Chicago Cubs 2026

[Homecoming 2019]

Bats aside, is this year as simple as pitching being thin from the outset and injuries exacerbating it?

Assuming Steeles original diagnosis was he would return a few months in, I'd say the starting pitching staff was pretty deep all things considered at the start of the season. I'm not sure there is a team in baseball that could survive their top 6 starters being on the IL at the same time.

 

[champaignchris]

Assuming Steeles original diagnosis was he would return a few months in, I'd say the starting pitching staff was pretty deep all things considered at the start of the season. I'm not sure there is a team in baseball that could survive their top 6 starters being on the IL at the same time.

You need to get about 900 innings from your starting pitching staff.

It was completely reasonable to assume you’d get something like the following;

Imanega - 150 IP, 4.00 ERA
Rea - 150 IP, 4.50 ERA
Cabrera - 100 IP, 4.25 ERA
Taillon - 150 IP, 4.25 ERA
Boyd - 150 IP, 3.75 ERA
Assad - 100 IP, 4.25 ERA
Horton - 120 IP, 3.50 ERA
Steele - 80 IP, 3.25 ERA

With Brown, Wiggins and Wicks able to fill-in in emergencies.

That should have been more than enough depth to cover.

Every single person on this list is either hurt, underperforming, or both.

 

[Mr. Tibbs]

You need to get about 900 innings from your starting pitching staff.

It was completely reasonable to assume you’d get something like the following;

Imanega - 150 IP, 4.00 ERA
Rea - 150 IP, 4.50 ERA
Cabrera - 100 IP, 4.25 ERA
Taillon - 150 IP, 4.25 ERA
Boyd - 150 IP, 3.75 ERA
Assad - 100 IP, 4.25 ERA
Horton - 120 IP, 3.50 ERA
Steele - 80 IP, 3.25 ERA

With Brown, Wiggins and Wicks able to fill-in in emergencies.

That should have been more than enough depth to cover.

Every single person on this list is either hurt, underperforming, or both.

sadly , SS , DY

 

[Second place is 1st loser]

Bats aside, is this year as simple as pitching being thin from the outset and injuries exacerbating it?

Before the season:

Starters:
Horton (IL)
Boyd (IL)
Imanaga
Taillon (IL)
Cabrera (IL)

Bullpen:
Maton (Bad and IL)
Thielbar (Bad and IL)
Brown (IL)
Rae
Assad
Palencia (IL)

That should have been enough to win the division. I can't throw Hoyer under the bus on this one.

HOWEVER, if the offense was reasonably consistent this year, we're not feeling AS doom and gloom. The lack of hitting with RISP for a solid month REALLY exacerbated the issue. I'd say that 15 of their losses during that massive swoon was squarely on the shoulders of the offense.

This is where my issue with Hoyer is triggered. This was a team that struggled all second half scoring last year and that was with Tucker. I'm not sure that adding Bregman should have been the only move. Relying on Shaw and Ballesteros to fill in the DH(or RF) gap was purely a gamble.

Until PCA started hitting....this was a mess.

 

[suburbanILLINI]

Didn't know that Imanaga was Italian. He loves serving up meatballs

 

[Illiniaaron]

Now Ben Brown to the IL too?

 

[Illiniaaron]

Swanson may have 50 RBI by the end of this series.

 

[Mr. Roberts]

Steele, Boyd, Wiggins, Brown, Cabrera, Taillon, Horton all on the IL now. That’s 7 of top 10 starters in the system all hurt at the same time.

Also their closer, Palencia.

And now Brown is 8 of 10. Immenaga and Rea should be making sure their health insurance is up to date.

 

[Illiniaaron]

Suzuki having a double header to forget.

 

[Boomauer]

Swanson may have 50 RBI by the end of this series.

Not bad for a #9 batter hitting .199!

 

[EllderIlliniFan]

The bottom 4 in the line up had 10 hits and 7 RBIs.

 

[Illiniaaron]

Man the Mets are bad.

 

[Illinirog1970]

The bottom 4 in the line up had 10 hits and 7 RBIs.

And the first five were one for twenty-two!!

 

[Warren Carter Fanclub]

And now Brown is 8 of 10. Immenaga and Rea should be making sure their health insurance is up to date.

No, Brown was on the list already. It's still only 7. That's not so bad !!

 

[EyeoftheIllini]

Man the Mets are bad.

So of course that is who you look to for pitching help.

As it happens, I actually saw the first two plus innings of Peterson’s last start. He did not look good. He has had some stretches of success in the past. Hopefully Cubs can get him back to that point.

 

[KBLEE]

Swanson may have 50 RBI by the end of this series.

 

[bdutts]

Looks like the Cubs and Mets made a trade: Cole Mathis to the Mets and the Cubs get David Peterson.

 

[Grandpa]

Looks like the Cubs and Mets made a trade: Cole Mathis to the Mets and the Cubs get David Peterson.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's the move I've been waiting for. Buying my World Series tickets!!!!

 

[EyeoftheIllini]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2070142763014709695

 

[ChiefGritty]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2070142763014709695

Can he pitch?

 

[Red77sng]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2070142763014709695

There’s no place for him to play in the infield with all the no trade contracts with Bregman,Swanson, Hoerner way too go hoyer

 

[KBLEE]

There’s no place for him to play in the infield with all the no trade contracts with Bregman,Swanson, Hoerner way too go hoyer

Having a no trade clause doesn't mean that they can't be traded. It just means that the player would have to approve the trade.

 

[bdutts]

There’s no place for him to play in the infield with all the no trade contracts with Bregman,Swanson, Hoerner way too go hoyer

He’s only in AA…

 

[champaignchris]

So of course that is who you look to for pitching help.

As it happens, I actually saw the first two plus innings of Peterson’s last start. He did not look good. He has had some stretches of success in the past. Hopefully Cubs can get him back to that point.

He’s a warm body. They’re looking for 5 innings a start, not perfection at this point.

I’m sure they’ll try to make a higher quality addition to the starting staff closer to the deadline. Assuming they’re still in the playoff chase.

 

[Juju]

"What slump?"

- Dansby Swanson