Recent comments

Arizona Phil 6 days ago (view)

GEORGE A: As you probably recall, back in November after Stroman opted out I was hoping the Cubs would sign Yamamoto and re-sign Bellinger and Candelario, non-tender Wisdom and Madrigal, and not sign any high-priced FA relievers. I actually thought the Cubs picked up the Hendricks option in order to trade him if they were able to sign one of the noteworthy free agent pitchers (and then they signed Imanaga). So I kept waiting for the Cubs to trade Hendricks, but it looks like it's too late now...

George Altman 6 days ago (view)

Would you agree/disagree, Phil, that picking up his $14.5m option with Stroman opting out was a bad Jed decision?

Would any team be willing to pick up any portion of his salary?

Arizona Phil 6 days 1 hour ago (view)

The Cubs would not have picked up Kyle Hendricks 2024 option or signed Hector Neris if Marcus Stroman had not opted out.

Arizona Phil 6 days 2 hours ago (view)

After a poor first outing, in his last three appearances at AAA Keegan Thompson has put up a 5.0 IP, 1 H, no runs, two BB, and six K line, and he has been throwing two or three innings at a time.

So I believe Keegan Thompson gets the call up, especially if the Cubs don't want to transfer Julian Merryweather to the 60-day IL until his timetable to return is more clear.   

Also, I suspect the Cubs would like to keep Hayden Wesneski stretched out as a SP.

Arizona Phil 6 days 1 hour ago (view)

Keep in mind that pitchers who are optioned to the minors during Spring Training or on Opening Day must remain on Optional Assignment for the first 15 days of the MLB regular season (thru Thursday 4/11 in 2024) unless the pitcher is recalled to replace a pitcher who is placed on the IL (as happened when Ben Brown was recalled to replace Justin Steele and Daniel Palencia was recalled to replace Julian Merryweather). 

And the reason Jose Cuas was optioned on Thursday (an off day) without a corresponding roster move until the next day is because MLB clubs are permitted to have either 25 or 26 players active up until September 1st (clubs MUST have 28 players active at all times beginning on 9/1) and there is a (very slight) cost savings to go with 25 players instead of 26 players on an off day (the difference between an MLB salary versus minor league split salary).

Also, if he is on the MLB 26-man roster for at least 167 days in 2024 Jose Cuas is likely to accrue enough MLB Service Time  to qualify as a "Super Two" for salary arbitration post-2024, but not so likely if he is on Optional Assignment for twenty days or more.

crunch 6 days 2 hours ago (view)

friday game vs SEA is a Apple TV+ game, btw...and that means blackout for many of us, even those who pay for mlb.tv

George Altman 6 days 2 hours ago (view)

I've watched pitchers at all levels of baseball for 50 years. Hendricks has had success because of location and late movement. He doesn't demonstrate either with any consistency any longer. 

Put a fork in him. DFA.

Arizona Phil 6 days 11 hours ago (view)

CRUNCH: There's two different ways they could go. 

One way would be to recall somebody already on the 40 (like Hayden Wesneski or Keegan Thompson), and the other way would be to transfer Julian Merryweather to the 60-day IL and select Carl Edwards Jr, Colten Brewer, or Riley Thompson to the 40. 

Wesneski has been starting at AAA Iowa and hasn't pitched since Saturday, and K. Thompson has been throwing two innings per outing in relief for the I-Cubs.  

Edwards almost made the Cubs MLB Opening Day roster before opting out but then he re-signed with the Cubs last week (he walked the bases loaded in his one AAA outing last Monday so he might need more time), Brewer (who pitched very well in MLB Spring Training) has been the primary closer at AAA, and R. Thompson has been lights out throwing two or three innings at a time out of the pen for the I-Cubs (R. Thompson can be a minor league 6YFA post-2024, so the Cubs might want to at least give him a shot out of the MLB pen sometime during the season). 

crunch 6 days 14 hours ago (view)

i guess since there's no immediate follow-up move they're tipping their hat to...who's getting the callup for cuas?

he's only in AA, but i wouldn't be shocked to see porter hodge...though k.thompson seems to be the most "safe" pick.

with the way counsell was trying to use cuas as a multi-inning guy, though...we might be seeing hodge if they want to go with stuff and projection over experience.

crunch 6 days 15 hours ago (view)

i've never been a big fan, but he needs to work some stuff out.

Arizona Phil 6 days 16 hours ago (view)

Jose Cuas has been optioned to Iowa. 

Childersb3 6 days 20 hours ago (view)

Stunned by that. So he's getting GBs or giving up shots to the wall. All or nothing?

I'd be curious to know if those GBs are coming on the Sinker or C/Up.

Charlie 6 days 20 hours ago (view)

Using the analytics of only my eyeballs--not even wearing my glasses--I have drawn the conclusion that Kyle Hendricks has been hurt badly by what baseball experts call "meatballs."

There's no question that Hendricks can't live in the middle of the zone. He just has to show whether or not he can manage to stay out of there enough of the time to be productive.

My suspicion about Assad is that he'll pay a penalty for fitting too neatly into the swing man role and will get shuffled before Hendricks unless he wildly outperforms the veteran.

First.Pitch.120 6 days 21 hours ago (view)

Also an odd aberration... KH has given up  7 ground ball base hits so far this year.  Would need to dig deeper, but that's a bunch. 

 Small sample, but his GB% through 3 games is actually very high & the Hard Hit % isn't horrible.  The 20% of Fly Balls becoming HRs is a problem.  

First.Pitch.120 6 days 21 hours ago (view)

Yeah, all things & injuries being equal I like the five you named.  However, I do really value having 2 long guys in the pen (Smyly + Assad/Brown).  I think the flexibility & reduced stress on the high leverage guys are super useful.  Not everybody can swing from RP/SP smoothly, so I guess I like Assad in that role b/c I know he can do it.  

Childersb3 6 days 22 hours ago (view)

All fair points. And I freely admit that TX, LAD and SD are really good lineups.
But his stuff just isn't moving like it used too.
His velos are about the same, but the movement isn't enough to make guys roll over and hit ground balls.
His Sinker BAve last year was .318.
I bet it's at least that now.
If he Sinker isn't working, hitters get to wait for the Ch/Up.
He has to get groundball outs somehow.
Assad, Wicks and Brown can help the Cubs now. It won't all be smooth. They're not elite guys now.  But Hendricks is a liability now. Steele, Imanaga, Taillon, Assad, Wicks and Brown are the rotation. Smyly is fine in the pen. He's useful as a long guy.

First.Pitch.120 6 days 22 hours ago (view)

April Kyle = :0(                              

..............

FWIW... Over his career, Kyle Hendrick's splits are by far the worst in the month of April (like 30% worse).  Even in 2015-2016-2017 his April ERA was in the 4.50 range.   

So while I too am concerned, we should keep that in mind when looking at the amount of leash he is given.  

Dolorous Jon Lester 6 days 23 hours ago (view)

I love what Assad has been doing. he’s making the decision between him and Wicks once everyone is healthy very difficult.

Dolorous Jon Lester 6 days 23 hours ago (view)

The wholly self-imposed budget limit of the CBT***

Childersb3 1 week ago (view)

When Taillon comes back, I'm sure the standard belief is Brown goes to Iowa or the Bullpen. If Brown is better than Palencia or Cuas, then let him stay and get MLB hitters out.

But, if Hendricks' Sinker continues to not induce groundballs, then he needs to go to the IL and Taillon replaces him.

When Steele comes back we take a look at how Assad and Brown are doing. I think those two are going to be fine. Assad has always produced and gone under the radar doing so. 
He's better than Hendricks. He was just as good as Kyle last year, if not better in every stat.

Kyle has faced three good lineups to start the year, so he can do better for sure. I simply don't see the same action on his pitches. Hitters see his pitches way too easily nowadays.

Counsell has no loyalty to Hendricks. He wasn't a part of the 2015-2020 crew. I'm sure he respects Kyle's career, but Counsell isn't keeping him out there for nostalgia. He's used to having SP with "stuff". He might be keeping him out there for 16.5million other reasons, but that's sunk cost (just like Heyward). Kyle goes to the IL for a short while, and we see how the younger guys pitch.