a> that Basabe fractured his right wrist when he was by a pitch from <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=uwasaw000nao&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Naoyuki Uwasawa</a> in yesterday’s game. It’s not clear how long he’ll be out of action, although it stands to reason it’ll be a significant absence. Basabe has spent this year in Triple-A after being optioned during Spring Training. The righty-hitting shortstop got to the majors late last season, appearing in his first 31 MLB contests. He’s on the 40-man roster as a depth option for a middle infield that is already without <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lowebr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Brandon Lowe</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wallsta01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Taylor Walls</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gipsosa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Sawyer Gipson-Long</a> continues to weigh multiple opinions after experiencing forearm tightness, the Tigers informed reporters (including <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/CodyStavenhagen/status/1780245813723029984">The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen</a>). Detroit hasn’t specified whether surgery is on the table, yet it’s nevertheless worrisome any time a pitcher is dealing with somewhat nebulous forearm soreness. Gipson-Long began the season on the 15-day injured list after suffering a Spring Training groin strain. He had an impressive four-start MLB debut last September, fanning nearly 32% of opponents with a 2.70 ERA in 20 innings. Gipson-Long wasn’t likely to be in contention for an Opening Day rotation spot but projects as one of Detroit’s better depth starters if healthy.</li>
</ul>
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Steve Adams</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs Announce Several Roster Moves]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-select-colten-brewer-julian-merryweather-60-day-injured-list.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=808106</id>
<updated>2024-04-17T19:17:47Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-17T19:07:55Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Transactions" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Colten Brewer" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Julian Merryweather" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs announced a series of roster moves to add some fresh arms to the bullpen after their recent pair of extra-inning games taxed the relief corps. Right-handers Hayden Wesneski and Colten Brewer are up from Triple-A Iowa — the latter of whom had his contract selected to the 40-man roster. Chicago optioned righty Daniel…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-select-colten-brewer-julian-merryweather-60-day-injured-list.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs announced a series of roster moves to add some fresh arms to the bullpen after their recent pair of extra-inning games taxed the relief corps. Right-handers <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wesneha01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Hayden Wesneski</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/breweco01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Colten Brewer</a> are up from Triple-A Iowa — the latter of whom had his contract selected to the 40-man roster. Chicago optioned righty <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/palenda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Daniel Palencia</a> and lefty <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/littllu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Luke Little</a> to open a pair of spots on the active roster. Right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/merryju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Julian Merryweather</a>, already shelved with a stress fracture in his ribcage, was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot for Brewer on the 40-man roster. He’s been on the IL since April 6, meaning he’ll now be out until at least June 6.
The Cubs will be the fourth big league club for Brewer, 31. The right-hander tossed 8 1/3 innings with the Yankees in 2023 and has previously spent time with the Padres and Red Sox. He’s logged a combined 99 1/3 innings across parts of five MLB campaigns, pitching to a 4.98 ERA with a 19.7% strikeout rate, 13.1% walk rate and 51.3% grounder rate. Brewer also spent time with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball last year, hurling 11 1/3 innings while allowing three runs on six hits and six walks (one intentional) with 14 strikeouts.
Brewer signed with Chicago on a minor league pact over the winter and had a strong spring training (seven innings, one run, eight strikeouts, no walks). He’s posted quite similar numbers in Des Moines so far: 7 2/3 innings pitched, three hits, one earned run, two walks, nine strikeouts. The 6’4″ righty is no stranger pitching to working in a long-relief role and could give the Cubs multiple innings if needed.
A protracted absence for Merryweather stings for the Cubs. The 32-year-old joined the organization as a waiver claim out of Toronto in January 2023 and quickly became one of their most important relievers. Since Opening Day ’23, Merryweather touts a 3.29 ERA (3.46 FIP, 3.41 SIERA) with a huge 32.1% strikeout rate. His 11.7% walk rate could rather obviously stand to improve, but Merryweather has done a nice job keeping the ball in the yard and frequently overpowering opponents with a heater that’s averaged 98.1 mph as a Cub. Among the 244 big league pitchers to toss at least 70 innings since Opening Day 2023, Merryweather’s 15.4% swinging-strike rate ranks 11th, placing him right between Mariners setup stud <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brashma01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matt Brash</a> and reigning NL Cy Young winner <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/snellbl01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-17_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Blake Snell</a>.
]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-select-colten-brewer-julian-merryweather-60-day-injured-list.html#comments" thr:count="39"/>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Darragh McDonald</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Ken Holtzman Passes Away]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/ken-holtzman-passes-away.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=807862</id>
<updated>2024-04-16T00:16:09Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-16T00:16:06Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Baltimore Orioles" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="New York Yankees" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Oakland Athletics" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Obituaries" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs announced that former big league left-hander Ken Holtzman passed away recently. Per an obituary from Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Holtzman had been hospitalized for the past three weeks due to heart problems. He was 78 years old. Holtzman was born in St. Louis in 1945. He attended the University of…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/ken-holtzman-passes-away.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs announced that former big league left-hander <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/holtzke01.shtml">Ken Holtzman</a> passed away recently. Per an obituary from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/st-louisan-ken-holtzman-who-threw-2-no-hitters-for-cubs-and-won-3-world/article_3abee8da-fb3e-11ee-baab-c74c79ace82a.html">Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>, Holtzman had been hospitalized for the past three weeks due to heart problems. He was 78 years old.
Holtzman was born in St. Louis in 1945. He attended the University of Illinois and was selected from there by the Cubs in the 1965 draft. It didn’t take him long to get to the big leagues, with the Cubs calling him up later that same year.
He only made three appearances in 1965 but got a more proper debut in 1966. He made 34 appearances for the Cubs, 33 starts, and tossed 220 2/3 innings with a 3.79 earned run average. In 1967, he was serving in the National Guard and only able to pitch on weekends, but he made the most of his time in that limited role. He made 12 starts and went 9-0 that year, posting a 2.53 ERA in 92 2/3 innings.
With his military obligations completed, he was able to return to a full-time role. 1968 was the first of nine straight seasons in which he made at least 30 appearances and tossed at least 195 innings. Those Cubs teams of the late ’60s and early ’70s were pretty decent, finishing above .500 each year from ’67 to ’72, but not making the playoffs in any of them. Holtzman was a key component of those clubs, taking the ball and posting generally solid results. That included a no-hitter that he tossed against the Braves in 1969 and another against the Reds in 1971.
Prior to the 1972 season, Holtzman was traded to the Athletics for fellow southpaw <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mondari01.shtml">Rick Monday</a>. The move to Oakland seemed to suit Holtzman. From 1972 to 1975, he tossed at least 255 1/3 innings in each season with his ERA never finishing higher than 3.14. He was selected to the All-Star team in ’72 and ’73 and the A’s won the World Series in three straight years from ’72 to ’74, with Holtzman playing a big part in those titles. Over those three years and in 1975, he pitched in 13 postseason games with a 2.30 ERA in 70 1/3 innings. He even hit a home run in the ’74 series, with the DH not being implemented in the World Series until 1976.
Holtzman was traded to the Orioles prior to the 1976 season and then to the Yankees in the middle of that campaign. He stayed with the Yanks for a while as his playing time faded, getting traded back to the Cubs midway through the ’78 campaign. He made 23 appearances in 1979 with a 4.59 ERA in what eventually proved to be his last season.
His entire big league career resulted in 451 appearances with a 174-150 record and a 3.49 ERA. He pitched two no-hitters, made a couple of All-Star teams and won three rings. Per Hochman, Holtzman has the most wins for a Jewish pitcher in MLB history, with his 174 just ahead of the 165 wins of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/koufasa01.shtml">Sandy Koufax</a>.
MLBTR joins the rest of the baseball community in sending our condolences to the Holtzman family, as well as his many friends and fans around the game.
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Darragh McDonald</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs Place Seiya Suzuki On Injured List Due To Oblique Strain]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-place-seiya-suzuki-on-injured-list-due-to-oblique-strain.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=807909</id>
<updated>2024-04-15T22:17:28Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-15T22:15:20Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Transactions" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Alexander Canario" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Seiya Suzuki" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs announced to reporters, including Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, that outfielder Seiya Suzuki has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. Fellow outfielder Alexander Canario has been recalled in a corresponding move. At this point, it’s unclear exactly how severe the injury is, but it’s undoubtedly bad…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-place-seiya-suzuki-on-injured-list-due-to-oblique-strain.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs announced to reporters, including <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/M_Montemurro/status/1779989643355918722">Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune</a>, that outfielder <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suzukse01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-15_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Seiya Suzuki</a> has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. Fellow outfielder <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/canaral01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-15_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Alexander Canario</a> has been recalled in a corresponding move.
At this point, it’s unclear exactly how severe the injury is, but it’s undoubtedly bad news for the Cubs. For one thing, even mild oblique strains usually lead to absences of multiple weeks. Since Suzuki has been one of the club’s hottest hitters so far this year, it’s doubly frustrating that he’s now on the shelf. Suzuki suffered an oblique strain in Spring Training last year, on his left side, and missed the first few weeks of the season.
Through 15 games this year, Suzuki already has three home runs and has produced a batting line of .305/.368/.525 for a wRC+ of 139. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buschmi02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-15_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Michael Busch</a> is the only other guy on the club who is getting regular playing time and producing more than that. Those two along with <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/swansda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-15_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Dansby Swanson</a> are the only regulars with a wRC+ above the 100 average. Despite the tepid offense, the Cubs have managed to go 9-6 so far this year but will now have to try to continue winning without Suzuki’s bat in the lineup.
Canario, 24 next month, got to make his major league debut last year but was put into just six games. He’s generally done a lot of hitting in the minors but with plenty of strikeouts as well. Shoulder and ankle injuries limited him to just 53 minor league games last year, but he hit nine home runs and slashed .273/.356/.488 in those, along with strikeouts in 27.5% of his plate appearances.
So far this year, he has reduced his strikeout rate to 24.6% in his 61 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He has also walked at a strong 13.1% rate and hit .269/.377/.481. It’s a fairly small sample size but it nonetheless shows some encouraging progress for the young outfielder.
Whether the Cubs plan on having him take regular playing time in Suzuki’s absence remains to be seen. The club could perhaps use an outfield alignment of <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/happia01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-15_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ian Happ</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bellico01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-15_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Cody Bellinger</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tauchmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-15_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mike Tauchman</a> while using <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=coopega03,cooper007gar&search=Garrett+Cooper&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-15_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Garrett Cooper</a> in the designated hitter slot and keeping Canario on the bench. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morelch01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-15_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Christopher Morel</a> could also be moved from third base to designated hitter, with <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/madrini01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-15_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Nick Madrigal</a> getting more time at the hot corner. But given the struggles up and down the lineup, perhaps there’s a path for Canario to earn himself some more playing time if he make good use of whatever opportunities he’s given initially.
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mark Polishuk</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs Sign Julio Teheran To Minor League Deal]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-sign-julio-teheran.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=807823</id>
<updated>2024-04-15T15:11:29Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-15T14:40:22Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Transactions" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Julio Teheran" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[April 15: It’s a minor league deal for Teheran, tweets ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. April 14: The Cubs have signed right-hander Julio Teheran, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link). After the Mets designated Teheran for assignment earlier on Tuesday, he opted for free agency after clearing waivers, and has now quickly…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-sign-julio-teheran.html"><![CDATA[April 15: It’s a minor league deal for Teheran, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/JesseRogersESPN/status/1779676756342947978">tweets</a> ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
April 14: The Cubs have signed right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teherju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Julio Teheran</a>, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post (<a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1779674102778773775" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter link</a>). After the Mets designated Teheran for assignment earlier on Tuesday, he opted for free agency after clearing waivers, and has now quickly landed with a new team to complete a whirlwind week.
Teheran’s time in New York lasted all of one start, as he allowed four runs over 2 2/3 innings in an 8-7 win over the Braves on April 8. Since the Mets signed Teheran to a Major League (albeit <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/mets-to-sign-julio-teheran.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">non-guaranteed</a>) contract, one imagines that the team would’ve given him a longer look if he had pitched well, but the Mets chose to move one once roster technicalities allowed them to recall <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buttojo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jose Butto</a>.
Since the Cubs are also trying to deal with some injuries within the rotation, Teheran looks like he’ll again be in line to cover a few starts until the team gets healthier. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taillja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jameson Taillon</a> <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-notes-taillon-steele-wisdom.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">might be close</a> to returning from the 15-day injured list but <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/steelju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Steele</a> will still be out until sometime in May, leaving the Cubs with a current rotation mix of <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Hendricks</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/imanash01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shota Imanaga</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wicksjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Wicks</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/assadja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Javier Assad</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=brownbe02,brown-015ben&search=Ben+Brown&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ben Brown</a>. There isn’t much MLB experience within that group apart from Hendricks, so between Taillon’s return and Teheran’s signing, Brown seems like the odd man out, and the Cubs can then decide on whether Wicks or Assad will remain as the fifth starter. It is also possible that Teheran could pitch as a depth option at Triple-A, if Chicago wants a longer look at any of their younger arms.
Teheran pitched for Milwaukee last season, meaning Cubs manager and ex-Brewers skipper <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/counscr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Craig Counsell</a> is very familiar with the veteran righty. Teheran’s 71 2/3 innings with the Brew Crew represented his highest Major League workload since the 2019 season, and he delivered a respectable 4.40 ERA while starting 11 of his 14 games for Milwaukee. A two-time All-Star during his heyday with the Braves, Teheran moved from front-of-the-rotation arm to durable mid-rotation starter to journeyman, as the Cubs are now his seventh different organization since the start of the 2020 campaign.
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Nick Deeds</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs Notes: Taillon, Steele, Wisdom]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-notes-taillon-steele-wisdom.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=807755</id>
<updated>2024-04-14T17:52:44Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-14T12:58:32Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Notes" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Jameson Taillon" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Justin Steele" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Patrick Wisdom" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon opened the season on the injured list after missing all of Spring Training due to calf and back issues, but club manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including the Chicago Sun Times’ Maddie Lee) that Taillon’s next start will come with the big league club in Chicago after a strong rehab start…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-notes-taillon-steele-wisdom.html"><![CDATA[Cubs right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taillja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jameson Taillon</a> opened the season on the injured list after missing all of Spring Training due to calf and back issues, but club manager <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/counscr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Craig Counsell</a> told reporters (including the <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/maddie_m_lee/status/1779294472448438440">Chicago Sun Times’ Maddie Lee</a>) that Taillon’s next start will come with the big league club in Chicago after a strong rehab start from the 32-year-old Friday night during which he struck out 4 in 3 2/3 scoreless innings while building up to 68 pitches.
Taillon is in the second year of the four-year, $68MM deal he signed with Chicago and enters 2024 hoping to get off to a better start after a brutal first half sank his 2023 campaign. The right-hander pitched to solid results in his first 3 starts with the Cubs last year but struggled badly following a groin injury he sustained in mid-April, posting a 7.61 ERA and 6.07 FIP in his next eleven starts. From there, however, the right-hander appeared to turn a corner and performed more like the mid-rotation arm he was signed to be, with a 3.38 ERA and 4.24 FIP over his final 90 2/3 innings of work.
If the veteran righty can maintain that form he showed in the second half of the season last year, it would provide a major boost to the Cubs’ rotation. The club has been forced to lean heavily on youngsters <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/assadja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Javier Assad</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wicksjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Wicks</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=brownbe02,brown-015ben&search=Ben+Brown&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ben Brown</a> to this point in the young 2024 campaign due to injuries sustained by Taillon and ace lefty <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/steelju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Steele</a> in addition to the struggles of veteran right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Hendricks</a>, who has posted a 12.08 ERA across the first three starts of his 2024 campaign. Taillon’s return to the rotation could allow one of those young pitchers to move to the bullpen, where the club has seen closer <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alzolad01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Adbert Alzolay</a> and veteran free agent signing <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nerishe01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Hector Neris</a> scuffle somewhat to open the season.
Looking beyond Taillon, it seems as though more reinforcements for the club’s pitching staff could be on the way in the coming weeks, as Counsell indicated to reporters (including <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/M_Montemurro/status/1779272220357124546">Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune</a>) that Steele was also making progress in his bid to return from the hamstring strain he sustained during his Opening Day start against the Rangers. Per Counsell, Steele was scheduled to throw a 25-pitch bullpen session yesterday. It’s a notable step forward for the lefty, which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/news/cubs-injuries-and-roster-moves">MLB.com adds</a> comes on the heels of a 75-pitch simulated game pitched off flat ground in San Diego earlier this week.
The news appears to leave Steele on track to return sometime next month. That Steele appears to be on track to return fairly quickly is surely a relief for Chicago, as the lefty has broken out as one of the game’s best starters in recent years. Dating back to June of the 2022 season, Steele has pitched to a sterling 2.73 ERA with a 3.05 FIP across 45 starts. In that time, only <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/verlaju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Verlander</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ohtansh01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shohei Ohtani</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/snellbl01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Blake Snell</a> have posted a lower ERA in at least 250 innings of work, while only Verlander, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stridsp01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Spencer Strider</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gausmke01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kevin Gausman</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grayso01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Sonny Gray</a> boast a lower FIP.
Also on the mend from injury is slugger <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wisdopa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Patrick Wisdom</a>, who began the season on the injured list due to back strain. The 32-year-old is six games into a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa, however, and could be rapidly nearing a return. Counsell told reporters recently (including those at MLB.com) that Wisdom could rejoin the club at some point during their current road trip. The Cubs will finish a series in Seattle this afternoon before wrapping their road trip with a three-game set in Arizona.
Should Wisdom end up joining the club in Arizona, that could be the end of veteran first baseman <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=coopega03,cooper007gar&search=Garrett+Cooper&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Garrett Cooper</a>’s time with Chicago. Cooper has impressed in part-time duty with five hits including a double, a triple, and a home run in his first 15 plate appearances with the club. Even so, it’s hard to imagine the Cubs having room for both the 2022 All Star and Wisdom on the roster when <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buschmi02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Michael Busch</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morelch01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Christopher Morel</a> appear to have locked down the infield corners for the foreseeable future. Cooper cannot be optioned to the minor leagues after signing a minor league deal with the club in free agency, though each of Wisdom, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/madrini01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Nick Madrigal</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mastrmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-14_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Miles Mastrobuoni</a> have options remaining should the Cubs wish to retain Cooper on the big league roster.
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Steve Adams</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Mets Acquire Joe Hudson From Cubs]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/mets-acquire-joe-hudson-from-cubs.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=807605</id>
<updated>2024-04-12T18:43:44Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-12T18:43:40Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="New York Mets" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Transactions" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Joe Hudson" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs traded journeyman catcher Joe Hudson to the Mets yesterday, per the teams’ transaction logs at MLB.com. It’s presumably a cash deal that’ll give the Mets some additional depth behind the plate. Hudson was assigned to Double-A Binghamton. Hudson, 32, has seen brief action in three big leagues seasons but none since 2020. He…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/mets-acquire-joe-hudson-from-cubs.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs traded journeyman catcher <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hudsojo03.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-12_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Joe Hudson</a> to the Mets yesterday, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/mets/roster/transactions">per the teams’ transaction logs at MLB.com</a>. It’s presumably a cash deal that’ll give the Mets some additional depth behind the plate. Hudson was assigned to Double-A Binghamton.
Hudson, 32, has seen brief action in three big leagues seasons but none since 2020. He has just 33 MLB plate appearances under his belt. Hudson has spent the past two seasons in Triple-A with the Rays and Braves, hitting for a low average but posting strong on-base marks and showing off good pop at the plate. He was hitless in eight plate appearances with the Cubs’ Iowa affiliate in 2024 but batted .230/.362/.432 with 20 homers in just 437 plate appearances with the top affiliates for the Rays and Braves from 2022-23.
Behind the plate, Hudson is 0-for-7 in halting steals at the MLB level but boasts an enormous 40% caught-stealing rate in 11 minor league seasons. He’s also typically posted strong framing marks in the upper minors, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/player/101989/joe-hudson/">per Baseball Prospectus</a>.
The Mets are set at catcher on the big league roster, with young <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alvarfr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-12_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Francisco Alvarez</a> shouldering the bulk of the workload and veteran <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/narvaom01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-12_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Omar Narvaez</a> backing him up. In Triple-A, they’ve got veteran <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nidoto01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-12_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tomas Nido</a> and well-traveled <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/allenau01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-12_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Austin Allen</a> — a pair of backstops with big league experience (quite a bit of experience, in Nido’s case). For now, Hudson will head to Double-A and pair with top catching prospect <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=parada000kev&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-12_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kevin Parada</a>.
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Darragh McDonald</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[MLBTR Podcast: Reviewing Our Free Agent Predictions And Future CBA Issues]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/mlbtr-podcast-reviewing-our-free-agent-predictions-and-future-cba-issues.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=807434</id>
<updated>2024-04-11T05:02:01Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-11T04:59:04Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Los Angeles Dodgers" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="MLB Trade Rumors Podcast" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Cody Bellinger" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Shohei Ohtani" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts. This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes, Steve…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/mlbtr-podcast-reviewing-our-free-agent-predictions-and-future-cba-issues.html"><![CDATA[The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2oly4B31LlBF4ejdZtjnqd">Spotify</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/megapod-reviewing-our-free-agent-predictions-and/id1679170946?i=1000651996881">Apple Podcasts</a>, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2156492/14861860-megapod-reviewing-our-free-agent-predictions-and-future-cba-issues">this link</a> to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
<iframe title="MLB Trade Rumors Podcast, Megapod: Reviewing Our Free Agent Predictions And Future CBA Issues" src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2156492/14861860-megapod-reviewing-our-free-agent-predictions-and-future-cba-issues?client_source=small_player&iframe=true" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams and Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
<ul>
<li>Why did the 2023-24 offseason play out the way that it did? Was the slow offseason a trend or a blip? Looking at competitive balance tax and TV revenue issues. (2:40)</li>
<li>The decision between a middleground deal versus a short-term deal, focusing on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bellico01.shtml">Cody Bellinger</a> of the Cubs but also other players who didn’t get the huge offers they were expecting (20:00)</li>
<li>There were very few long deals this winter, so can we glean anything about the trend of extending contracts to lower the average annual value? (34:50)</li>
<li>Why did we project big contracts for players with clear warts? (42:10)</li>
<li>Is the middle tier of the free agent market dying? (45:15)</li>
<li>With the next CBA negotiations coming after 2026, how will the players respond to recent events? (50:20)</li>
<li>Are the owners divided, with rich and poor teams getting pushed apart by the collapse of TV revenue streams? (59:05)</li>
<li>Is deferred money a real problem and is there any motivation to change the rules? (1:02:40)</li>
<li>Does MLB need more parity and what are the best ways to do it? (1:09:30)</li>
<li>Was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ohtansh01.shtml">Shohei Ohtani</a>’s deferred money an extreme outlier or is it still a concerning trend? (1:13:10)</li>
<li>Will there be another lockout after 2026? (01:19:35)</li>
</ul>
Check out our past episodes!
<ul>
<li>Baseball Is Back, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithwi05.shtml">Will Smith</a>’s Extension, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clevimi01.shtml">Mike Clevinger</a> And <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bertijo01.shtml">Jon Berti</a> – <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/mlbtr-podcast-baseball-is-back-will-smiths-extension-mike-clevinger-and-jon-berti.html">listen here</a></li>
<li>A Live Reaction To The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/montgjo01.shtml">Jordan Montgomery</a> Signing, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ohtansh01.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shohei Ohtani</a>’s Interpreter, And <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martijd02.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.D. Martinez</a> Joins The Mets – <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/mlbtr-podcast-a-live-reaction-to-the-jordan-montgomery-signing-ohtanis-interpreter-and-j-d-martinez-joins-the-mets.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listen here</a></li>
<li>Mutiny In The MLBPA, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/snellbl01.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake Snell</a> Signs With The Giants And The <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/ceasedy01.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dylan Cease</a> Trade – <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/mlbtr-podcast-mutiny-in-the-mlbpa-blake-snell-signs-with-the-giants-and-the-dylan-cease-trade.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listen here</a></li>
</ul>
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ShowoffMusic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>!
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Anthony Franco</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs’ Julian Merryweather Shut Down With Rib Fracture]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-julian-merryweather-shut-down-with-rib-fracture.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=807293</id>
<updated>2024-04-09T02:13:29Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-09T02:13:26Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Julian Merryweather" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs reliever Julian Merryweather has been diagnosed with a rib stress fracture in his back, manager Craig Counsell told the team’s beat (relayed by Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune). He’ll be shut down entirely for a month before going for further evaluation. Merryweather’s absence from game action will last well beyond that initial four-week period.…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-julian-merryweather-shut-down-with-rib-fracture.html"><![CDATA[Cubs reliever <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/merryju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-08_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Julian Merryweather</a> has been diagnosed with a rib stress fracture in his back, manager Craig Counsell told the team’s beat (<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/M_Montemurro/status/1777486080687964376">relayed by Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune</a>). He’ll be shut down entirely for a month before going for further evaluation.
Merryweather’s absence from game action will last well beyond that initial four-week period. Even if he is cleared to resume baseball activity in a month, he’ll need to build his arm back into game shape. Chicago already placed Merryweather on the 15-day injured list over the weekend. They initially announced the injury as a shoulder strain, but further testing evidently showed it was a back issue. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if he eventually winds up on the 60-day IL.
Injuries have been an unfortunately recurring theme for Merryweather, who has pitched like a quality high-leverage arm when healthy. He didn’t reach the majors with the Blue Jays until he was nearing his 29th birthday, largely because of a 2018 Tommy John procedure. He debuted in 2020 but missed a good chunk of the following season due to a significant oblique strain. A 2022 abdominal strain again led to a notable absence, likely contributing to Toronto’s decision to waive him the following offseason.
The Cubs claimed him, a move which paid off when Merryweather turned in a career-best ’23 campaign. The righty avoided the IL last year and turned in a 3.38 ERA with an excellent 32.3% strikeout percentage across 72 innings. He’d fanned six over 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball this year before going on the shelf.
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Nick Deeds</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[NL Central Notes: Gray, Cubs, Brewers]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-gray-cubs-brewers.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=807139</id>
<updated>2024-04-07T18:39:11Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-07T18:39:08Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Milwaukee Brewers" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Notes" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="St. Louis Cardinals" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Aaron Ashby" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Daniel Palencia" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Jakob Junis" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Julian Merryweather" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Sonny Gray" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cardinals started the season without their biggest offseason signing, as staff ace Sonny Gray opened the 2024 campaign on the shelf due to a hamstring strain. The right-hander was scheduled for a final rehab start this past week before returning to big league action, but those plans were dashed by an unfortunate rainout that…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-gray-cubs-brewers.html"><![CDATA[The Cardinals started the season without their biggest offseason signing, as staff ace <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grayso01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Sonny Gray</a> opened the 2024 campaign on the shelf due to a hamstring strain. The right-hander was scheduled for a final rehab start this past week before returning to big league action, but those plans were dashed by an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cardinals-notes-gray-thompson-obrien.html">unfortunate rainout</a> that kept Gray from taking the mound. The club initially announced that Gray would have his Triple-A start pushed back to this coming Tuesday, but manager <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marmoca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Carlos Marmol</a> revealed to reporters (including <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/katiejwoo/status/1777003243312230604">The Athletic’s Katie Woo</a>) today that Gray’s start that day will actually be for the big league club.
Per Marmol, Gray will be limited to around 65 pitches in his Cardinals debut, where he’ll take on the Phillies in the second game of a three-game set between the clubs. Gray landed in St. Louis back in November on a three-year, $75MM deal following a dominant 2023 season in Minnesota. The right-hander posted a 2.79 ERA with an MLB-best 2.83 FIP for the Twins last year in a performance that earned him his third career All Star appearance and a second-place finish in AL Cy Young award voting behind Yankees ace <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/colege01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Gerrit Cole</a>.
The Cardinals are surely hoping Gray will bring that same form to St. Louis. The club was plagued by one of the worst starting pitching staffs in the majors last year, and the early returns haven’t been much better so far with the rotation’s 5.64 FIP in the young 2024 campaign is better than only the Rockies and Blue Jays among all big league clubs. Upon his return, Gray figures to replace struggling youngster <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thompza02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Zack Thompson</a> in the club’s rotation mix, slotting in alongside fellow veterans <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mikolmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Miles Mikolas</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matzst01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Steven Matz</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=gibsoky01,gibson004kyl&search=Kyle+Gibson&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Gibson</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lynnla01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Lance Lynn</a>.
More from around the NL Central…
<ul>
<li>The Cubs made a surprise roster move just before the start of their game against the Dodgers this afternoon, placing right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/merryju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Julian Merryweather</a> on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/M_Montemurro/status/1777033902500073593">Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune</a>. It’s a significant blow to the club’s relief corps, as Merryweather has dominated with a 3.29 ERA (136 ERA+) and a nearly matching 3.46 FIP in 73 appearances for the Cubs across the past two seasons. Merryweather’s absence will pave the way for right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/palenda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Daniel Palencia</a>, who pitched to a 4.45 ERA across 27 appearances in his rookie season last year, to join the club’s bullpen. Meanwhile, Merryweather’s role in the club’s late-inning mix alongside <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alzolad01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Adbert Alzolay</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nerishe01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Hector Neris</a> figures to be filled by <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leitema02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mark Leiter Jr.</a></li>
<li>Speaking of pitching roster moves, the Brewers placed right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/junisja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jakob Junis</a> on the 15-day IL yesterday due to a right shoulder impingement. Fortunately for Milwaukee, it sounds as though the issue isn’t particularly serious. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Todd_Rosiak/status/1776708249393201650">Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel</a>, an MRI on Junis’s shoulder came back clean and Junis told reporters that he hopes to begin ramping back up in a few days. That would seem to indicate an absence near the minimum for the right-hander, who’s been replaced by southpaw <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/ashbyaa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-07_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Aaron Ashby</a> on the active roster while he recuperates. Ashby, 26 next month, did not pitch in the majors last year after undergoing shoulder surgery but now appears to be healthy, having already made a five-inning start at the Triple-A level this season.</li>
</ul>
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mark Polishuk</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs Sign Carl Edwards Jr., Ali Sanchez To Minor League Deals]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-sign-carl-edwards-jr-ali-sanchez-to-minor-league-deals.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=807009</id>
<updated>2024-04-06T12:55:23Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-06T12:55:19Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Transactions" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Ali Sanchez" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Carl Edwards Jr." />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs have signed right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. and catcher Ali Sanchez to minor league deals, as announced yesterday by the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register (X link) was the first to report that Edwards was working out with the Iowa pitching staff on Thursday. Edwards is back…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-sign-carl-edwards-jr-ali-sanchez-to-minor-league-deals.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs have signed right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/edwarca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-06_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Carl Edwards Jr.</a> and catcher <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchal04.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-06_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ali Sanchez</a> to minor league deals, as announced yesterday by the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register (<a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBirch/status/1775976640499056986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X link</a>) was the first to report that Edwards was working out with the Iowa pitching staff on Thursday.
Edwards is back for what is technically a third stint with the Cubs, after he opted out of his previous minor league deal with the club two weeks ago. After testing the market, Edwards now returns to a familiar environment to see if another MLB opportunity might yet emerge in the Wrigleyville bullpen, and it be assumed that his new minors pact probably has at least one opt-out clause.
A veteran of nine Major League seasons, Edwards posted a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings for the Nationals in an abbreviated 2023 campaign. Edwards didn’t pitch after June 19 due to a diagnosis of shoulder inflammation and later a stress fracture that developed in late August. The injury brought a sour end to what had been a pretty successful run in D.C., as Edwards revived his career with a 2.76 ERA over 62 innings for the Nats in 2022. The righty had mostly struggled in the previous three seasons, which hastened the end of his original run with the Cubs when Chicago traded him to the Padres at the 2019 trade deadline.
With Edwards bringing some bullpen depth to the Triple-A, Sanchez will do the same to the Cubs’ catching ranks. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gomesya01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-06_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Yan Gomes</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/amayami01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-06_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Miguel Amaya</a> seem to be entrenched as the active roster’s catching duo, so Sanchez joins veteran <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/casalcu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-06_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Curt Casali</a> in Iowa, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hudsojo03.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-06_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Joe Hudson</a> (who signed a minors deal with Chicago in the offseason) has been moved to the Triple-A affiliate’s developmental list. This placement might be a way to keep Hudson sharp while the Cubs sort out their catching situation, or it could possibly hint that Hudson could eventually be the odd man out.
Sanchez signed a guaranteed big league contract with the Pirates in December, though Pittsburgh designated the catcher for assignment on Opening Day. Since Sanchez had previously been outrighted in his career, he had the right to opt into free agency rather than accept Pittsburgh’s outright assignment to Triple-A, and the backstop indeed took the chance to re-enter the open market.
The Cubs are Sanchez’s sixth different organization in less than 38 months. His only MLB experience consists five games with the Mets in 2020 and two games with the 2021 Cardinals, as the catcher has otherwise bounced around as a depth option. While not really known for his bat, Sanchez has a respectable .275/.345/.402 slash line over 893 career plate appearances at the Triple-A level, though those numbers were boosted by a nice 2023 season with the Diamondbacks’ top affiliate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Leo Morgenstern</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[NL Central Notes: Candelario, Donovan, Taillon]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-candelario-donovan-taillon.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=806779</id>
<updated>2024-04-04T12:20:58Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-04T05:08:12Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Cincinnati Reds" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Notes" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="St. Louis Cardinals" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Brendan Donovan" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Jameson Taillon" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Jeimer Candelario" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Reds third baseman Jeimer Candelario took an early exit from Wednesday night’s contest with the Phillies. He appeared to hurt himself on a swing in his final at-bat, and while he smacked a double on the very next pitch, he continued to grimace from second base. After the game, manager David Bell said that “hopefully” it…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-candelario-donovan-taillon.html"><![CDATA[Reds third baseman <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/candeje01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jeimer Candelario</a> took an early exit from Wednesday night’s contest with the Phillies. He appeared to hurt himself on a swing in his final at-bat, and while he smacked a double on the very next pitch, he continued to grimace from second base. After the game, manager <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=bell--007dav,bell--006dav&search=David+Bell&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">David Bell</a> said that “hopefully” it was nothing more than “hyperextension of the elbow” (per <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/BallySportsCIN/status/1775721047808966813?s=20">Bally Sports Cincinnati</a>). He said the team does not believe the injury is serious, but they will reevaluate Candelario on Friday before their series opener against the Mets.
Not so long ago, the Reds appeared to have a playing time crunch in the infield. However, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marteno01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Noelvi Marte</a>’s<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/noelvi-marte-receives-80-game-suspension-after-positive-ped-test.html"> 80-game suspension</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mclaima01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matt McLain</a>’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/reds-matt-mclain-shouler-surgery.html">shoulder surgery</a> cleared up the logjam. If Candelario requires an IL stint, Cincinnati’s infield depth will suddenly be tested. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/steersp01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Spencer Steer</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/encarch01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Christian Encarnacion-Strand</a> can play third base, but they’re already playing regular roles in left field and at first base, respectively. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/espinsa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Santiago Espinal</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/reds-acquire-santiago-espinal.html">acquired</a> in a trade with the Blue Jays late this spring, is another option to fill in at the hot corner.
In other injury news from around the NL Central…
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/donovbr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Brendan Donovan</a> was also removed mid-game on Wednesday. Leading off for the Cardinals, he was hit by a pitch in the very first plate appearance of the game. Several innings later, he was hit again, and this time, he did not return to left field in the bottom half of the frame. The second pitch hit him on his throwing elbow (per <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/JohnDenton555/status/1775651046565810229?s=20">John Denton of MLB.com</a>). Donovan, a versatile utility player, has played six of his seven games in left field this season. The Cardinals already have three outfielders on the IL – <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/edmanto01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tommy Edman</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nootbla01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Lars Nootbaar</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carlsdy01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Dylan Carlson</a> – and can hardly afford to lose another.</li>
<li>In more positive injury news, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taillja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jameson Taillon</a> is progressing well as he recovers from a stiff lower back. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/maddie_m_lee/status/1775652262972383696?s=20">Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times</a>, the righty’s live batting practice session went well on Tuesday. He is set to make a rehab start on Sunday. If all goes well in his rehab appearance, he could still be on track to rejoin the Cubs in mid-April; two weeks ago, manager <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/counscr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Craig Counsell</a> suggested mid-April was the earliest Taillon could return (per <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/maddie_m_lee/status/1771218656573178008?s=20">Lee</a>).</li>
</ul>
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Tim Dierkes</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Offseason In Review: Chicago Cubs]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/offseason-in-review-chicago-cubs-16.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=806417</id>
<updated>2024-04-02T23:51:06Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-02T20:55:12Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="2023-24 Offseason In Review" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="MLBTR Originals" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs retained Cody Bellinger at a bargain price, replaced Marcus Stroman, found a potential first base solution, and supplemented their bullpen – all while staying below the first competitive balance tax threshold. Major League Signings Cody Bellinger, CF/1B: three years, $80MM. 2025 and ’26 seasons are player options. Shota Imanaga, SP: four years, $53MM. …]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/offseason-in-review-chicago-cubs-16.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs retained <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bellico01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Cody Bellinger</a> at a bargain price, replaced <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stromma01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Marcus Stroman</a>, found a potential first base solution, and supplemented their bullpen – all while staying below the first competitive balance tax threshold.
Major League Signings
<ul>
<li>Cody Bellinger, CF/1B: three years, $80MM. 2025 and ’26 seasons are player options.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/imanash01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shota Imanaga</a>, SP: four years, $53MM. 2026 is a player option that triggers additional options.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nerishe01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Hector Neris</a>, RP: one year, $9MM. Includes $9MM club option for 2025</li>
</ul>
Options Exercised
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Hendricks</a>, SP: $16MM club option</li>
<li><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gomesya01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Yan Gomes</a>, C: $6MM club option</li>
</ul>
Trades and Claims
<ul>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/blue-jays-trade-for-brendon-little-select-mitch-white.html">Acquired</a> cash considerations from Blue Jays for RP <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/littlbr02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Brendon Little</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/cubs-dodgers-discussing-yency-almonte-trade.html">Acquired</a> 1B <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buschmi02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Michael Busch</a> and RP <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/almonye01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Yency Almonte</a> from Dodgers for SP <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=ferris003jac&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jackson Ferris</a> and OF <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hope--000zyh&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Zyhir Hope</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/cubs-trade-michael-rucker-phillies-dfa-andrew-bellatti.html">Acquired</a> cash from Phillies for RP <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruckemi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Michael Rucker</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/cubs-trade-bailey-horn-white-sox-matt-thompson.html">Acquired</a> SP <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=thomps013mat,thomps005mat,thomps004mat&search=Matt+Thompson&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matt Thompson</a> from White Sox for RP <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=horn--000bai&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Bailey Horn</a></li>
</ul>
Notable Minor League Signings
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=coopega03,cooper007gar&search=Garrett+Cooper&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Garrett Cooper</a></li>
</ul>
Extensions
<ul>
<li>None</li>
</ul>
Notable Losses
<ul>
<li>Marcus Stroman, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/candeje01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jeimer Candelario</a>, Michael Rucker</li>
</ul>
The Cubs’ offseason kicked off with an important choice by starting pitcher Marcus Stroman on November 4th: he decided to opt out of the remaining one year and $21MM left on his contract. This created financial flexibility and a vacant rotation spot, making some sort of starting pitching addition feel inevitable.
The following day, the Cubs locked in a rotation spot by making the expected decision to exercise Kyle Hendricks’ $16.5MM club option. They also picked up the $6MM option on catcher Yan Gomes.
Then the Cubs made a move few people saw coming: they brought in <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/counscr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Craig Counsell</a> as manager, which required the largest contract in MLB history for that job both in terms of total and average annual value. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rossda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">David Ross</a> was fired in the process. Counsell had managed the Brewers for nearly nine years, taking them to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons. Counsell is regarded as one of the game’s better managers, and he often succeeded despite below-average payrolls in Milwaukee.
The stunning Counsell-for-Ross move conjured memories of Theo Epstein’s opportunistic switch nine years prior from Rick Renteria to Joe Maddon. The Cubs’ signature player acquisition that offseason was the signing of <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lestejo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jon Lester</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/11/2014-15-top-50-free-agents-with-predictions.html">ranked second</a> on MLBTR’s top 50 free agents list. After the Counsell hiring, it was natural to wonder if Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer would deliver an additional offseason prize such as <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ohtansh01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shohei Ohtani</a> or <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/y/yamamyo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Yoshinobu Yamamoto</a>.
The Cubs did show interest in some of the offseason’s biggest names. Reports suggest they made a real effort to sign Ohtani before he landed with the Dodgers on a heavily-deferred ten-year, $700MM deal, though the Cubs weren’t seemingly a finalist. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/39105636/inside-shohei-ohtani-700-million-contract-los-angeles-dodgers">According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan</a>, as Ohtani’s free agency drew to a close, agent Nez Balelo “proposed the same deal to at least three other teams,” the Giants, Blue Jays, and Angels. As late as December 5th, Hoyer <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/maddie_m_lee/status/1732167079472587026">shot down</a> a report that the Cubs’ optimism on Ohtani had waned, but it probably should have been waning around then. The Cubs are not mentioned in that Gonzalez/Passan insider account of the signing. Whether the Cubs dropped out due to an unwillingness to meet Ohtani’s asking price or due to his preference to play elsewhere remains unknown.
Though Hoyer saw Yamamoto on a September scouting trip to Japan, the Cubs were largely absent from reports about his offseason free agent pursuit. The reporting on Yamamoto’s free agency provided no indication that the Cubs met with Yamamoto or made an offer. It is known that both New York teams <a target="_blank" href="https://theathletic.com/5158078/2023/12/22/yoshinobu-yamamoto-yankees-offer/">made strong offers</a> to Yamamoto, who of course wound up joining Ohtani on the Dodgers. There isn’t much indication that the Cubs could have reasonably won the bidding for Yamamoto, nor that they tried to.
Likewise, the Cubs may have had interest in then-Padres outfielder <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=sotoju01,soto--004jua&search=Juan+Soto&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Juan Soto</a>, but if so they kept it quiet in the rumor mill. Soto differed from Ohtani and Yamamoto in that it wasn’t up to the player – that prize went to the team that made the best offer. Soto was a bit of a tough fit for a Cubs team with <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/happia01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ian Happ</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suzukse01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Seiya Suzuki</a> locked in at the outfield corners.
One major trade target that made ample sense was <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/glasnty01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tyler Glasnow</a> of the Rays. <a target="_blank" href="https://theathletic.com/5362190/2024/03/28/dodgers-billion-dollars-spending-ohtani-brad-paisley/?source=user_shared_article">According to Ken Rosenthal and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic</a>, “the Cubs remained in the Glasnow talks until the end, but were not willing to make a comparable offer” to the Dodgers’ proposal of <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pepiory01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ryan Pepiot</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/delucjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jonny DeLuca</a>. Glasnow’s preferences also mattered. As Rosenthal and Ardaya put it, “He effectively could rule out certain teams by telling [Rays president of baseball operations Erik] Neander he would only stay with them for one season before entering free agency.” The Cubs probably could’ve offered enough to land Glasnow for 2024, but they would not necessarily have been able to sign him to an extension.
Korean outfielder <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leeju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jung Hoo Lee</a> was quietly on the Cubs’ radar as well, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://theathletic.com/5142175/2023/12/17/cubs-offseason-free-agents-trades-bigger-picture/">Patrick Mooney of The Athletic</a>. Like so many of this offseason’s big names, Lee wound up in the NL West.
As 2023 drew to a close, Cubs fans’ dreams of Ohtani, Yamamoto, Soto, or Glasnow had been dashed. The team had added a managerial star, but nothing else.
A pair of key moves came within a three-day span in January. First, the Cubs signed 30-year-old southpaw Shota Imanaga to a four-year, $53MM deal. The team also owes a posting fee of at least $9.825MM to his former team, the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Imanaga will earn $23MM for his first two seasons with the Cubs, after which the team must decide whether to exercise a three-year, $57MM option covering his age 32-34 seasons. If they do so, it’d bring Imanaga’s total to five years and $80MM, similar to preseason contract projections. If the Cubs decline, Imanaga will have a $15MM player option for ’26. If exercised, the Cubs will have to decide on two years and $42MM for 2027-28. If the Cubs decline their first option, Imanaga exercises his ’26 player option, and the Cubs decline their 2027-28 option, the pitcher has another $15MM option for ’27.
It’s a fairly complicated structure that offers the Cubs some measure of protection as opposed to the $80MM guarantee a starter like <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=rodried05,rodrig015edu&search=Eduardo+Rodríguez&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Eduardo Rodriguez</a> received. Early returns on Imanaga suggest he can perform as a mid-rotation starter, in which case his contract represents a solid deal for the Cubs. I don’t blame the Cubs for preferring Imanaga on his contract to Stroman at $21MM for one year or $37MM for two.
First base was a clear need for the Cubs, and they reportedly entertained a traditional solution in <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hoskirh01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Rhys Hoskins</a> as well as an interesting one in <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/naylojo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Josh Naylor</a>. Eventually, though, Hoyer made an addition no one saw coming by trading prospects for the Dodgers’ Michael Busch, as well as reliever Yency Almonte. Busch, an MLB-ready 26-year-old rookie, comes with six years of control remaining. He won’t even be paid an arbitration salary until 2027, and he’s under team control for a total of six more years. If Busch develops into the above average hitter his scouting reports and Triple-A work suggest, this will become an inspired pickup by the Cubs.
The Cubs inked Hector Neris to a one-year deal in late January, at a $9MM salary a bit beyond Hoyer’s typical comfort zone for relievers. At that point, the Cubs could have considered their offseason done. They’d replaced Stroman, found a first base solution, and supplemented the bullpen.
Cody Bellinger has been conspicuously absent from this post thus far, and that’s because Bellinger reportedly sought $200MM or more on a long-term deal. Back in November, I thought he’d get it, and not from the Cubs. I also felt that the Cubs’ motivation on Bellinger would be limited, given the presence of slick-fielding center field prospect <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/crowape01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pete Crow-Armstrong</a>. There were signs the Cubs lacked full confidence in running PCA out to begin the season, however. Two, specifically: their interest in Jung Hoo Lee and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kiermke01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kevin Kiermaier</a>.
So the Cubs hung back and remained opportunistic on Bellinger. As late as February 19th, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39558743/cubs-waiting-cody-bellinger-serious-contract-talks">owner Tom Ricketts said</a>, “There has been some discussions but it hasn’t become a negotiation yet,” calling out agent Scott Boras to get serious. About a week later, Bellinger’s deal with the Cubs was done, at a mere $80MM guarantee over three years. Yes, there’s downside risk in that Bellinger will only forgo his two opt-outs if he performs poorly. But if he plays well again this year and opts out, the Cubs will have only committed $30MM. The Bellinger signing lengthens the Cubs’ lineup and pushes Crow-Armstrong back to Triple-A. Bellinger can also slide over to first base should circumstances warrant it.
Ricketts made his position on payroll clear in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39558743/cubs-waiting-cody-bellinger-serious-contract-talks">that February 19th interview</a>: “We’re right there at CBT (Competitive Balance Tax) levels. It’s kind of our natural place for us. That should be enough to win our division and be consistent every year.” That was before the Bellinger signing; with him, the Cubs are estimated at about $234MM, only $3MM below the first CBT threshold to which Ricketts referred.
As the calendar turned to March, the Cubs were presented with a slew of opportunities to jump on further Boras surprise bargains and push the team from “should be enough to win our division” to “likely to win our division.” Likely because of Ricketts’ unwillingness to push payroll past its current point (an estimated 10th in MLB), the Cubs passed on several big name free agents they very much could have used.
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/chapmma01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matt Chapman</a> was next off the board, signing a three-year, $54MM deal with the Giants that included a pair of opt-outs. Chapman would have been a “nice-to-have” for the Cubs, plugging in at third base and pushing <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morelch01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Christopher Morel</a> mostly to the DH spot. It’s possible Chapman’s comfort in the Bay Area meant the Cubs would have had to go higher than the Giants, however. The Cubs’ current plan seems to be mixing and matching at third base with Morel, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/madrini01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Nick Madrigal</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wisdopa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Patrick Wisdom</a>.
The Giants also seized the opportunity to sign <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/snellbl01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Blake Snell</a> at two years and $62MM with an opt out. Snell made a lot of sense at this price for the Cubs, though both he and Chapman would’ve required the Cubs to forfeit their second-round draft pick. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=montgjo01,montgo001jor&search=Jordan+Montgomery&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Montgomery</a> remained on the market, however, and he would not require draft pick forfeiture.
The Cubs’ rotation, when everyone is healthy, will feature <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/steelju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Steele</a>, Kyle Hendricks, Shota Imanaga, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taillja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jameson Taillon</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wicksjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Wicks</a>. There is reason to believe this is not a collection of five 180-inning pitchers. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/assadja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Javier Assad</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=brownbe02,brown-015ben&search=Ben+Brown&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ben Brown</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smylydr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-02_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Drew Smyly</a> are additional options to cover the inevitable injuries, such as the current ones to Steele and Taillon. Signing Montgomery to a one-year, $25MM deal and pushing everyone down a spot was an opportunity the Cubs should’ve jumped on. Instead Montgomery landed with the Diamondbacks, a team Ricketts would like to emulate, because, “You don’t have to have the highest payroll or the biggest stars. If you’re playing well, anybody can beat anybody. I was happy for the Diamondbacks.”
If the Cubs face any kind of starting pitching depth problem this year, and Snell and Montgomery are useful pitchers, it will be pretty easy to point to their availability in March. To be fair, the same can be said of many teams.
Once everyone is healthy, the Cubs’ rotation looks decent, and their offense looks fairly deep. The club also features strong defense up the middle. They’re right in the middle of an NL Central that currently has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds">all five teams projecting for 80-82 wins</a>. For a lot of teams, that’s good enough.
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<title type="html"><![CDATA[Justin Steele Out Until At Least May]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/cubs-justin-steele-hamstring-out-all-april-may.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=806261</id>
<updated>2024-03-31T00:26:17Z</updated>
<published>2024-03-31T00:26:14Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Justin Steele" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs ace Justin Steele exited his first start of the season with a hamstring strain, and he’s looking at an absence that’s more than double the minimum 15 days on the injured list. Manager Craig Counsell told the Cubs beat today that Steele has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain and is expected to…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/cubs-justin-steele-hamstring-out-all-april-may.html"><![CDATA[Cubs ace <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/steelju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-03-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Steele</a> exited his first start of the season with a hamstring strain, and he’s looking at an absence that’s more than double the minimum 15 days on the injured list. Manager <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/counscr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-03-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Craig Counsell</a> told the Cubs beat today that Steele has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain and is expected to miss the entire month of April (<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/sahadevsharma/status/1774185113150005288">X link</a> via Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic). The team doesn’t have an exact timetable yet, as they’re waiting for Steele to be able to walk without a limp before mapping things out more concretely.
Steele was cruising through a well-deserved first Opening Day start of his career when he tumbled awkwardly while fielding a bunt off the bat of <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taverle01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-03-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Leody Taveras</a>. The 28-year-old lefty managed to make an impressive play and throw out the speedy Taveras but immediately grabbed at his leg in the aftermath of the play before exiting with a trainer. The Cubs put him on the injured list earlier today and called up pitching prospect <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=brown-015ben,brown-009ben&search=Ben+Brown&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-03-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ben Brown</a>.
Losing Steele for at least a sixth of the season is a significant blow to a Cubs club that has its sights set on a return to the postseason in what’s viewed as a wide-open NL Central division. The left-hander was never considered to be a premium prospect but has nevertheless climbed from an unheralded fifth-round pick to not just a solid member of the starting staff but an All-Star and top-five finisher in National League Cy Young voting.
Steele made 30 starts for the Cubs in 2023 and pitched 173 1/3 innings with a 3.06 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate, 5% walk rate and 49.4% ground-ball rate. That marked his second straight season of a low-3.00s ERA, but Steele dramatically improved his walk rate in 2023 and enjoyed his success over a much larger sample in ’23 than the prior season. Including his 2021 rookie showing and this year’s lone appearance, he’s pitched to a 3.28 ERA in 354 big league innings.
With Steele sidelined for more than a month and perhaps even a fair bit more than that — Counsell did not specify whether early May or late May was the expectation — the Cubs’ rotation depth will be put to the test early. Chicago signed star NPB lefty <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=imanag000sho&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-03-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shota Imanaga</a> to a four-year contract over the winter, effectively replacing righty <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stromma01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-03-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Marcus Stroman</a>, who eventually signed with the Yankees as a free agent. Imanaga, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-03-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Hendricks</a> and bounceback hopeful <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taillja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-03-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jameson Taillon</a> will lead a staff that’ll now be quite young in the four and five spots.
The 24-year-old Brown, a well-regarded pitching prospect whom the Cubs acquired from the Phillies in the 2022 <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/roberda08.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-03-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">David Robertson</a> trade, will make his big league debut when he first takes the mound. He has significant command issues in Triple-A last year (15.8% walk rate in 72 2/3 innings) but impressed in spring training and has strong overall numbers up through Double-A. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/assadja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-03-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Javier Assad</a> has a 3.06 ERA in 41 career appearances, but more than half those have come out of the bullpen. He’s also posted a below-average 20.2% strikeout rate against a higher-than-average 9.9% walk rate.
The Cubs have a few soft spots on the schedule over the next month-plus, but they’ll face more competitive teams than non-contenders. Their April schedule will see them square off against the Dodgers, Astros, D-backs, Mariners, Padres, Marlins, Red Sox and Rockies. They draw the Mets, Brewers (twice), Padres, Pirates (twice), Braves (twice) and Cardinals in May.
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