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<title type="text">Chicago Cubs – MLB Trade Rumors</title>
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<updated>2024-04-30T23:54:14Z</updated>
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<author>
<name>Anthony Franco</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Seven Veterans With Opt-Out Opportunities Tomorrow]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/seven-veterans-with-opt-out-opportunities-tomorrow.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=809268</id>
<updated>2024-04-30T23:54:14Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-30T23:54:10Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Boston Red Sox" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Los Angeles Angels" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="MLBTR Originals" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="New York Mets" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Texas Rangers" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Toronto Blue Jays" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="David Peralta" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Jake Marisnick" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Ji-Man Choi" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Joey Votto" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Michael Fulmer" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Roberto Perez" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Shane Greene" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[As part of the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, MLB and the Players Association agreed to a few automatic opt-out dates for some veteran players on minor league contracts. Article XX(B) free agents — generally, players with over six years of MLB service who finished the preceding season on a big league roster — who sign…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/seven-veterans-with-opt-out-opportunities-tomorrow.html"><![CDATA[As part of the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, MLB and the Players Association agreed to a few automatic opt-out dates for some veteran players on minor league contracts. Article XX(B) free agents — generally, players with over six years of MLB service who finished the preceding season on a big league roster — who sign minor league contracts more than ten days before Opening Day receive three uniform chances to retest free agency if they’re not promoted.
The first comes five days before the start of the season. For players who pass on that initial opt-out, they have additional windows to explore the open market on both May 1 and June 1 if they’ve yet to secure a spot on the 40-man roster. There were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/31-veterans-with-opt-out-opportunities-looming-this-week.html">31 players</a> who initially had that option in Spring Training.
Eleven of them — <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carraca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Carlos Carrasco</a>, <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=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Garrett Cooper</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/anderch01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Chase Anderson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=duffety01,duffey001tyl&search=Tyler+Duffey&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tyler Duffey</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leonedo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Dominic Leone</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barnema01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matt Barnes</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosared01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Eddie Rosario</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/winkeje01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jesse Winker</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/chaveje01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jesse Chavez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kellebr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Brad Keller</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/u/urenajo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">José Ureña</a> — are now on major league rosters. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pillake01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kevin Pillar</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/shawbr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Bryan Shaw</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrijo06.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Joely Rodríguez</a> also landed MLB jobs but were subsequently designated for assignment. Rodríguez remains in DFA limbo with the Red Sox. Shaw cleared waivers and signed a minor league deal with the Angels. Pillar elected free agency over the weekend.
Five of these players — <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=duffyma01,duffyma02,duffy-002mat&search=Matt+Duffy&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matt Duffy</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wongko01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kolten Wong</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/edwarca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Carl Edwards Jr.</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pomerdr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Drew Pomeranz</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/casalcu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Curt Casali</a> — triggered their first opt-out and have since signed new minor league contracts, either with their previous organization or a different club. They presumably secured some kind of opt-out provision in their new deals, but they no longer have an automatic May 1 out date. Five others — <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/andruel01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Elvis Andrus</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/escobed01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Eduardo Escobar</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/moustmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mike Moustakas</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/croncj01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">C.J. Cron</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/odorija01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jake Odorizzi</a> — were let go and have yet to sign elsewhere.
The other seven players have the option to retest free agency tomorrow. None of the group has played well enough to likely leverage their opt-out right into an immediate MLB job, but two or three could decide to hit the market and look for a better minor league opportunity elsewhere.
Angels: OF <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marisja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jake Marisnick</a>
Marisnick has spent most of his career as a glove-first outfielder off the bench. He’s a right-handed hitter with some pop against lefty pitching but subpar on-base skills. Marisnick had appeared in 46 MLB games between three teams a season ago, but he hasn’t been on the field much in 2024. He made just five appearances for the Halos’ top affiliate in Salt Lake before going on the minor league injured list on April 17.
Blue Jays: 1B <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vottojo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Joey Votto</a>
Votto inked a minor league deal with his hometown team early in Spring Training. The former MVP indicated at the time he was prepared to open the season in Triple-A. Votto suffered an ankle injury during his first exhibition game and has spent the entire season on the minor league IL. Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1782529135920791749">tweeted</a> last week that Votto was running but had yet to resume hitting live pitching. It feels safe to assume he’ll pass on this opt-out chance and continue working back to health with the Jays. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vogelda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Daniel Vogelbach</a>, who is on the MLB roster as a lefty bench bat, hasn’t produced (.111/.304/.167) over his first 23 plate appearances. That could open a path for Votto to get to Rogers Centre once he’s healthy.
Cubs: OF <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/peralda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">David Peralta</a>
Peralta opened the season on the injured list with Triple-A Iowa. He was reinstated on April 10 and has appeared in 13 contests. The left-handed hitter has drawn nine walks with only seven strikeouts through his first 55 plate appearances, but he hasn’t done any kind of damage on contact. Peralta has just two extra-base hits (both doubles) and an overall .214/.364/.262 line through the season’s first month. The former Gold Glove left fielder played in 133 games for the Dodgers a year ago, hitting .259/.294/.381 over 422 plate appearances. He underwent surgery to repair a flexor tear in his throwing arm last October but has been able to play the outfield this season.
Mets: 1B <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/choiji01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jiman Choi</a>
Choi lost a camp battle with <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stewadj01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DJ Stewart</a> this spring. He reported to Triple-A Syracuse but hasn’t made much of an impact. The left-handed hitter is out to a .191/.333/.340 start with a near-27% strikeout rate over 60 plate appearances. The Mets probably wouldn’t add him to the MLB roster, but Choi could take the opportunity to look for another minor league deal with a team that has a clearer path to first base/DH time. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alonspe01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pete Alonso</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martijd02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">J.D. Martinez</a> have those spots secured in Queens, while Stewart and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vientma01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mark Vientos</a> are above him on the depth chart as bench bats. Choi struggled with injuries in 2023 but was an above-average offensive performer with the Rays between 2019-22.
Rangers: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/greensh02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shane Greene</a>
Greene has made three MLB appearances in each of the last two seasons. The right-hander was excellent in a limited look in Triple-A with the Cubs last year but has had a terrible start to 2024. Greene has walked 14 of the first 49 batters he’s faced for Round Rock, allowing 15 runs in eight innings. The Express placed him on the IL last week. Texas certainly can’t give him a spot in the MLB bullpen at this point. There’s a good chance Greene elects to stay in Round Rock as he tries to get healthy and find his command.
Red Sox: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fulmemi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Michael Fulmer</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/perezro02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Roberto Pérez</a>
Neither Fulmer nor Pérez has played this season. Fulmer will miss the entire year after undergoing elbow surgery last fall. His contract is a two-year deal; he almost certainly won’t be exercising any of his three opt-out chances.
Pérez missed most of 2023 after undergoing a rotator cuff repair on his right shoulder. He played in seven games this spring but has spent the regular season on the minor league IL with an undisclosed injury. The Sox have gotten excellent play from their catching tandem of <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wongco01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Connor Wong</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcguire01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Reese McGuire</a> in the season’s first month. Perhaps Pérez feels there’s a better path to playing time if he signs a minor league deal with another team, but it seems likelier he’ll stick in the organization.
]]></content>
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<entry>
<author>
<name>Mark Polishuk</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[NL Central Notes: Imanaga, Pirates, Brewers, Carpenter, Reds]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-imanaga-pirates-brewers-carpenter-reds.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=809138</id>
<updated>2024-04-29T03:58:23Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-29T03:58:20Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Boston Red Sox" /><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="Milwaukee Brewers" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Notes" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Pittsburgh Pirates" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="St. Louis Cardinals" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Christian Encarnacion-Strand" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Matt Carpenter" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Shota Imanaga" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Before the Cubs signed Shota Imanaga to a four-year, $53MM deal, the other finalists for Imanaga’s services were the Red Sox, Pirates, and Brewers, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Boston’s interest in Imanaga was well-known, and Pittsburgh had also been linked to Imanaga’s market, even if the Bucs’ traditional lack of spending makes it…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-imanaga-pirates-brewers-carpenter-reds.html"><![CDATA[Before the Cubs signed <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/imanash01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shota Imanaga</a> to a four-year, $53MM deal, the other finalists for Imanaga’s services were the Red Sox, Pirates, and Brewers, according to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2024/04/28/milwaukee-brewers-nl-central-standings-william-contreras/73487653007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USA Today’s Bob Nightengale</a>. Boston’s <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/latest-on-red-sox-pitching-trade-discussions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interest</a> in Imanaga was well-known, and Pittsburgh had <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/pirates-rumors-shota-imanaga-interest-free-agent.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also been linked</a> to Imanaga’s market, even if the Bucs’ traditional lack of spending makes it somewhat surprising to learn that they apparently came relatively close to landing the southpaw. Of course, “finalist” is a bit of a nebulous term, and it isn’t known just how close the Pirates might’ve come to Chicago in the bidding. For instance, the Red Sox offered Imanaga two years and $26MM in guaranteed money according to <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/04/26/sports/cubs-red-sox-shota-imanaga/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Speier of the Boston Globe</a>, with two more vesting years covering the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
The Brewers are also a surprise entry, as it wasn’t publicly known that they were in on Imanaga at all, let alone one of the last four suitors in the running for his services. Milwaukee also often operates with a limited payroll (albeit not as limited as the Pirates’ budget), and it’s interesting to speculate on what the team might’ve offered Imanaga, or whether signing the Japanese star might’ve kept from the Crew from any of their other winter business. For instance, if the Brewers had signed Imanaga, would they have still had enough spending capacity to <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/brewers-to-re-sign-brandon-woodruff.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bring</a> <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/brewers-re-sign-wade-miley.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">back</a> <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/woodrbr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Brandon Woodruff</a> and/or <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mileywa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Wade Miley</a>, or would any further pitching additions would’ve been strictly of the lower-cost or minor league variety if Imanaga had been the team’s big offseason strike. As Nightengale observes, any of Imanaga’s other suitors might have some regrets given how the left-hander has gotten his MLB career off to such a great start.
Some other notes from around the NL Central…
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carpema01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matt Carpenter</a> recently received a cortisone shot to deal with the oblique strain that has kept him on the injured list for almost four weeks, MLB.com’s John Denton writes (<a href="https://twitter.com/JohnDenton555/status/1784603993265590446" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X link</a>). The shot led to a shutdown, and it isn’t clear when Carpenter will be ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment, though he has been able to take batting practice. Carpenter reunited with the Cardinals on a one-year deal this past winter, but played in just three games before suffering his oblique problem.</li>
<li>X-rays were negative on both <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/encarch01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Christian Encarnacion-Strand</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stephty01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tyler Stephenson</a> after the Reds duo were each hit on the hand by pitches in Saturday’s game. Encarnacion-Strand might be the slightly more serious situation of the two, as <a href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2024/04/28/cincinnati-reds-monitor-ces-after-x-ray-reveals-old-fracture-in-hand/73493559007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer</a> writes that the infielder’s X-ray revealed a small previous fracture in the same spot that CES was hit on Saturday. Encarnacion-Strand said he had “no clue” about the origin of the older injury, and he hadn’t felt any discomfort prior to this most recent HBP. It isn’t yet clear if Encarnacion-Strand will get an MRI to further explore the injury, but he hoped to return to the lineup within a day or two.</li>
</ul>
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mark Polishuk</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs Place Jordan Wicks On 15-Day IL, Select Richard Lovelady]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-place-jordan-wicks-on-15-day-il-select-richard-lovelady.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=809103</id>
<updated>2024-04-28T20:53:00Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-28T20:09:59Z</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="Daniel Palencia" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Jordan Wicks" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Luke Little" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Richard Lovelady" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs announced a quartet of roster moves today, including the placement (retroactive to April 25) of left-hander Jordan Wicks on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain. Chicago also optioned southpaw Luke Little to Triple-A Iowa, while calling up righty Daniel Palencia from Iowa and selecting the contract of left-hander Richard…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-place-jordan-wicks-on-15-day-il-select-richard-lovelady.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs announced a quartet of roster moves today, including the placement (retroactive to April 25) of left-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wicksjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Wicks</a> on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain. Chicago also optioned southpaw <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/littllu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Luke Little</a> to Triple-A Iowa, while calling up righty <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/palenda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Daniel Palencia</a> from Iowa and selecting the contract of left-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lovelri01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Richard Lovelady</a>.
News of Wicks’ injury <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-wicks-junis-carlson.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke yesterday</a>, as the left-hander was an early scratch from what was supposed to be a start in tonight’s game against the Red Sox. It isn’t surprising that Wicks was placed on the IL for at least precautionary reasons, though the severity of the strain isn’t yet known. Speaking to <a href="https://twitter.com/M_Montemurro/status/1784683236850868473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune</a> and other reporters today, Wicks didn’t feel too concerned about the strain, though the forearm soreness first arose prior to his previous start and resurfaced afterwards.
The 24-year-old Wicks was selected 21st overall in the 2021 draft, and made his MLB debut in the form of seven starts and 34 innings for the Cubs last season. A respectable (if not totally inspiring) 4.41 ERA over that first taste of the majors put Wicks in the running for a rotation job heading into Spring Training, though <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taillja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jameson Taillon</a>’s injury helped clear Wicks’ path to a starting role. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/steelju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Steele</a> was then lost to the IL on Opening Day and both <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Hendricks</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smylydr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Drew Smyly</a> were also injured within the last week, so Wicks’ forearm strain only continues the string of health woes hitting the Cubs early in the season.
Wicks had performed pretty well over five starts and 23 innings in 2024, or at least better than his 4.70 ERA would indicate. A .358 BABIP and a 64.3% strand rate helped inflate that ERA almost a full run beyond Wicks’ much more palatable 3.62 SIERA, and his 25.9% strikeout rate is well above the league average. Batters have been making solid contact against Wicks’ offerings, though he has also fooled his share of hitters with a chase rate that sits in the 88th percentile of all pitchers.
With Wicks out for at least the 15-day minimum, the Cubs will have to again dig into their starting depth. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/imanash01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shota Imanaga</a> has emerged as the ace of the staff in his outstanding rookie season, youngster <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/assadja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Javier Assad</a> has looked very sharp over five starts, and Taillon is now back from the IL. Beyond this trio, 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=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ben Brown</a> might now be sticking in the rotation, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wesneha01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Hayden Wesneski</a> could be stretched out into starter’s duty. Veteran <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teherju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-28_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Julio Teheran</a> is available at Triple-A, and Steele might not be too far away, as he is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this week as he recovers from his hamstring strain.
Palencia has some starting experience in the minors but has worked exclusively as a reliever during his two Major League seasons. He could get some multi-inning work if Wesneski is indeed bumped back into the rotation, while Lovelady should take on a strict (and possibly short-term) bullpen role.
Lovelady signed a minor league deal with Chicago during the offseason, and his 5.84 ERA over 12 1/3 innings (10 appearances) for Triple-A Iowa is one of the more misleading stat lines in recent memory. Despite a 33.3% strikeout rate, 1.7% walk rate, a 53.8% grounder rate and zero homers allowed, Lovelady still has a 5.84 ERA, due mostly to an extreme .564 BABIP.
The 28-year-old southpaw will now get another look in the majors after posting a 5.26 ERA over 65 previous big league frames with the Royals and A’s since the start of the 2019 season. Lovelady missed all of 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and resurfaced last year to deliver a 4.63 ERA across 23 1/3 innings for Oakland.
]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-place-jordan-wicks-on-15-day-il-select-richard-lovelady.html#comments" thr:count="18"/>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mark Polishuk</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Red Sox Acquire Garrett Cooper]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/red-sox-acquire-garrett-cooper.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=809022</id>
<updated>2024-04-28T03:59:05Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-28T03:58:58Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Boston Red Sox" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Newsstand" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Transactions" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Garrett Cooper" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Triston Casas" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[5:24pm: The deal is now official, as noted by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. The Red Sox transferred Casas to the 60-day injured list to make room for Cooper on the 40-man roster. 2:39pm: The Red Sox have acquired first baseman Garrett Cooper, the Miami Herald’s Craig Mish writes (via X). MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/red-sox-acquire-garrett-cooper.html"><![CDATA[5:24pm: The deal is now official, as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/alexspeier/status/1784347207811899448">Alex Speier of The Boston Globe</a>. The Red Sox transferred Casas to the 60-day injured list to make room for Cooper on the 40-man roster.
2:39pm: The Red Sox have acquired 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=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Garrett Cooper</a>, the Miami Herald’s Craig Mish writes (<a href="https://twitter.com/CraigMish/status/1784305747095855313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via X</a>). MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reported (<a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1784305060480000082" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X link</a>) earlier this afternoon that the Sox were “closing in on” a deal for Cooper’s services, and Cotillo and Sean McAdam <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1784308135835918711" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that the Cubs will receive cash considerations in return.
Chicago designated Cooper for assignment earlier this week, and today’s trade officially ends Cooper’s time in Wrigleyville after 12 games and 41 plate appearances. Cooper signed a minor league deal with the Cubs during the offseason and made the Opening Day roster, then hit a respectable .270/.341/.432 with one home run over those 41 PA.
The Cubs intended to use Cooper as a veteran complement to <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buschmi02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Michael Busch</a> at first base, but Busch has hit so well that the Cubs simply couldn’t take him out of the lineup, limiting Cooper’s playing time to mostly DH and pinch-hitting work. Cooper was also DFA’ed so Chicago could add <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mervima01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matt Mervis</a> to the active roster, as Mervis was on such a heater at Triple-A that the Cubs wanted to give him more of a look in their lineup, leaving Cooper as even more of an odd man out.
While Cooper’s avenues to playing time were closed off in Chicago, the Red Sox had an unwelcome vacancy created at first base when <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/casastr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Triston Casas</a> went on the 15-day IL. Casas’ recovery timeline is still very fluid, as Casas <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/red-sox-notes-casas-pivetta-grissom.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that estimates have ranged from anywhere from 3-9 weeks. Boston had interest in Cooper <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/quick-hits-intl-signings-cooper-correa-barnes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">back in January</a> when he was still a free agent, and the Sox have now finally landed their man perhaps a few months later than expected.
Over eight MLB seasons, Cooper has hit .268/.337/.435 over 1854 career plate appearances, with 57 home runs. Translating to a 111 wRC+, Cooper tended to fly under the radar as a member of a rebuilding Marlins team for much of his career, and his playing time was further limited by injuries. He even made the All-Star team in 2022, though Cooper’s production dipped to a modest .251/.304/.419 over 457 combined PA with Miami and San Diego in 2023.
Cooper made a pair of appearances in left field for the Cubs this season, marking his first bit of outfield work since 2021. While not exactly a versatile player, Cooper can at least chip in as an outfielder in a pinch, extending his value to the Red Sox even after Casas eventually returns. With Cooper now on the roster, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dalbebo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Bobby Dalbec</a> (acting as the interim first baseman) is probably getting sent back to Triple-A, as Dalbec has struggled badly at the the plate this season.
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Nick Deeds</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[NL Central Notes: Wicks, Junis, Carlson]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-wicks-junis-carlson.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=809047</id>
<updated>2024-04-28T01:44:01Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-28T01:43:58Z</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="Dylan Carlson" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Jakob Junis" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Jordan Wicks" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs are in for their second bullpen game in as many days tomorrow, as Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune was among those to relay that left-hander Jordan Wicks has been scratched from his scheduled start tomorrow due to forearm tightness. Right-hander Hayden Wesneski will start the game in Wicks’s place just three days…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-wicks-junis-carlson.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs are in for their second bullpen game in as many days tomorrow, as <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/M_Montemurro/status/1784377280703164734">Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune</a> was among those to relay that left-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wicksjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Wicks</a> has been scratched from his scheduled start tomorrow due to forearm tightness. Right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wesneha01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Hayden Wesneski</a> will start the game in Wicks’s place just three days after pitching 2 1/3 scoreless frames against the Astros Thursday afternoon.
It’s not currently clear how serious Wicks’s injury is or if a stint on the injured list will be required, but a lengthy absence would be a major blow to the Cubs. The club’s first-round pick in the 2021 draft, Wicks has pitched solidly for the Cubs through five starts this season, posting a roughly league average 4.70 ERA and a much stronger 3.25 FIP in 23 innings of work. An trip to the shelf for Wicks would further exacerbate Chicago’s early-season injury woes. Hurlers <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/steelju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Steele</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Hendricks</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smylydr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Drew Smyly</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/merryju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Julian Merryweather</a> are all currently on the injured list (though the former <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/justin-steele-to-begin-rehab-assignment-this-week.html">may be back soon</a>) while the positional corps has lost both <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suzukse01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Seiya Suzuki</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bellico01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Cody Bellinger</a> from its outfield mix.
The laundry list of injuries has left the Cubs somewhat thin in terms of rotation options, with both <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=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ben Brown</a> and now Wesneski stepping in to make starts after previously pitching out of the bullpen for the big league club. Chicago signed veteran right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teherju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Julio Teheran</a> to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-sign-julio-teheran.html">minor league deal</a> in earlier this month, and the 33-year-old righty and lefty <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pannoth01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Thomas Pannone</a> among the club’s top non-roster depth options for the rotation.
More from the NL Central…
<ul>
<li>Brewers right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/junisja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jakob Junis</a> suffered a scary incident earlier this week when he was struck by an errant fly ball during the club’s pregame workouts prior to a game against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Fortunately, Junis is back traveling with the team and spoke to <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Todd_Rosiak/status/1783959645213655114">Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel</a> yesterday. The right-hander noted that he underwent an MRI and CT scan, both of which came back clean, before he was released from the hospital. Now that he’s back with the team, it appears Junis is set to continue rehabbing from the shoulder impingement that has cost him most of the season to this point. Per <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1783973196733051354">MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy</a>, Brewers manager Pat Murphy recently indicated that the club may look to bring Junis back into the fold as a reliever rather than build him up to start. It’s something of a surprise given the recent injuries suffered by lefties <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/halldl01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DL Hall</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mileywa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Wade Miley</a>, though it’s possible that a multi-inning relief role could allow the Brewers to maximize Junis’s innings in the short-term.</li>
<li>Cardinals outfielder <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carlsdy01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Dylan Carlson</a> has missed the entire season to this point after suffering a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/dylan-carlson-to-be-placed-on-injured-list-cardinals-to-select-victor-scott-ii.html">sprained AC joint</a> in his left shoulder just before Opening Day. Fortunately, however, it appears that the 25-year-old could be nearing his season debut. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/news/cardinals-injuries-and-roster-moves">MLB.com’s Injury Tracker</a>, Carlson is set to begin a rehab assignment in the near future if he comes out of a hitting session today pain-free. The return of Carlson would be most welcome for St. Louis, as the club <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cardinals-option-jordan-walker.html">recently optioned</a> struggling youngster <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/walkejo02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Walker</a> to the minor leagues. With Carlson and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/edmanto01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tommy Edman</a> both on the injured list, that’s left the club to rely on <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sianimi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Michael Siani</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/burleal01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Alec Burleson</a> as major contributors to the outfield mix alongside <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nootbla01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Lars Nootbaar</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/donovbr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Brendan Donovan</a>.</li>
</ul>
]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Nick Deeds</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Justin Steele To Begin Rehab Assignment Next Week]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/justin-steele-to-begin-rehab-assignment-this-week.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=809029</id>
<updated>2024-04-27T21:09:47Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-27T21:08:57Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Justin Steele" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs have been without left-hander Justin Steele since he was pulled from his Opening Day start against the Rangers in the fifth inning due to a hamstring strain last month. It appears that the club’s time without their staff ace may be nearing an end, however, as Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun Times…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/justin-steele-to-begin-rehab-assignment-this-week.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs have been without left-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/steelju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Steele</a> since he was pulled from his Opening Day start against the Rangers in the fifth inning due to a hamstring strain last month. It appears that the club’s time without their staff ace may be nearing an end, however, as <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/maddie_m_lee/status/1784297712218775829">Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun Times</a> relayed this afternoon that (per manager <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/counscr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Craig Counsell</a>) Steele is set to join the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Iowa for a rehab assignment in the coming days. Counsell added that Wednesday is the likely target for Steele’s rehab appearance, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/news/cubs-injuries-and-roster-moves">MLB.com’s injury tracker noting</a> that the southpaw threw 47 pitches in an extended Spring Training game yesterday.
Steele, 28, has surprised in recent years by emerging as a front-of-the-rotation caliber arm in Chicago. The lefty was selected by the Cubs in the fifth round of the 2014 draft but did not make his big league debut until 2021, when he pitched to a mediocre 4.26 ERA and 5.52 FIP in 57 innings of work. When Steele returned to the club’s rotation the following year, however, it was clear he had taken his game to the next level: in 55 starts since the start of the 2022 campaign, Steele has pitched to an excellent 3.09 ERA (140 ERA+) with an even better 3.06 FIP.
While Steele’s 24.6% strikeout rate during a 2023 campaign that saw him make his first All Star appearance and finish fifth in NL Cy Young award voting was right around league average, his strong 5.0% walk rate and 50.3% groundball rate were both excellent <a target="_blank" href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/justin-steele-657006?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb">according to Statcast</a>, ranking in the 93rd and 83rd percentiles respectively. Steele will bring that well-rounded profile back to a Cubs rotation that has dealt with plenty of injuries to this point in the 2024 campaign. In addition to Steele, the Cubs have spent time this season without veteran right-handers <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taillja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jameson Taillon</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Hendricks</a>. While the former has performed well in two starts since returning from the shelf, the latter <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/kyle-hendricks-tough-start.html">struggled badly</a> even when healthy enough to take the mound with a 12.00 ERA in four starts.
Fortunately for the Cubs, a quartet of unproven arms have handled things admirably in the absence of more established arms. Leading the charge has been 30-year-old lefty <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/imanash01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shota Imanaga</a>, who signed a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/cubs-to-sign-shota-imanaga.html">four-year, $53MM contract</a> with the Cubs over the winter after being posted by the Yokohama BayStars of Japan’s NPB. Imanaga has been sensational in the early going of his first MLB season, with a 0.98 ERA that leads all qualified MLB starters backed up by a strong 2.36 FIP in 27 2/3 innings of work.
Sophomore swingman <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/assadja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Javier Assad</a> has been joined by rookies <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wicksjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_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=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ben Brown</a> to fill out the rest of the club’s rotation, and the trio have performed admirably to this point with a combined 2.82 ERA in 60 2/3 innings of work in 12 starts. The Cubs are surely looking forward to Steele’s return even in spite of those strong performances, of course. With the lefty seemingly on track for a return in early May, it appears the most likely course of action for Chicago is to move Brown into a full-time bullpen role when the club’s ace is ready to go.
Brown’s debut season in the majors has gotten off to a solid start as he’s swung between the Chicago rotation and bullpen. After allowing six runs in just 1 2/3 relief innings against the Rangers during his MLB debut, Brown has settled in and dazzled with a 1.02 ERA, 1.88 FIP, and 27.0% strikeout rate in 17 2/3 innings of work across five appearances (two starts). Brown’s move to a full-time bullpen role would surely help a Cubs bullpen that recently lost long relief arm <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smylydr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Drew Smyly</a> to the injured list and saw closer <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alzolad01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-27_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Adbert Alzolay</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-montas-alzolay-cardinals.html">removed from the closer role</a> last week after converting just three saves in seven opportunities so far this year.
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Steve Adams</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs, Dan Straily Agree To Minor League Deal]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-sign-dan-straily.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=808819</id>
<updated>2024-04-25T19:30:47Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-25T19:08:52Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Atlantic League" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Transactions" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Dan Straily" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran right-hander Dan Straily, reports Craig Mish of SportsGrid and the Miami Herald. Straily had recently signed on with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, but he’ll change course and instead return to affiliated ball on a non-guaranteed pact with one of…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-sign-dan-straily.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/straida01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-25_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Dan Straily</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/CraigMish/status/1783572292271747186">reports</a> Craig Mish of SportsGrid and the Miami Herald. Straily had recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/dan-straily-tyler-zuber-sign-with-long-island-ducks.html">signed on with the Long Island Ducks</a> of the independent Atlantic League, but he’ll change course and instead return to affiliated ball on a non-guaranteed pact with one of his former clubs. The agreement between the two parties is still pending a physical.
The 35-year-old Straily has spent the past four season with the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball organization, although he also had a brief run with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A club in 2022. His time in the KBO produced a 3.29 ERA in 503 innings, as Straily whiffed 23.4% of his opponents against an 8.4% walk rate. His 2023 season wasn’t his best, however; he posted a 4.37 ERA over the first half of the season before being cut loose.
Prior to that stretch of overseas success, Straily pitched eight seasons in the big leagues, splitting his time between the A’s, Marlins, Reds, Cubs, Orioles and Astros. He had a fair bit of success, albeit in inconsistent fashion. From 2016-17, Straily posted a 4.01 ERA with a 21.3% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate in 373 innings between Miami and Cincinnati. Overall, he has a lifetime 4.56 ERA in 803 1/3 big league frames.
The Cubs already have a fair bit of pitching depth, but they also have <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/steelju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-25_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Steele</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-25_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Hendricks</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smylydr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-25_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Drew Smyly</a> — who’s been working in a relief capacity this season — on the injured list. At the moment, the rotation includes <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/imanash01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-25_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shota Imanaga</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taillja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-25_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jameson Taillon</a> (who just returned from the IL himself), <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/assadja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-25_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Javier Assad</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wicksjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-25_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Wicks</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=2024-04-25_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ben Brown</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/littllu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-25_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Luke Little</a> have also started games this season. Straily becomes the second notable veteran starter to join the Cubs organization on a minor league deal in recent weeks. Right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teherju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-25_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Julio Teheran</a> also inked a minors pact with the Cubs after being cut loose by the Mets and is currently in the Triple-A rotation in Des Moines.
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Darragh McDonald</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs To Place Cody Bellinger On IL With Fractured Rib, Recall Pete Crow-Armstrong]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cody-bellinger-to-be-placed-on-injured-list-due-to-fractured-rib.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=808725</id>
<updated>2024-04-24T20:56:10Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-24T20:55:25Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Newsstand" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Cody Bellinger" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Pete Crow-Armstrong" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[3:55pm: Bellinger technically has two cracked ribs, Counsell tells Jesse Rogers of MLB.com, though there’s still no timeline for his absence. 3:25pm: The Cubs are going to place outfielder Cody Bellinger on the injured list due to a fractured rib, per Robert Murray of FanSided, relaying words from manager Craig Counsell on 670 The Score.…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cody-bellinger-to-be-placed-on-injured-list-due-to-fractured-rib.html"><![CDATA[3:55pm: Bellinger technically has two cracked ribs, Counsell tells <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/JesseRogersESPN/status/1783237808431280566">Jesse Rogers of MLB.com</a>, though there’s still no timeline for his absence.
3:25pm: The Cubs are going to place outfielder <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bellico01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-24_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Cody Bellinger</a> on the injured list due to a fractured rib, per <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1783219474889630197">Robert Murray of FanSided</a>, relaying words from manager <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/counscr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-24_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Craig Counsell</a> on 670 The Score. Fellow outfielder <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/crowape01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-24_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pete Crow-Armstrong</a> will be recalled in a corresponding move.
Bellinger crashed into the wall at Wrigley Field last night while attempting to make a catch and was later removed. The club announced that he had a right rib contusion with Counsell saying after the game that the initial x-rays came back negative. It would appear that further testing has revealed a fracture and Bellinger will require a stint on the injured list to heal up.
It’s unclear at this point exactly how much time Bellinger will need to heal this fracture but the club will likely provide more information today or in the coming days. Either way, it’s an unfortunate blow for the club as Bellinger was just starting to heat up at the plate.
He hit .167/.270/.296 through his first 14 contests but his line in his past eight games was .333/.412/.700. Instead of building on that momentum, he’ll now have to sit out while dealing with this rib injury for some unknown amount of time.
For the Cubs, they already have several pitchers on the injured list and today’s news will leave them doubly shorthanded in the outfield. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suzukse01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-24_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Seiya Suzuki</a> went on the IL last week due to an oblique strain and is looking at an absence of about a month or so.
Those injuries will open the door for Crow-Armstrong to get another shot in the majors. He’s long been considered an excellent defender but with less certainty about his offense. He got his first taste of the majors late last year but hit just .000/.176/.000 through his first 19 plate appearances. He’s also been struggling in Triple-A so far this year, with a line of .203/.241/.392 in 83 plate appearances down there.
Despite the lack of offense lately, Crow-Armstrong might get a decent run of playing time in center while Bellinger is out. As mentioned, he should at least provide the Cubs with strong glovework, but the hitting will be more of a question mark. Ideally, he could get back to the form he showed prior to his promotion last year, when he hit .283/.365/.511 between Double-A and Triple-A. Some combination of <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/happia01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-24_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ian Happ</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tauchmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-24_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mike Tauchman</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/canaral01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-24_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Alexander Canario</a> will also be in the mix for outfield playing time, with <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wisdopa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-24_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Patrick Wisdom</a> heading out to the grass on some occasions as well.
For Bellinger personally, this injury will possibly put a dent in his plans to return to the open market in search of the long-term contract he didn’t find this winter. Though he hit .307/.356/.525 for the Cubs last year while also providing strong outfield defense, it seems that teams around the league were still hesitant about his injury-induced struggles in previous seasons. He required shoulder surgery after the 2020 season and hit just .193/.256/.355 over the two subsequent campaigns.
Even though his results were good last year, he also spent some time on the injured list due to a left knee contusion. Even when he returned from the IL, the Cubs kept him at first base for a while to limit the wear and tear on him, as opposed to running him out to the more demanding position of center field.
The bounceback in 2023 wasn’t enough to get Bellinger the mega deal he was likely hoping to secure, and he instead returned to the Cubs on a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/cubs-to-re-sign-cody-bellinger.html">three-year deal</a> that allows him to opt out after each season. After inking that deal, the ideal scenario would have seen Bellinger stay healthy and productive for the whole year, therefore casting aside some of the doubts about his health and long-term viability. Each day that he spends on the injured list this year will limit his ability to shift the narrative before deciding whether to trigger his opt-out at the end of the season.
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<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cody-bellinger-to-be-placed-on-injured-list-due-to-fractured-rib.html#comments" thr:count="103"/>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Darragh McDonald</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Cubs Place Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly On Injured List]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-place-kyle-hendricks-drew-smyly-on-injured-list.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=808595</id>
<updated>2024-04-23T21:34:25Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-23T21:30:18Z</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="Drew Smyly" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Garrett Cooper" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Hayden Wesneski" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Kyle Hendricks" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Luke Little" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Matt Mervis" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs announced a series of roster moves, with Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic among those to relay the full slate. Right-hander Kyle Hendricks and left-hander Drew Smyly have each been placed on the 15-day injured list, Hendricks due to a lower back issue and Smyly due to a hip impingement. Right-hander Hayden Wesneski and…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-place-kyle-hendricks-drew-smyly-on-injured-list.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs announced a series of roster moves, with <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/sahadevsharma/status/1782875378568015885">Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic</a> among those to relay the full slate. Right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Hendricks</a> and left-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smylydr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Drew Smyly</a> have each been placed on the 15-day injured list, Hendricks due to a lower back issue and Smyly due to a hip impingement. Right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wesneha01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Hayden Wesneski</a> and left-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/littllu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Luke Little</a> were recalled in corresponding moves. The club also designated <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=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Garrett Cooper</a> for assignment and recalled <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mervima01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matt Mervis</a>, as swap that was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/report-cubs-to-designate-garrett-cooper-for-assignment.html">reported</a> on earlier.
Hendricks, 34, has been out to an awful start this year. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/kyle-hendricks-tough-start.html">MLBTR’s Anthony Franco</a> recently took a look at the righty’s struggles, before Hendricks made his most recent start. As of right now, Hendricks has logged 21 innings this year over five starts. He has allowed 28 earned runs in that time, leading to an eye-popping earned run average of 12.00.
He’s never been a huge strikeout guy but his 15.1% rate this year is lower than any season since his 2014 debut. It’s possible there’s some bad luck at play, with Hendricks having allowed a .392 batting average on balls in play. He’s also stranding only 50.3% of runners while a third of his fly balls have gone over the fence. His 7.75 FIP and 4.44 SIERA each suggest that he has deserved better, though to very different degrees. That’s due to FIP counting home runs as the pitcher’s fault whereas SIERA gives more weight to batted ball data as opposed to actual results.
Hendricks is likely due for at least some normalization of his extreme results to this point in the season, but there will have to be a waiting period of at least a few weeks before the details of that correction are revealed. Per <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/M_Montemurro/status/1782878739279364471">Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune</a>, Hendricks felt his back bothering him before his start on Sunday and continued to feel it during the outing. The severity of the issue isn’t clear but he’ll have to miss at least a couple of weeks.
The Cubs will now have to figure out who joins the rotation alongside <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/imanash01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_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=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Wicks</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taillja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jameson Taillon</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/assadja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Javier Assad</a>. Tonight marks the start of a stretch where they play 16 games in a row before their next off-day. Smyly has plenty of starting experience and could have been a candidate for such a job, but he’s now on the IL himself.
Wesneski has been working in a swing role for the club in recent years and could perhaps make a few starts. <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=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ben Brown</a> has been pitching multi-inning stints this year and would be another option. Veteran <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teherju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Julio Teheran</a> was signed to a minor league deal last week and gives them a non-roster option. Due to Cooper being designated for assignment, there’s now an opening on the 40-man roster.
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Darragh McDonald</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Report: Cubs To Designate Garrett Cooper For Assignment]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/report-cubs-to-designate-garrett-cooper-for-assignment.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=808577</id>
<updated>2024-04-23T20:24:58Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-23T20:20:20Z</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Chicago Cubs" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Newsstand" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Transactions" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Garrett Cooper" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Matt Mervis" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Cubs are going to designate first baseman Garrett Cooper for assignment, per Robert Murray of FanSided. It appears he will be the corresponding move for Matt Mervis, as Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reports that Mervis is being called up. The transaction comes as a surprise, since Cooper has generally been playing…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/report-cubs-to-designate-garrett-cooper-for-assignment.html"><![CDATA[The Cubs are going to designate 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=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Garrett Cooper</a> for assignment, per <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1782852970918604843">Robert Murray of FanSided</a>. It appears he will be the corresponding move for <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mervima01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matt Mervis</a>, as <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/TommyBirch/status/1782788929432834427">Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register</a> reports that Mervis is being called up.
The transaction comes as a surprise, since Cooper has generally been playing well. He signed a minor league deal with the Cubs in the offseason and made the Opening Day roster. Since then, he’s hit .270/.341/.432 for a wRC+ of 118.
Despite that strong surface-level production, there are also some concerning elements under the hood. Cooper has struck out at a 31.7% clip so far this year, a few ticks above his career rate, which was already a bit above average. He also has an unsustainable .391 batting average on balls in play, well above the .290 league average.
Beyond Cooper’s performance, it seems that Mervis may have just forced the club into making a move. He had huge amounts of helium in 2022, despite landing with the Cubs as an undrafted free agent. The pandemic led to the 2020 draft being shortened to just five rounds and Mervis wasn’t selected, leading to him signing with the Cubs afterwards.
Despite being somewhat overlooked at that time, he shot onto everyone’s radar in 2022, going from High-A to Double-A and Triple-A, hitting .309/.379/.605 that year. That led to his first taste of the majors last season, though he hit just .167/.242/.289 in his first 99 big league plate appearances. He still hit well in Triple-A last year and is off to a strong start here in 2024. He has five home runs in 82 plate appearances this year and is drawing walks at a 14.6% clip, leading to a line of .288/.402/.606 and a 151 wRC+.
Perhaps the club couldn’t ignore that performance any longer, but handedness may have also played a role. The Cubs as a team are hitting .284/.361/.506 against lefties for a 140 wRC+, second only to the Guardians. But against righties, their collective batting line is .236/.317/.381, which leads to a 97 wRC+ that’s 17th in the league.
Cooper hits from the right side and has been better against lefties in his career, but only modestly. He’s hit .285/.337/.475 against southpaws and .263/.337/.420 otherwise, leading to respective wRC+ counts of 119 and 108. Swapping in Mervis could perhaps give them a bump against right-handed pitchers since he hits from the left side.
The Cubs could have perhaps bumped someone else off the roster in favor of Mervis, such as <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wisdopa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Patrick Wisdom</a> or <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/madrini01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Nick Madrigal</a>, but those two offer a bit more defensively. Cooper is only really viable at first base, since his brief time in the outfield corners has yielded poor results. Madrigal and Wisdom can each play third while the latter has some outfield ability as well.
There will now be a week for the Cubs to line up a trade for Cooper or pass him through waivers. It seems fair to expect that there will be interest, based both on his performance so far this year and his track record. He hit .274/.350/.444 for the Marlins from 2019 to 2022, leading to a wRC+ of 117 in that stretch. He struggled to stay healthy in that time and then slumped last year, but he seems to be in good form so far this season.
The Red Sox are going to be without their primary first baseman for a while, as <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/casastr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Triston Casas</a> has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/triston-casas-rib-fracture-red-sox-lengthy-absence.html">diagnosed with a fractured rib</a>. The Astros are getting <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/jose-abreus-continued-struggles.html">dismal production</a> from <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/abreujo02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">José Abreu</a> thus far. The same goes for the White Sox and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vaughan01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Andrew Vaughn</a>, the Twins and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=santaca01,santan005car&search=Carlos+Santana&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-23_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Carlos Santana</a> and others. Given all of those different situations, the Cubs will likely be fielding calls about Cooper in the coming days.
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<entry>
<author>
<name>Mark Polishuk</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[NL Central Notes: Montas, Alzolay, Cardinals]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-montas-alzolay-cardinals.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=808446</id>
<updated>2024-04-21T23:12:41Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-21T23:12:38Z</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="Adbert Alzolay" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Andre Pallante" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Frankie Montas" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Nick Robertson" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Pedro Pages" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Victor Scott" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Reds’ 3-0 shutout of the Angels today saw five relievers combine for 8 1/3 innings of work, after a forearm bruise forced starter Frankie Montas out of the game in the first inning. Montas was struck by a Taylor Ward line drive and was still able to throw Ward out at first base, though…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-montas-alzolay-cardinals.html"><![CDATA[The Reds’ 3-0 shutout of the Angels today saw five relievers combine for 8 1/3 innings of work, after a forearm bruise forced starter <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/montafr02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Frankie Montas</a> out of the game in the first inning. Montas was struck by a <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wardta01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Taylor Ward</a> line drive and was still able to throw Ward out at first base, though he then left the mound after an examination from the team trainer. X-rays revealed no fractures, though Montas told reporters (including <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlieG__/status/1782144201494253815" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer</a>) after the game that there is enough soreness and swelling that it seems unlikely that he’ll make his next start.
That next start is set for Friday against the Rangers, and since the Reds don’t have another off-day until May 2, another start would have to be covered if Montas needs more recovery time than just the one turn through the rotation. It seems like the injured list might therefore be a possibility for Montas just so the Reds aren’t left short-handed, though the team figures to evaluate Montas over the next few days before making a decision. Montas has a 4.19 ERA over 19 1/3 innings for Cincinnati this season, as he followed up two strong opening starts with much shakier performances in his two outings prior to today’s abbreviated appearance.
More from around the NL Central…
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alzolad01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Adbert Alzolay</a> pitched a perfect eighth inning in the Cubs’ 6-3 loss to the Marlins today, as manager <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/counscr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Craig Counsell</a> indicated before the game that Alzolay wouldn’t be used in a save situation. After emerging as Chicago’s closer last season, Alzolay has blown four of seven save opportunities in the early going this year, prompting Counsell to tell reporters (including <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2024/04/21/cubs-adbert-alzolay-blown-saves-craig-counsell-marlins-wrigley-field-mlb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times</a>) that “we’ve got to get Adbert some confidence.” For his part, Alzolay said mechanical problems were more to blame than any lack of self-belief. As to who will handle closer duties until Alzolay works his way back into the mix, Counsell said it’s “kind of like a day-to-day thing,” though <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nerishe01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Hector Neris</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leitema02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mark Leiter Jr.</a> seem like the most natural candidates.</li>
<li>The Cardinals called up catcher <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pagespe02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pedro Pages</a> and right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=roberni01,robert007nic&search=Nick+Robertson&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Nick Robertson</a> from Triple-A Memphis prior to today’s game, while optioning righty <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pallaan01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Andre Pallante</a> and outfielder <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/scottvi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Victor Scott II</a>. Pallante has worked as a reliever over the last two seasons but will start in Triple-A as a way of getting more work in on his scuffling two-seam fastball, Cards manager <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marmool99.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Oliver Marmol</a> told <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/mlb/cardinals/what-victor-scott-ii-s-option-to-minors-means-for-rookie-center-field-job-cardinals/article_f6feadd8-fffc-11ee-a52f-53712e5f913a.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Daniel Guerrero</a> and other reporters. Scott will be getting his first taste of Triple-A baseball, as the Cardinals included him on their Opening Day roster due to some outfield injuries, and as a nod to the impressive 2023 numbers that got Scott some recognition on top-100 prospect lists. Unfortunately, Scott has looked overwhelmed by Major League pitching, with only an .085/.139/.136 slash line to show for his first 65 plate appearances in the Show. Pages’ presence will allow the Cards some flexibility in using fellow backstops <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/contrwi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Willson Contreras</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/herreiv01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ivan Herrera</a> in the same lineup at catcher and DH, as Contreras and Herrera are two of the few productive bats within the struggling St. Louis offense.</li>
</ul>
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<entry>
<author>
<name>Nick Deeds</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[NL Central Notes: Hall, Happ, Reds]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-hall-happ-reds.html" />
<id>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=808401</id>
<updated>2024-04-21T13:07:30Z</updated>
<published>2024-04-21T13:07:26Z</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="Milwaukee Brewers" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Notes" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="DL Hall" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Ian Gibaut" /><category scheme="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com" term="Ian Happ" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Left-hander DL Hall was a key piece of the return that the Brewers landed in the Corbin Burnes trade, and the club made clear upon acquiring him that Hall would be used as a member of the starting rotation despite the 25-year-old having been used almost exclusively out of the bullpen during his time in…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/nl-central-notes-hall-happ-reds.html"><![CDATA[Left-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/halldl01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DL Hall</a> was a key piece of the return that the Brewers landed in the <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/burneco01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Corbin Burnes</a> trade, and the club made clear upon acquiring him that Hall would be used as a member of the starting rotation despite the 25-year-old having been used almost exclusively out of the bullpen during his time in Baltimore. That experiment hasn’t gone well through Hall’s first four starts, however. Not only does Hall currently sport a 7.71 ERA with a walk rate (11.9%) that nearly matches his deflated strikeout rate (15.4%), but he’s also failed to record an out in the fifth inning in three of his four starts with the club.
Given those considerable struggles, it’s not necessarily surprising that Brewers manager Pat Murphy indicated after Hall’s start Saturday that the club might look to shift gears if Hall can’t get things on track. In conversation with reporters (including <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1781807554961526927">MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy</a>) that evening, Murphy admitted that “there’s got to be adjustments made” for Hall to remain a member of the rotation, adding that the club “can’t keep letting him throw 3 1/3 and say ’that’s fine.'”
Hall is currently joined in the rotation by <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/peralfr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Freddy Peralta</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mileywa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Wade Miley</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reaco01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Colin Rea</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rossjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Joe Ross</a>. Should the young southpaw find himself moved to the bullpen at some point, left-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/ashbyaa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Aaron Ashby</a> is one candidate to step into a rotation role, though he’s dealt with struggles of his own to this point in the season. Ashby was blown up in his lone big league start this year, allowing eight runs (four earned) in 3 2/3 frames. His time in the minors hasn’t gone much better, with a 9.28 ERA in three starts. If Ashby continues to be unable to get results, the Brewers may be best served simply waiting for right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/junisja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jakob Junis</a> to return from the injured list after being sidelined by a shoulder impingement for the last two weeks before considering a change in Hall’s usage.
More from the NL Central…
<ul>
<li>Cubs left fielder <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/happia01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ian Happ</a> was removed from Friday’s game against the Marlins in the seventh inning due to what manager <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/counscr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Craig Counsell</a> described to reporters (including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marqueesportsnetwork.com/jameson-taillons-solid-first-outing-spark-cubs-to-win-over-marlins/">Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network</a>) as left hamstring tightness. Counsell described the move as “precautionary” at the time, though Happ was noticeably absent from both games in the club’s doubleheader on Saturday. It’s not yet clear if Happ will ultimately require a trip to the injured list for the issue, though it makes sense for the Cubs to be cautious regarding their left fielder after he suffered a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/nl-central-notes-happ-pirates-liberatore.html">mild strain</a> of the same hamstring during Spring Training last month. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/canaral01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Alexander Canario</a> filled in for Happ yesterday in left field, while <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tauchmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mike Tauchman</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wisdopa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Patrick Wisdom</a> have combined to handle right field in the aftermath of <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suzukse01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Seiya Suzuki</a>’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/cubs-place-seiya-suzuki-on-injured-list-due-to-oblique-strain.html">oblique injury</a>.</li>
<li>Reds right-hander <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gibauia01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ian Gibaut</a> has missed the entire 2024 season to this point due to discomfort in his right forearm, and the club announced yesterday that he had been returned from his rehab assignment following “renewed” discomfort in the area. Per <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/news/reds-injuries-and-roster-moves">MLB.com’s injury tracker</a>, 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=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">David Bell</a> recently indicated that Gibaut could resume his rehab assignment at some point this week. Even so, it’s unwelcome news for a Reds club that leaned heavily on the right-hander last year as he pitched to a strong 3.33 ERA in 75 2/3 innings of work. With Gibaut out of commission, the Reds have relied on <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cruzfe01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Fernando Cruz</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/paganem01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Emilio Pagan</a> to set up for closer <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/diazal03.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2024-04-21_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Alexis Diaz</a>.</li>
</ul>
]]></content>
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</entry>
<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.
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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>
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<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>.
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