The Cubs have added another fresh face to the bullpen, announced Tuesday that they’ve acquired right-handed reliever David Phelps and cash from the Blue Jays in exchange for minor league right-hander Thomas Hatch. Chicago moved Xavier Cedeno to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot for Phelps. There are other changes afoot in the Chicago bullpen as well, as ESPN 1000’s David Kaplan reports that righty Pedro Strop is headed to the IL and will be replaced by right-hander Duane Underwood, who is being recalled from Triple-A Iowa (Twitter link).
Phelps, 32, was a high-quality setup piece for the Marlins and Mariners in 2016-17 but missed the 2018 season due to Tommy John surgery. He hit the open market last winter and latched on with the Blue Jays on an incentive-laden one-year contract that promised him a $2.5MM base salary. Toronto quite likely made the deal with this very type of scenario in mind, as Phelps has returned to post solid numbers through his first 17 1/3 innings of action: a 3.63 ERA with an 18-to-7 K/BB ratio.
A swingman with the Yankees from 2012-14, Phelps broke out with the Marlins in the bullpen and has now logged an impressive 2.82 ERA with 10.9 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 in his past 159 2/3 innings at the MLB level (129 relief appearances, six starts). He’s only appeared in 17 games this season but will see a $250K bump in salary upon reaching each of his 25th, 30th and 35th games pitched. He’ll also earn an extra $350K upon 40, 45, 50, 55 and 70 appearances on the year.
Phelps’ club option came with a tiny $1MM base salary but will jump to $3MM if he reaches 30 appearances, $5MM if he appears in 40 games and $7MM for appearing in 50 games. Obviously, he’s not likely to reach the top tier of his incentives and option escalators after missing the first two and a half months of the season, but it’s certainly plausible that he could push that 40-game threshold in 2019.
Phelps gives the Cubs an immediate boost in the ’pen — even if he’s not a dramatic upgrade — and also presents them with a relatively affordable option in 2020 due to that floating club option. Payroll constraints have been an ongoing obstacle for the Cubs’ front office dating back to the winter, but they’ll have a huge slate of free agents off the books this winter (Cole Hamels, Brandon Morrow, Strop, Steve Cishek, Brandon Kintzler and Brad Brach among them), which will render any decision on Phelps’ option a fairly small-scale consideration.
Hatch, 24, was the Cubs’ third-round pick back in 2016 and has spent the 2019 season in his second trip through the Double-A level. He’s tossed 100 innings of 4.59 ERA ball over the life of 21 starts, averaging 8.4 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and 1.17 HR/9 to go along with a 35.2 percent ground-ball rate. He didn’t crack the Cubs’ top 30 on Baseball America’s recent re-ranking of their system, but he landed at No. 26 on Fangraphs’ summer update of Chicago’s farm system. There, Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen noted that he hasn’t developed the control one would want to see to keep him in the rotation but could find success in the ’pen. Entering the season, MLB.com ranked him 29th in the Cubs’ system and actually gave him the potential for three average or better offerings while expressing similar concerns about his control. The Jays may well see if Hatch has the ability to start in the short-term, as there’s little harm for a rebuilding club to try it out.
Shi Davidi of Sportsnet first broke the news of the Phelps deal (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post added that the Jays were sending cash in the deal (Twitter link).
Chicago lands a St. Louisian.
Yankees better get a top of the rotation starter or they get bounced in the first round of the playoffs. 25 hours left till the deadline.
This is a post about a reliever, not about the Yankees needs. No relevance here Todd
Yay! Pedro’s gone!!! Can he be “injured” for the rest of the season too?
Wow that’s awful you wish someone to be done for the year with everything Strop has done for the Cubs… you could instead wish him a speedy recovery so he can help for the stretch run when 100% healthy
Strop has blown more games for the cubs than anyone else in that bullpen not named Edwards.
Just meaning he’s had more opportunities at that level than anyone not named Edwards.
Pedro Strop is one of the best relievers in Cubs history
No doubt, maddog3119. Also one of only a handful of relievers to have an ERA under 3 over the last 5 years.
It would be great if he could come back and regain form.
Lee Smith and Bruce Sutter might argue that.
He’s not wishing that he’s hurt. Just wishing that he’s not coming back to the team because he’s been putrid this year. Dumping Greg Holland was a massive boost for the Cards last year, the Cubs seem they could benefit by not having Strop as an option for Maddon
Strop’s numbers remind me of Dempster’s. They look good on paper but neither was ever a true big game pitcher. I think the reason Maddon overused Chapman in the WS is because he didn’t trust Strop. Just my opinion.
I agree completely.
And it’s clear from this move that Strop was going to be replaced in the eighth anyways as Phelps has been more consistent, so the injury let’s Strop at least save a little face.
Stop got hurt late in 2016 and never regained his form.
Pulled hammy and wasn’t the same…
I think Maddon overused Chapman in the World Series because Maddon isn’t that great a game day manager and makes many inexplicable decisions that too often turn out poorly. Putting Schwarber anywhere with a glove comes to mind. Maddon is very innovative in practice, etc. but makes some huge blunders during the game.
Enough about Schwarber’s defensive abilities. The guy is an average to slightly above average LF now. This horse has been beaten to death already and has become a completely false narrative.
Move on. Nothing to see here.
Kind of like he did not trust that Hendricks guy 4 2/3 innings doing well gives up a hit gets him out….
You know darn well that Strop isn’t injured. Cubs don’t want him blowing more games at this time of the year when it’s especially important.
Good!
Good! Not to the bad comment but the good one
Yay! You’re an idiot!
Don’t forget the White Sox fan @ChiSoxCity who’s always an IDIOT!
Strop sucks.
Whatever you say, Hoover.
Pedro suffers from Maddens overworking the bullpen. He’s no kid.
So now it’s Maddon’s fault for using his bullpen? How about a little perspective from a cubs fan (for once). These days, very few starters pitch more than four or five innings a start in the MLB. Six innings is considered a long start nowadays. Couple that with an aging rotation with high mileage arms, high walks and high contact from the cubs rotation. Maddon has no choice but to use the few reliable arms in that bullpen if he wants to win games. There are no Scherzer or DeGrom type aces on this team (Lester is toast). So if you’re looking for someone to blame for the cubs looking like a team on the brink of collapse, look no further than your front office, and ultimately, the players themselves (a good 1/3rd of which should be traded away).
56-49 Cubs…Window still open!!
46-57 White Sox…Window painted shut!!!
You are a white Sox fan, yes the white Sox starters only last 3 innings but the contending teams go farther
I like David Phelps but I hope this isn’t the Cubs only bullpen addition.
I think they’ll get at least one maybe 2 more. They can DFA descaldso and Maldonado then trade them for cash or a ptbnl.
Maybe Maldonado can be just sent to Toronto just because he’s terrible and I’m sure he’d serve well as the bullpen catcher.
Maldonado is a terrific defensive catcher who everyone knows is not a great hitter. He’s a long way from terrible.
I’d rather the braves have Maldonado then Tyler flowers. I know metrics suggest he’s a “good pitch framer” bug I can’t watch him drop another ball right down the middle
Have faith…remember Jesse Chavez who got eye-rolls on here. Or Kintzler who (yawn) wasn’t a headline? Theo is very adept at evaluating these kind of guys.
LoL
LoL. You’re right. Theo has built multiple world series teams and built the Cubs roster from next to nothing. He has made mistakes, but name a GM who hasn’t! Heck, Hahn hasn’t still put together a playoff roster in 7 years! I probably commented on the Jesse Chavez and Cole Hamels news articles in a similar fashion and look silly now!
Reality And SoxFan don’t see eye to eye on many things. So he likes to ignore it and comment based on what he wishes was true
This rumor will self destruct in 5 seconds.
Do ya think Mr. Phelps will choose to accept this mission?.
As long as it’s in 5/4 time.
best. comment. ever
Who was the original mr Phelps. Hint he was not related to James Aries’s
Arness. Damn autocorrect
That happens on this site lol. Like a Thor one the other day.
Only someone who watched the show will get the reference. Good job
Good move for the Cubs. He’s been solid as a reliever when he’s healthy, can go a couple innings if he needs to, and can cover the 7th or 8th inning of games while Strop is gone (and thereafter, if he proves more effective than Strop or Cishek).
His last appearance really skewed his stats as well. Prior to it he had a 2.16 ERA in 16 appearances, and he wasn’t even feeling like he was back to 100%. He could turn into a nice under the radar pickup that contributes and settles down a somewhat erratic bullpen.
Totally agree. I’m impressed with the move, as the Cubs have been able to make solid under the radar moves for years.
Only problem with Phelps getting back to full health – is that Maddon is the manager. I don’t think Joe has met the relief pitcher that he isn’t capable of ruining the arm from overuse.
The only one he ever overused was Chapman. That being said, Maddon is the worst manager in baseball in all aspects of the game.
He’s a good pick up for Cub’s.
Seems likely the Cubs just try to catch lightning in a bottle with some low-cost relievers rather than going after a more dominant one. Apart from an appearance or two, Phelps has been pretty good.
Yup.
They recently spent $42M on one……was it that long ago that we have forgotten already—or are we hypersensitive to the last game Kimbrel pitched. That’s about as far from under the radar as they could get.
I love the Kimbrel addition. It’s just having a bullpen that can hold a lead before he gets in during the 9th.
Not a bad pickup. Also getting him cheaper than cheap
Phelps looked so good as a Marlins reliever. I know most people dont watch the games but I watched about every time he pitched. His stuff plays up in shorter roles and he was 93-97 with movement with a decent change and a plus breaking ball. He has to tone down the walks. But it was not long ago he was a great reliever and the Cubs could get lucky here
Good move by the Cubs. They need him. And more.
nice deal for both sides, though id want a little extra for the cash if i was TOR.
Good move. Only cost them Hatch, who has not been very impressive in AA.
Kimbrel better shape up fast. I guess he needed spring training more than he thought
Typical dumpster diving move by the cubs. Their decline is a direct result of Epstein unwilling to move on from poor performers in the starting lineup.
The White Sox won a World Series with Geoff Blum being their one and only deadline deal.
The White Sox didn’t need to make any moves in 05; they were the best team in the league. This ‘19 cubs team in comparison have been straddling the fence between average and below average all season long. They have can’t protect a lead, score against even mediocre pitching, and they can’t win on the road (worst in the NL). Please, don’t embarrass yourself by making that comparison again.
Alright, well here I go arguing with a guy who “knows everything.’
The White Sox needed a bat off the bench in 2005. They went out and found a mostly unheralded player to fill that need. Yes, the number of needs between the ’05 White Sox and the ’19 Cubs are different. The acquisitions of Blum and Phelps, though, is comparable since both provide(d) a solid option to an area of need at a a low price.
But here’s one of two issues I take with your comment. Neither are actually dumpster diving moves. The Phillies picking up Blake Parker today – that’s dumpster diving. Derek Holland, that was dumpster diving. When you pick up a player on the cheap, hoping he can figure out something and get better results than he’s had over a long period of time – that’s the definition of dumpster diving. But getting a guy with a track record of success doing something your team needs him to do… that’s not dumpster diving. Just because Phelps isn’t a household name or a game-changer doesn’t mean he’s a dumpster diving acquisition.
The second issue I take with your comment is the word “typical.” The Cubs are less than 8 weeks removed from acquiring the best relief option on the market. It’s as if you ignore that when saying “typical.” It’s as if you ignore the Cubs signing Darvish a year ago, making the splashy acquisition for Quintana in 2017, signing Heyward and Zobrist in 2016, or signing Lester in 2015.
Coincidentally, the biggest culprit in the Cubs not building off their 2016 WS win is the opposite of any desire to dumpster dive; it’s their track record in missing on splashy moves. Kimbrel has been iffy so far. Darvish has only just started pitching like a TOR guy. Quintana has been inconsistent. Heyward only just started hitting after three full seasons of mediocrity. And Zobrist has only been league average in 2 of his 4 seasons.
If the Cubs didn’t miss on those players, he wouldn’t have picked up Hamels $20 million option and could’ve replaced Almora or Schwarber.. If Epstein could’ve controlled himself with the Chatwood signing, he’d have had an extra $12 million to replace Almora or Schwarber. If Epstein didn’t make the Q trade, he would’ve had an in-house replacement for Schwarber (Jimenez), and with Cease big-league ready, Hamels would’ve been expendable.
So before you call this dumpster diving, consider what that term actually means. And before you trash the Cubs as some kind of nickel and dime operation, maybe look at the recent history of an organization whose current problems mainly stem from recently paying premium prices for underachieving talent.
Only reason Sox won in 05, is because they faced a team that was likely the absolute worst World Series team in 50 years.
Preach
Ever notice that bitter white sox fans have a hard on for the Cubs
Um, yeah. It’s no secret. Their obsession is pretty obvious to most. It’s flattering, hahaha
He’s not a white Sox fan. By his own admission he just hates the Cubs because Cubs Fans don’t indulge his idiotic rantings
Ever times the cubs get a reliever all cub fans always say is this might be a great pickup. Blah blah blah. Your little run is over.
until tonight
Lmao. Ok.
Hey hey! You’re back themed! Now please go back to hiding under whatever bridge you’ve been under!
Little run? I’ll take a World Series. They only give rings away once a year to one team. Dodgers and Yankees still searching for one since 2016. Since Cubs won it only two other teams have.astros and Red Sox. Baseball is hard too win multiple rings. Giants excluded
Mikel Grady, you can debate with them all you want,but it won’t go anywhere. They aren’t interested in participating in baseball discussions, just pissing people off. Just ignore their general smallness as you would a petulant child (as that is what trolls are, really).
@ matt–so true–It’s fun to mess with themed because he’s sporadic and the cardinals have still never beaten the cubs in a playoff series. it’s just as easy to scroll right over chisox as his posts are as irrelevant as the team he supports…I don’t wish the Sox any ill will but if you look at it…Mondaca has arrived, Anderson has arrived, McCann is having a career year, Abreu is Abreu, Giolito has arrived, the savior Cease is here, Eloy is here, Colome is unhittable, Leury Garcia is trade bait that anyone team can use, things are great—and they are still a month and half out of first place and closer to the Royals than the Twins. The cubs have all these guys that suck and they are in first place. Amazing how these things just happen.
Ha ha
Cardinals won 2 in 5 years. Cubs win 2 in 110 years
lol!
Themed at home….
Themed lifts his head from the floor next to his master’s chair. He starts to pant. Mike Matheny scratches him between his ears. Themed wags his tail. He yawns and then reaches his head down to lick his testes.
I know it’s popular to make fun of anything themed says, I get it. But I’m starting to think it’s not an act. I literally think he’s … special (obviously not in a good way) The things he says are so silly and infantile, never anything of any substance. I’m not trying to be funny, I legit think he’s not all there. He’s too easy to make fun of, low hanging fruit. I don’t wanna feel like a bully, I think we should ignore him. The poor dude clearly has it pretty rough already.
You don’t have to be Freud to read between the lines of his nonsensical and desperate comments. Do what ya want, but I would suggest leaving the poor guy alone.
You cub fans are really bitter and disgusting now that all of my predictions have came true. Tsk tsk tsk
Sure lil buddy. Whatever you say themed, I’m sure all your predictions came true. You’re a smart lil fella. I’m proud of you, we’re all proud of you. I think playtime is over, run along and ask momma for a snack before dinner time. You’re a special lil guy. Don’t listen to all the mean people, they’re not laughing at you, they’re laughing with you, because you’re very funny and really cool.
1907,1907,2016. That’s 3. Don’t cheat us now
1907,1908,2016
1908 till 2016=108 years +2017&2018 = 110 years 2 World Series. Geesh you people don’t get it.
Lol. They’re so predictably delusional.
Lol. You’re so predictably obnoxious.
It must be a good mood if it brought you out from under your rock
Not a bad move at all for a Cubs team that can little afford to take on too much more financial obligations.
At this point it is really a guessing game—last year Jesse Chavez and Nathan Eovaldi (especially Eovaldi) were much more valuable acquisitions than Brad Hand or Zach Britton, the two guys that were going to solidify their teams runs. Kintzler was supposed to be a key pickup for the Cubs—he was brutal.
True, kintzler nice 2.45 e.r.a. This year . Bullpen is year to year . Can’t trust very many pen guys
I hope he’s worth it.
Good move for the Cubs. Phelps will be a decent pickup.
Not sure about the prospect the Jays got back though although he can strike people out in AA.
The positive about Hatch: From Chicago now: Hatch possesses a solid back end starter mix. He holds consistent low-90s velocity with his two-seamer and can touch 93-94 with his four-seamer. When he is spotting his two-seamer he generates a good amount of ground balls off the pitch. His slider remains a solid option and though his changeup lacks the same consistency as his other pitches, in some games, it becomes his out pitch. In all, Hatch has three solid pitches that all flash above average.
The negatives from same: I already discussed it a bit, but really the only thing holding Hatch back at this point is his command and control. The fact that I haven’t seen any appreciable gains in the area over his first two seasons is why I lean more toward Hatch being limited to the pen in the future, where as last offseason I held greater hope for him remaining a starter. Of course, he still has time to make adjustments, but if we don’t see signs by late summer the Cubs may be forced into a decision given the competition for rotation spots in Tennessee and Iowa among the plethora of recent college starter draftees.
It’s a good return for Phelps. Hatch has a shot to be a ML’er in a relief capacity or possibly as a #5. Phelps never fit the Jays competitive timeline. No reason to keep a middle reliever like that around.
Agreed.
> Hatch possesses a solid back end starter mix.
I googled that phrase. Either JibberishTee’s real name is Michael Ernst, or Jibber is a plagiarist. #scoutseyescopyandpaste
chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2019/01/offseason-prospect…
So jimmer did Shapiro ever give you a scouting job? What about your gut feeling on this guy and his ceiling? I’m very sure you can really scout and I would like your help. What would the next process step be?
#scoutseyes
I gave credit where I sourced that quote from “ChicagoNow” website;
Rhymo thanks for asking, I never worked for the the Jays but 3 of my friends did back in the day. I was a bird dog scout for the Minn Twins and the Major League Scouting Bureau when it existed.
As far as Hatch goes, he is a genuine prospect not just minor league inventory. It looks like he could make a decent MLB reliever but he is not a top 100 prospect or anything. Cheers.
Solid pickup! Not splashy, but he’s a veteran RP who was with Yankees and in their rotation for awhile. Recovered well from TJ, and we all know Theo loves guys bouncing back with increasing veil post-TJ. He’s also a Notre Dame grad which means his character is off the charts.
Ughh, Cubs fans are the worst. No class. Especially the women.
Not true. They extend their pinky finger when golf clapping every Addison Russell HR.
That’s only true when they’re sober.
Randomly hurling an insult toward a group without provocation is the definition of class.
Your jealousy just encourages is, so you may not want to be so open with it
Good for Phelps and the Cubs. I liked his brief time as a Jay, I hope he does well in Chicago.
With all the rumors and speculation leading up to this so-far dormant trade deadline but not much happening, I’m thinking that this type of acquisition will be WAY more common than anything super splashy over the next 24 or so hours.
Fairly poorly written on my part… yipes…
Hopefully the idea came across.
That’s a hot take right there. lol
Hatch is Rule 5 eligible so Cubs might have lost him anyway. Phelps has an option for next season that looks like it will be $3M, maybe $5M.
i wouldnt think for an instant Hatch would be selected unless he plays well when promoted to AAA. (presuming the Jays assign him to Buffalo) he doesnt seem like the kind of guy you’d want to stash or use in a bullpen.
Solid pickup and didn’t seem to be on any trade experts radars. These are the exact pitchers cubs need in that bullpen. I hope they pick up at least one more middle relief guy.
It’s worth taking a chance. We didn’t give up anything major.
Good for both teams. Cubs have a solid bullpen veteran who will get stronger over the next few months coming back from TJ. Jays got a guy with decent talent who might find his control and develop into a starter. If not, then a potential multi-inning bullpen piece in the future. Win- win for both teams
Well said Frank. Hatch will probably not amount to a starter but could be a solid bullpen piece in the future for our club.
It’s a win win because Hatch is a decent releiver prospect. Fair value goes both ways.
I’m not a Cubs fan lol…I think it’s a good cheap pick up for them. They didn’t give up really anything at all…
What ever happened to Barnette? Did he just quit playing after he got sent down to AAA?
can he help get the game to Kimbrel?????
Your mission Mr. Phelps, if you choose to accept it, is to lead the Cubs back end of the bullpen to another World Series Championship. As always, if any of your team shall fail, Cub’s management will disavow any responsibility for your actions. This tape will self destruct in 5 seconds. Good luck, Dave.
Love it for the Jays. Over the past few years they have mastered the art of signing cheap veteran reliever and flipping them for prospects. They may not be top tier prospects by any means but the deeper the pool of prospects gets the better chance they have at developing useful MLB pieces for the future. Keep it up!
Most of the prospects the Jays have picked up for these cheapl veterans are good but not great. None are elite and likely won’t help them win anything.
Like I said, none are top tier but the more prospects you get the better chance you have at getting some potential MLB pieces. Think Thomas Pannone. They picked him up plus another prospect for Joe Smith a few years ago. Pannone might not amount to much but he’s at least contributing at the MLB level. Could be a potential back end starter, lefty reliever or even a trade chip down the line.
It’s all about maximizing ways to get more prospects and the Jays front office is doing that .I expect them to keep doing that until they are contending. Then they’ll be the ones acquiring veteran relievers to bolster their pen.
Another arm off the scrap heap, hopefully this strategy works.
Not a bad move at all. Dare I say Phelps can’t be any worse than this seasons version of Edwards Jr, Brach and Strop to name a couple relievers the Cubs have cycled through. The reality is this is the only type of move the Cub’s front office can make. At least this season with financial concerns and limited minor league assets. Looking ahead to this upcoming off season the Cub’s will have approximately 70 million coming off the payroll That includes free agents and players they would likely not pick up the club option like Morrow and Brach. Now the future question is can the Cub’s front office make the correct signings and spend wisely. We’ll discuss that in March of 2020.
Correction: This is the only type of move the cubs’ front office know how to make. They’ve already unloaded top prospects on bad trades in the past, and they refuse to ship out Schwarber and Amora. I would add Russell, Edwards and Happ to that list as well, but they have little trade value these days. The cubs are stuck.
Stuck in first place! Sorry, forgot to finish my last sentence.
Oh you poor Northwest Indiana White Sux trolls. I’m starting to feel bad for you. It’s bad enough to have a transparent obsession over the Cubs, we get it… anything is better than focusing on that clown college on the south side, but at least be clever about it. How is this “the only type of move the Cubs front office knows how to make”?
Correction: There’s a reason this team has won more games than any team in MLB over the last 4 1/2 years, including a ring already in the bank, 3 straight NLCS and 4 straight playoff seasons (and counting) Drafting a ROY, MVP. Winning lopsided trades to get guys like Arrietta, Hendricks, Strop, Russell, etc… (all key to the Cubs championship) oh and something W Sox fans no nothing about; signing key free agents like Lester, Zobrist, Kimbrel etc…
Theo is doing EXACTLY what he said he would do, build a sustainable contender. Exactly what he did in Boston and exactly what the unproven clowns in the W Sox front office HOPE they can do. If the Cubs are “stuck” I guess just about every team in baseball would want to this “stuck” for 4 + years with a young, proven CHAMPIONSHIP core, many of which haven’t even hit their peak years yet. Hahaha
Yeah, ain’t reminiscing about the past great? “Most wins over the last 4 1/2 years” has got to mean something… right guys? lolol
Yeah, actually, it does mean something. Because it’s proof the Cubs are a good team with good players.
I know you’d rather pretend the last 5 seasons didn’t happen because your team, well, isn’t…
Theo has made a couple of nice moves, especially if you consider Kimbrel as part of the “deadline acquisition” pool. Curious what the Cards, Braves and Nats are doing? BoSox pen, Yanks rotation? Dodgers pen/rotation? Essentially a lateral move by Milwaukee getting a very underwhelming Lyles to add to a very underwhelming staff. Are the Twins adding?
All these alleged “contenders” playing chicken in spite of a hard deadline this year. Can’t see ALL these holes being addressed by all these teams in the next 24 hours.
So far, this change to a hard deadline has been anticlimactic to say the least.
Decent trade both ways.
We must remember that Shapiro and Atkins don’t want the Jays to win at the MLB level: they want to build a farm system, be competative, ensure job security, and make money for Rogers. These goals directly inhibit the MLB level club from winning especially in the AL East.
TOR is getting NOTHING in return for all their players.
The Mets gave up multiple top prospects and a RP who currently boasts a 1.69 ERA in 22 appearances with a rival for Edwin Diaz and the $120 million remaining on Cano’s contract.
The White Sox gave up a league average catcher for Alex Colome.
Which deal has worked out better? But sure, criticize the Cubs for ‘dumpster diving.’
Hahaha, pay no attention to the desperate, thirsty and transparent WSox trolls. Why do they comment on EVERY Cubs related story? Exactly. It has to be hard being irrelevant even in your own home city. Dumpster diving? Haha, their whole roster is/has been a steaming heap of garbage. They even desperately signed all of Machado’s terrible family/friends in the hopes he would choose them…
Naturally, like all prime MLB free agents, Machado passed. Shocker. Can’t blame them for being thirsty and obsessed with anything Cubs.
The Cubs are in the midst of 4 straight post seasons w/ a ring already in the bank. I honestly don’t remember the last time the Northwest Indiana White Sux even played a meaningful game, much less a playoff game.
One blown save all year tells me Colome is better than anybody in the cubs bullpen.
Sox are 17 games back in the worst division in baseball. Congrats on the one blown save guy? I am sure he will implode with the rest of team very soon.
Hahaha, who cares?!?! The W Sox are irrelevant. Why do you think their fans are so obsessed w/ anything Cubs? I honestly don’t remember the last time the W Sox played a relevant game, much less a playoff game.
Nevermind guys. Colome is overpaid and his peripherals show that he hasn’t actually been that great all year–certainly not elite. Apologies! When I’m wrong I’m wrong.
Phelps upgrade- yes/no. Overall yes, but another bullpen arm tops out low 90’s. Be like the last few years: Cubs get maddon some BP help, that he’ll only use in mop up.
Every one thinks Stope IS/WAS a good pitcher. On paper his stats rank in Cubs history, in reality Cubs relievers don’t have extended careers unless they close. Stope is pitching the same as he always has just this year those are his runs crossing the plate not inherited runners. He is almost a bad a head case as Marmol was and I liked Marmol as our closer. You knew he’d strike the side out if he didn’t walk a run in first. Both converted catchers that featured sliders that were nearly unhit-able except Stopes hangs up as a meatball and once he is hit hard in a game might as well take him out.
Yes Phelps upgrade if he actually gets used.
BFD! Hopefully this is not all the Cubs do prior to the 3pm CT Wednesday trade deadline. They need a solid late inning lefty more than another right-handed reliever who is coming off of TJ surgery. The Cubs also need a right-handed bat who can hit southpaws, preferably one also capable of leading off and able to play CF and/or 2B.
Any rational thinking person who watches baseball would agree with. Unfortunately for the cubs, Theo Epstein is anathema to conventional wisdom.
I just want to apologize to all Cubs fans for filling your message board with comments that usually lack perspective, context, and any genuine insight. I’m just lonely. Forgive me, everyone. I’ll be better going forward. Always time to learn, right?
Well, onward!
Give em a break. It must be horrible pulling for a team that’s even irrelevant in their own home market. They need SOMETHING to look forward too around the trade deadline. They’ve been “rebuilding” since 2011, one of the worst records in all of baseball in that timespan. Yet, in spite of ALL those high picks, still can’t draft an All Star, still can’t get a stud free agent to sign there and still can’t grab a headline in their own city. That’s a pretty sad existence, can you really blame them for obsessing over the Cubs? The next 24 hours will be just as irrelevant for their team as the next 3 months will be. Just like last year, just like next year… so on and so forth. Give’em a break.
Andersen, Moncada, Giolito, Jimenez, Kopech, Madrigal, Robert.
Better get used to those names, because you’ll be hearing from them all real soon.
Reloading and retooling since 2005. Losing since 2012. Rebuilding since 2016. Winning starting in 2020.
Now nothing seems to be working for the cubs and their many moves, but I am getting annoyed at my Brewers doing nothing. There better be a big move coming
You all know good and well if strop wore his hat normal instead of as a tribute to his grandfather…people would realize how good he is
Irritating how people assume the Cubs don’t have enough to trade for Syndergaard or Merrifield. Russell, Happ, Garica, Bote, Almora, and Maldonado are ALL expendable position players. They can also unload Quintana and their top pitching prospect Aldzolay. The only ones I would protect in the minors would be Nico Hoerner and Miguel Amaya.
Unfortunately for the Cubs, at least one of Nico Hoerner and Miguel Amaya would be needed to even begin a trade discussion involving Noah Syndergaard or Whit Merrifield. All the players you mentioned would have limited or zero value to the Mets with David Bote atop their wish list. The newly rebuilding Royals would have almost no interest in any of those players and would demand high level prospects from any team in exchange for Merrifield.
Jose Quintana only possesses minimal team control with one remaining option year following the 2019 season. He could become a free agent in November if his $11.5M option is not picked up.
Hey Chicago what do you say the cubs already lost today!