The Cubs have recalled right-hander Nate Pearson from Triple-A Iowa. To free up a space on the 26-man roster, the team designated left-hander Génesis Cabrera for assignment.
Cabrera, 28, signed a minor league deal with the Mets last offseason and was added to New York’s roster at the beginning of May. He ultimately made just six appearances in Queens, however, and was designated for assignment after posting a 3.52 ERA in 7 2/3 innings of work. The southpaw cleared waives and elected free agency but didn’t stay on the market for long, as he was signed by the Cubs to a big league deal almost immediately afterwards.
Cabrera’s time in Chicago did not go especially well. He made nine appearances in total but was shelled to the tune of an 8.68 ERA with a 7.90 FIP. He struck out a respectable 20.5% of his opponents and walked just 7.7%, but he was a very frequent victim of the long ball as he surrendered four homers during his brief stint in Chicago. While a 26.7% home run to fly ball ratio and a paltry 54.1% strand rate both are clear signals that positive regression is likely on the way, it seems as though Cabrera’s results were just too weak for the Cubs to justify keeping him on the roster.
Chicago will now have one week to trade Cabrera or attempt to pass him through waivers. If he goes through waivers unclaimed, the lefty will have the opportunity to either accept an outright assignment to Triple-A or return to the open market in search of a change of scenery. Given his status a veteran of seven MLB seasons with a career 4.03 ERA in the majors, it wouldn’t be a shock to see rival clubs have interest in Cabrera as a lefty depth piece for their bullpen. That interest may be limited to minor league offers at this point given his recent struggles, however.
In the meantime, Cabrera be replaced on the roster by Pearson. The 28-year-old was once a top pitching prospect with the Blue Jays but was derailed by injuries and traded to the Cubs as a reliever last summer. He pitched quite well for Chicago down the stretch but has allowed ten runs on 13 hits and more walks (7) than strikeouts (5) across 8 2/3 innings of work in the majors this year. Since being demoted to Triple-A, however, he’s posted a sterling 2.22 ERA with a 27.1% strikeout rate in 24 1/3 innings of work. That performance was enough to earn him another shot in the majors, although it could be a brief one given that right-hander Porter Hodge is expected back from the injured list in the near future.
Guess Cabrera didn’t find his new Genesis in Chicago.
Guess it was against all odds.
Like It or Not, That’s All
Tangential Genesis rumor:
Boston FO has More Fool Me on loop.
I was slow to realize that your song was Phil Collin solo, not Genesis.
There must be som Misunderstanding…. it was Just a Job to Do. But the Cubs said “Get ‘Em Out By Friday”, Like It Or Not.
Any musician knows it’s not right to try and merge Genesis and Chicago anyway. They do mesh well.
Man of Culture comment found right there. I applaud it.
Thank god
Genesis has an Exodus.
Was hoping Genesis could turn it on again in Chicago, but, alas, he did not have the invisible touch.
And it was hard for Chicago to say they’re sorry
Gotta love Jed’s obsession with Nate Pearson simply because he throws hard. This guy has been beyond awful in every opportunity he’s had. I genuinely don’t understand why they keep giving him more chances.
He’s actually been pretty good lately at Iowa and deserved the call up. The Cubs have a few guys getting it done down there. Pearson has been throwing strikes and as long as he does that he could be another Palencia. Strikes are the key.
Hello Uncle!! Agree with you–lots of choices on the farm. There’s a whole block of them WITH options (Wicks, Pearson, Cosgrove, Hollowell, Little, Roberts, Hodge…) that can play the shuttle game.
But–other than Palencia, Brown, and Horton—not anyone else with options so good to have the depth. Pearson could be here today and shuttle back tomorrow if used.
Prior to Boyd’s injury yesterday I was sure that Cabrera was going to be the outed guy when Shota comes back. Seems now that Shota will maybe just slot in Boyd’s spot in St. Louis to give him a couple extra days.
Wish they’d brought up Little instead.
If Gage Wood and any stupid SS is there when the Cubs draft and they take the SS I’m gonna need a new TV.
I guess you completely missed how he pitched for the Cubs last season after the acquired him. He was quite good.
And kudos for shipping him out pretty quickly after the bad outings this year. All reports are that he has pitched well over the last month.
And maybe he just happens to be the freshest arm available with options on a day when the wind is howling out at Wrigley. There could be a parade of arms today with no off days in the foreseeable future.
His greatest value right now is he’s got an option for the rest of this year so he can be shuffled back and forth with guys like Hodge and Little. That and his arm. Hodge got blown up last night so he has had one good outing and one bad in rehab. It could just as easily been Little called up.
Uncle, I think we are typing at the same time.
Totally agree with the both of you! Enjoy the merry go round today.
While I agree that Jed is great at picking relievers off the scrap heap let’s remember why they’re there. They are usually guys who are out of options and that’s why they get DFA’d. Also why the Cubs should be drafting and signing INTL P’s they can control. Is it a mystery why the Cubs have faded in June-July in recent years? That’s when the games pile up and relievers with options are necessary. Another place where Jed is lacking foresight.
Obsession?
He isn’t Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers get Woodruff back and add a bat, they will be making a run at first. Cardinals also in the race.
Cubs need a starter or two.
I think they should overpay for a starter.
Ballesteros
Wiggins
Kipp
Brethowr
should land them a top flight rental.
I wonder what it would take to try to get Gore off the Nationals.
Ryan this is what organizations value out of relief pitching. The only way to defeat an Ohtani/Betts/Freeman trio in the postseason is to blow it right by them before they can see it.
Teams will always gamble on the hard thrower.
Now he’s off to Mexico with former teammates luke voit
The Mets could use him back
“Doing good in Iowa” does not equate to MLB hitting unfortunately. The bullpen/pitching will be the downfall in the 2nd half of the season,when things get real and you find out who’s a dude and who’s not.
Hasn’t Pearson sort of proven he is AAAA, more depth than strength?
I like the sense of urgency this conveys. If you fail, you’re gone. Now let’s see if Pearson can find the plate this time.
On another separate topic, I have deep sympathy for people who have ALS. I have deep sympathy for people who have cancer (which might include me, I am undergoing diagnostics). But why have the Cubs broadcasts turned into a kind of disease-o-thon? Why does Sciambi, who is kind of strange in a lot of ways, give so much time to raising money for and awareness of different ills that befall humankind? I suppose his and Marquee’s heart is in the right place, but stick to baseball please.
With the size of the Cubs audience and the reach they have, not to mention the demographic of those who watch and attend Cubs games leaning towards professionals and upper- middle class, it’s a fertile field to plant in. The cancer research fundraiser they held last year in conjunction with 670 the Score raised almost a million dollars in one day. You won’t find that kind of ripe action from many other teams.
If you watch Cubs broadcasts you know Boog’s personal connection to ALS. You will also know that the fundraising event ends today.
If you know baseball you know that MLB honors Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, mother’s, etc.
The Cubs also promote their own charity 50/50 raffle every broadcast. That’s all the time and I’m not aware of who benefits from that.
They have literally promoted the fundraising for only dozens of seconds during maybe the last few weeks (since Lou Gehrig Day).
Hope your tests come out well.
@Steelers; Thank you.
An interesting article could be written analyzing how much publicity they give to some theme nights, and how little they give to some others. They seem reluctant to give much air time to one in particular. They have it, but seem to hope most people might not notice. I’ll say no more.
They need to do much much more starting with half that bullpen beginning with pressle
And I’d like to see them make two trades- one with the orioles now for Bautista and Eflin and the other with marlins for alcantara. They’d then be set.
I don’t get this obsession with Alcantara. His last couple starts notwithstanding, he’s been middling to poor for awhile now. That wonderful season he had is a distant memory.
My guess is that he knows he is signed for two seasons after ’25, and he knows that he still has it, so he keeps it in his back pocket until its time to let it rip, which is likely ’26. I think he’s smart, why work your arm when you have two seasons to prove yourself before your next contract. Marlins aren’t going to the playoffs this season.
Why languish on a terrible team then and waste two more years of your youth? Why not play well, knowing your team is going to unload you ASAP and play yourself onto a contender? Id think any good player would be happy to be traded away from that mess.
He likes it in Miami, he likes his team. Its his team.
What is up with Luke Little?
Wait till all those Homer happy cubs homers dry up in the cool temperatures of those October evenings!
he tips his pitches – genesis
Genesis is not evil to compete anymore has a hard thrower. I’m surprised Kreps didn’t know that either.
Able not evil
The Cubs need an Ace if they want to win the World. Series. And a Big Time Closer.
Even with the return of shota this week, they still need another starter or two plus a locked down closer because still don’t trust palencia and especially pressley!
No Reply At All
The mariners would like to get out of their home ballpark and play half their games in friendly confines especially when wind. Lowing out and these cubs pitchers.
Jed will ow overpay to get that pitching help.
The Big Dumper came to Chicago and said Hi. Damn that wind blowing out is fearsome, don’t know if I could handle that being my home field. Yeah hitting homeruns is fun but the opposing team likes to do it too. Logan Gilbert even gave up 3 or 4.
Yes, but people should be aware that usually the wind is blowing in. There’s a big lake a mile over the right field fence, and unless a strong southwest wind obtains, a lake wind picks up.