Every Counsell move the last two weeks:
Chicago Cubs 2026
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Yes, but Jaws came walking out of the rubble like nothing happened, right? Maybe Counsell can do the same?Every Counsell move the last two weeks:
What the bullpen needs is a sidearmed lefty who can throw strikes and get guys out. Somebody like Hoby Milner.
Oh, I forgot...we released him because he wasn't good enough for our All-Star bullpen.
Oh, I forgot...we released him because he wasn't good enough for our All-Star bullpen.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Did any media ever ask Hoyer what the hell was up with that?
I hate to go this far just because if Webb could do his job, they'd have 3 more wins over the last three weeks.Every Counsell move the last two weeks:
If the bullpen, in general, could do even an average job, you could say they should have won 6 more.
The amount of games that they had control of in the 6th and 7th inning and lost is staggering. He's got no reliable arm in the pen. I got on him two night ago because he went back to Webb until I took a step back and realized that he's literally got no better options. I probably would have gone to Palencia because he's the guy that they absolutely need to bounce back, but that's only in theory for success down the road. Doesn't mean, given his recent history, that he wouldn't have walked the bases last loaded and they would have lost in on a grand slam.
They're also clearly missing Swanson. The middle infield has made a lot of errors, which show up in the scorebook, but they've also not converted on a lot of double plays, which is basically giving a team 4 outs in the inning. That's not showing up in the scorebook.
All that said, his decisions with the lineup are questionable, at best. His decision last night, the decision to continue to put Busch in the three hole, having Happ in the five hole for a LONG time before finally platooning him was mind-blowing....the list goes on and on. Now, I'm not sure what goes on in Mesa, but their inability to play small ball is obscene. That's where Milwaukee takes complete advantage of them. They bunt, they take the ball the opposite way(hitting it where it's pitched), understanding how to move a guy from second to third by hitting the ball to the right side of the infield, choking up on the bat when all they need is a fly ball or contact at all, etc.....it looks like they have no concept of manufacturing runs. That's on him. The amount of runners left in scoring position with less than 2 outs is absolutely ridiculous.
Some of the stuff is within his control and some isn't. Can't put the bullpen woes on him, but putting guys in a spot to succeed, understanding the strengths of your lineup and managing accordingly is within his control. Waiting on the long ball seems to be his philosophy. That can work when facing starters 4 and 5, but won't when they're facing 1, 2 and 3......which is the playoffs.
Counsell has been fighting with one hand behind his back all year with the staff Hoyer gave him, but he has not helped himself much, either. The deisions you list are all part of it, but he over used the pitchers he had some level of confidence in and now they are gassed, as well. Then last night's decision to pinch hit a rookie that has yet to hit the ball hard once for the guy that won the game the night before (until Webb lost it, that is) is just absolutely baffling.
He has lost me, I'm afraid.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
I feel bad for Webb a little, he was never meant to be the closer and fell into that role because they had to do closer by committee. He's obviously gassed. He's pitched 60.2 innings this season, the second most in his career (66 last year with Texas). Happ and Busch have been major disappointments. Happ I doubt will be back, and you have to wonder if Busch is who you want playing first going forward. It looked really good after last season.
Busch will be fine.
He's arbitration eligible after this current year. They seem to be working Alcantara at 1st base a little bit in Iowa. Their top prospect is a 1st baseman(I think).
He's taken a fairly significant step back this year. It's been a season long struggle. It wouldn't be the first time that the league has adjusted to a guy and he hasn't been able to adjust back. Hitting third in the order, his job is run production. It just hasn't been there.
To be fair, he does play a very, very high level first base defensively. That can't be ignored.
I am interested in what you're seeing here to 1)believe he'll be back to 2025 form next year and 2)with the position at Iowa being very strong, do the Cubs want his contract in their plans?
Top prospect is a 19 year old outfielder
Per MiLB:
1) Josiah Hartshorn OF/1B
2)Owen Ayers C/1B
Looks like he's under team control until 2029.
I think he needs to show something next year(end of this year would be ideal. Can't have this type of season again hitting out of that 3 hole.
He’s played almost exactly the same amount of games at 1B as he has at OF. He actually has played a fair amount more games at 1B than OF in A+ ball, but that could be because of the roster makeup there. He’s a big boy already — listed at 6-0, 220 — so very real chance he ends up full-time at 1B down the line. Oh yeah, he got promoted again too.
While MLB.com does indeed list Ayers as C/1B, he will be a catcher. I believe he was a little late to the catching game, so that position designation is probably a holdover from when things weren’t as clear. This year he’s started 67 games at catcher, 39 at DH and only 11 at 1B. Not sure about the other aspects of his defense, but he has shown a major league arm.
THey say that he will be bullpen this year.
He looks really comfortable at the plate
Not so fast.
How crazy would it be to ditch some of then bullpen and roll out Steele (likely) Shelby Miller (probably not) and Jaxon Wiggins (even more probably not) instead for the playoffs.
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Honestly, it really couldn't be any worse or unreliable. Any shakeup seems to be needed. My only concern with Steele would be that they've waited this long for him to get healthy, why put him in high stress situations at this point in the season? I'm not sure the bang is worth the buck here, especially given the fact that the biggest issue in the pen is the high leverage 7th, 8th and 9th innings.
Don't get me wrong, they need as much help as they can down in that bullpen, but given the length of time he's been out.....just not sure that another off-season of strength and conditioning isn't the smart play.
Well, Javy Assad 's got the extremely high leverage 11-2 mop up role covered proficiently. They use him when it's Ok to use a position player.
I don't get it. Even when they have him on the major league roster they don't show him any respect.
100% agree. He and Rea. Those two held this thing together for months. Javy gets sent down and Rea....I have no clue what he's doing.
I understand using Palencia today.
Thielbar should have been out there too.
Thielbar should have been out there too.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Much needed victory. The Pirates had some interesting times fielding fly balls and pop ups.