Chicago Cubs 2026

#1,301      
Second place is 1st loser
oldman said:
P C A !!!
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Cool moment and that should have done the trick. The offense was obviously awful for the first time in a LONG time, which is a whatever. That's baseball. They really, really, really need to get guys back to deepen that bullpen. Having to go to a guy like Thornton isn't ideal. He should be a low leverage arm.

By in large, the pen has over performed given the insane amount of injuries. That has given them a nice cushion with regards to playoff positioning.

Can't give away games like that though.
 
#1,303      
DRS
I know I am cherry picking after a tough loss, but I do standby my call for another big arm in the pen. We are putting all our eggs in the Palencia basket and if he gets back and is healthy that isn't a bad basket but bullpens can derail a team quick. I know this isn't advanced metrics'y' enough for some, those don't look great for our entire staff, but we are now below league average in blown saves at 19th in the league and, this stat I like even less, we are 27th in save percentage at 55%. Not in freakout mode or anything but giving away games late is a demoralizing thing and it is happen to the Cubs more often then most other teams.

Bullpen era is 3.99 on the year and that is 14th in the league, so again this pen has not been a disaster but we really do need to get a big boy, either back or through a trade, at the back end. Just think if we had two along with Webb! that is what I am dreaming about.
 
#1,304      
oldman
Baling wire, duct tape … it is amazing what management has done putting together a pitching staff given the number of injuries. Last night was Thornton returning to form after over-performing for an extended stretch. I just hope the pitchers expected to return in the next few weeks are able to pitch at a level consistent with where they were before their injuries.
 
#1,305      
Illinirog70
Warren Carter Fanclub said:
Mason Miller from the Padres?
I think there is a more pressing need for a starter or 2 to get the game in one piece to the relievers.
Also, with all these guys that are allegedly coming back to the bullpen (Palencia, Milner, Steele, Harvey, Brown), even if just a couple stick, the bullpen is getting crowded. Rea might be back in the bullpen too if we get 2 starting arms.
I realize that none of these are Miller but he might be a luxury we can't afford.
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Um...tenth inning last night?
 
#1,306      
EyeoftheIllini
Illinirog70 said:
Um...tenth inning last night?
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Um . . . first four innings of Sunday’s game. And none of those players the poster mentioned are back yet.

Definitely think we need help in the pen and a power arm there would be great. But I wouldn’t pay the tariff for Miller. My prospect do not trade list only consists of Hartshorn and Rojas. I’ve always been high on Ramirez, and he might have earned his way on to the list with his performance and what he has meant to team this year. But I don’t see getting Miller without including one of those first two, and even if you could it would probably deplete farm system to the point adding other parts would be difficult.
 
#1,308      
Warren Carter Fanclub
Just the fact that there is an argument of where they need help more accentuates the fact that they shouldn't deplete an already weak farm system for a 2 month rental.
Skubal or Miller alone won't win a championship.
I have also figured out how long a Cub will be out when he first goes on the IL. Take how long the Cubs originally say and multiply it by 3.
 
#1,309      
KBLEE
champaignchris said:
Do better than 0 for 6 with RISP, and Thornton doesn’t have the pitch the 10th in the first place.
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Also might have been different if PCA had been called safe at first with no outs earlier in the game. Buerleson clearly came off the bag. There is no way he got back before PCA got there. It looked to me like PCA beat him. At worst it was a tie, which goes to the runner.
 
#1,310      
EyeoftheIllini
Warren Carter Fanclub said:
Just the fact that there is an argument of where they need help more accentuates the fact that they shouldn't deplete an already weak farm system for a 2 month rental.
Skubal or Miller alone won't win a championship.
I have also figured out how long a Cub will be out when he first goes on the IL. Take how long the Cubs originally say and multiply it by 3.
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Miller wouldn’t be a rental — believe he has 2 or 3 more years of arbitration — but cost would be too high IMO. I disagree though that because there is argument about where help is needed means don’t trade for a rental(s). Every team needs pitching and there are few if any teams each year that don’t need pitching at this time of year.

Obviously one doesn’t want to go crazy and trade half of the Cubs top 15 prospects for rentals and players with some team control are preferred, but the latter also cost you more in prospects and are in great demand. But refusing to trade prospects who may or may not become effective major league players instead of improving your team for a stretch run is a recipe for being perennial also rans.


Not all the trades at the deadline last year worked out, but who are the prospects that were traded then are you pining for?

Wilfri De la Cruz — Now Orioles #22 prospect and hitting .221 in Rookie ball?

Ronny Cruz — Now Nationals #5 prospect who started out season very well but only hitting .217 since promotion to A+?

Christiano Franklin — Now Nationals #29 prospect hitting .245 at AAA?

Ryan Gallagher — Now Twins #16 prospect who has a 6.82 ERA and opponents BA of .286 at AAA?

Sam Armstrong — Not in Twins top 30 with a 4.92 ERA and less than a K per inning at AA?

Ivan Brethowr — Not in Pirates top 30 and batting .194 at AA?
 
#1,311      
Warren Carter Fanclub
EyeoftheIllini said:
Not all the trades at the deadline last year worked out, but who are the prospects that were traded then are you pining for?

Wilfri De la Cruz — Now Orioles #22 prospect and hitting .221 in Rookie ball?

Ronny Cruz — Now Nationals #5 prospect who started out season very well but only hitting .217 since promotion to A+?

Christiano Franklin — Now Nationals #29 prospect hitting .245 at AAA?

Ryan Gallagher — Now Twins #16 prospect who has a 6.82 ERA and opponents BA of .286 at AAA?

Sam Armstrong — Not in Twins top 30 with a 4.92 ERA and less than a K per inning at AA?

Ivan Brethowr — Not in Pirates top 30 and batting .194 at AA?
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It sounds like the guys they are talking about moving this year are considered much higher level prospects (or already on the Major league roster) than this group.

I just felt better about going all in last year than this year. And if Dodgers or Brewers get Skubal....yikes.
 
#1,312      
EyeoftheIllini
Warren Carter Fanclub said:
It sounds like the guys they are talking about moving this year are considered much higher level prospects (or already on the Major league roster) than this group.

I just felt better about going all in last year than this year. And if Dodgers or Brewers get Skubal....yikes.
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I get that. Thrre was a fair amount of chatter last deadline about Cubs trading some of their top prospects and that didn’t happen. So we’ll see how serious some of the reports are this year. Jed seems to be pretty conservative at the deadline, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I think value at the deadline is usually pretty poor. But farm system is there to improve your team. Sometimes that means call ups and sometimes that means trading them away.
 
#1,313      
Second place is 1st loser
DRS said:
I know I am cherry picking after a tough loss, but I do standby my call for another big arm in the pen. We are putting all our eggs in the Palencia basket and if he gets back and is healthy that isn't a bad basket but bullpens can derail a team quick. I know this isn't advanced metrics'y' enough for some, those don't look great for our entire staff, but we are now below league average in blown saves at 19th in the league and, this stat I like even less, we are 27th in save percentage at 55%. Not in freakout mode or anything but giving away games late is a demoralizing thing and it is happen to the Cubs more often then most other teams.

Bullpen era is 3.99 on the year and that is 14th in the league, so again this pen has not been a disaster but we really do need to get a big boy, either back or through a trade, at the back end. Just think if we had two along with Webb! that is what I am dreaming about.
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With as tough as a loss as it was, the issue wasn't the pitching. If you let up 0 runs in 9 innings, you need to win that game 100 times out of 100. If you have to go to the pen multiple times, SOMEBODY is due to have a tough game. The Cards pitcher collapsed in the 10th and so did Thornton.

Much of the same today with the Cubs offense.
 
#1,318      
EyeoftheIllini
Second place is 1st loser said:
He's always been a second half guy and here we go. Right on cue. I suspect he'll end the season close to what the back of the baseball card says he is.
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Yeah, last year was the first season in a long time that I can remember having a worse second half than first, which had me a little worried. But I knew he wasn’t going to continue on like he was for the whole season.
 
#1,320      
IlliniFaninHoosierLand
KBLEE said:
Also might have been different if PCA had been called safe at first with no outs earlier in the game. Buerleson clearly came off the bag. There is no way he got back before PCA got there. It looked to me like PCA beat him. At worst it was a tie, which goes to the runner.
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Ump said call was confirmed so the replay room had an angle that showed that Burleson got his foot back on the bag.
 
#1,322      
Second place is 1st loser
This Cubs offense is a complete coaster. The peaks and valleys are incredible. When they're good, they are very, very good. When they're bad, they're very, very bad. No middle ground. Thus, they can win 10 in a row and unfortunately lose 10 in a row. Unless they wake up, this is going to be an absolutely miserable home stand.
 
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