The Cubs have designated right-hander Brooks Kriske for assignment to make room for recent trade acquisition Michael Soroka on the roster. This marks the second time the Cubs have DFA’d Kriske this year. The righty signed a minor league deal with Chicago over the offseason and was first selected onto the roster in May. He was DFA’d and outrighted back to Triple-A Iowa shortly thereafter, but earned another selection and promotion the weekend before the All-Star break. All in all, he has thrown six scoreless innings for the Cubs this year across four appearances, with four strikeouts and five walks.
Kriske, now 31, began his professional career in the Yankees organization and made his MLB debut for the club in 2020. In parts of two seasons with the Yankees and Orioles from 2020-21, he pitched 15 big league innings over 16 games, giving up 19 runs (18 runs) and seven long balls. Following the 2021 campaign, the Orioles granted him his release, and he inked a deal with NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars not long after.
Kriske briefly returned to affiliated ball in 2023, signing a minor league contract with the Royals in the offseason and eventually appearing in four games with Kansas City before he was optioned and later released to return to Japan. This time, he joined the Seibu Lions, with whom he finished out the 2023 campaign. He then returned stateside in 2024, although he failed to pitch in the majors, spending the year with the Reds’ and Orioles’ Triple-A affiliates.
Thus, Kriske’s 2025 season has been a success story, despite his limited big league playing time and multiple DFAs. He made it back to an MLB mound for the first time since 2023, and dating back to that last appearance for the Royals in June 2023, he has now made five consecutive scoreless appearances at the big league level. Never before had he made more than two. Kriske also pitched to a 3.13 ERA and 2.98 FIP in 31 2/3 innings for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, striking out an incredible 39.4% of hitters. Even more impressive is his 7.6% walk rate, considering his career-long struggles with control. Perhaps that will convince a team to claim him off waivers. If not, he will have the right to reject an outright assignment and return to free agency.
Bigger news will be, who goes when Taillon and Assad get back.
Since Assad hasn’t pitched all season and Taillon is unpredictable;, you have to wonder which pitchers will show up when those two do get back.
True. However Taillon is fairly reliable in Wrigley. That alone would be a big plus. Horton looks like he’s ’arriving’, but his number of innings are adding up. I wonder if he’s likely to skip a turn here and there.
I’m concerned about Horton’s innings as well as Boyd’s. Horton’s never pitched this many and Boyd hasn’t pitched this many innings since 2019. Soroka has shown he’s much more effective in the BP than as a starter and he’s starting on Monday. I think counting on Assad is foolhardy. All that is why I’m so disappointed that Jed didn’t add a solid starter to the mix as insurance. If Boyd or Horton go down, they’re screwed.
I was a tad surprised when I saw this as I expected them to just send Brown down and keep Kriske for a bit until Assad or Tallion made it back. Birdsell looked like his old self in his last start and threw 6 scoreless with 8 K’s and 1 walk. If he can do it again he could become part of the plan soon. I still think Soroka should be the long man and Swiss army knife. Sanders is looking pretty good also. He’s ahead of Noland a bit. Plus they still have Maeda lurking around why I have no idea. With the prices pitchers were going for I give Jed total credit for keeping it in his pants. The extension helped somnething anyway. Not exactly sure what Rogers brings that Little couldn’t but that’s the way they decided to go. Hopefully Hodge gets healthy and is available if need be. I’m not worried about the pitching as everybody else seems to be. I’m encouraged actually.
I think the bullpen is stronger for sure. And I think they really upgraded the bench. But you can’t just assume everyone will stay healthy and that’s where my doubt comes in. Sure, they have some arms, but who, out of all those options you mentioned, is a stretch run/ playoff caliber starter? Not one.
Encouraging to hear this about Birdsell. Even if he doesn’t make it to Clark and Addison this season. I’m just hoping he finishes the season on the upswing and healthy. If he does get a start in Chicago this year, that’s lagniappe.
Only one way to find out. If the Cubs are serious about limiting Brown , Horton and Boyd’s innings down the stretch you’re going to have to find out. Only the Cubs would limit their best pitcher ( Horton ) shades of Strasburg. He should be monitored closely but Birdsell and Sanders are capable arms trust me. And they need to give them some MLB innings. That’s how real teams do it. Putting a muzzle on them proves nothing.
Kelly was the only “playoff-caliber” starter who went at the deadline. It probably would have cost them Wiggins+ to get him.
@Uncle: Yes, but SOME starters were traded, and not for exorbitant returns. Couldn’t Hoyer have been a little more aggressive and outbid the Tigers for Morton or the Rays for Houser?
I wish I had your hopefulness about the Iowa guys; I think they are good prospects but more for next year. And I admit that I get a little irrational when people talk about Assad as a good pitcher. He just isn’t, even aside from the rust issue.
I think that which Taillon shows up is going to be very important in the end.
Alan if you don’t believe me then right now you can sign up for MLB.com for 34.99 for the rest of the year but the big perk is being able to watch just about every MILB game played for the next 2 months. Put it on your computer and watch the top prospects and see for yourself. Flanagan is pitching tonight for Myrtle Beach who are going to the Playoffs in all likelihood. I just put all the games on my computer and watch the guys ho peak my interest the most. It’s very interesting. Flanagan already has a 4 pitch mix and fantastic control and kind of reminds of Tom Glavine. Not getting much love from Callis and friends but they’re not really too smart either.
Brown’s innings should be limited by moving him to the pen. I like the arm but I’ve seen enough of him in the rotation. His stuff plays nicely in relief and he could be another weapon there instead of a wink link in a weakish rotation.
Since Jed went cheap at the deadline, Cubs are going to have to rely on their organizational depth to get them through. Hopefully some more young guys like Birdsell, Caissie, or Long can help keep them rolling. I’d have Caissie in Chicago right now getting ABs in LF and DH, maybe some 1B.
Alan, Charlie Morton!! Really?? You wanted Charlie Morton in the rotation!!
Houser and Morton are better than our own guys? I thought that was a stretch too Bone. But I passed. LOL
It sure seemed like the trade deadline moves were made with the mindset that not everyone will stay healthy and that the challenge of how does the team find slots on the roster for all of these pitchers will, unfortunately, solve itself.
@Dog: I dunno, I saw Morton and Houser pitch against major-league teams recently, and they done good. They are at least as likely to give you a good game as Taillon, more likely than Rae or Brown. I think you guys, smart as you are, and you are, have a bit of a tendency to fetishize newness, as in prospects. You are surely right to depart from the old way of thinking, that of following “seasoned veterans,” over the cliff, but you go too far in the other direction. The truth is in between. If the Cubs had either Morton or Houser on the roster today, the team would be a little better. And since they’d be rentals, they really wouldn’t be blocking any prospects
@Uncle: See response to Dog. Morton, especially, still has good stuff.
Sorry Alan but if they were here all those guys would stay in Iowa and that’s the definition of being blocked. It amazes me how everyone assumes age makes you better. I see teams bring up prospects all the time and it works out. Proof- D Backs two years ago- Brewers last 3 years. Both teams clowned the Cubs out of the Playoffs. You have a short memory my friend.
They seem to be monitoring/restricting Horton after taking him out yesterday after 5 and ~75 pitches. Will be interesting to see if they do similar with Boyd and/or if they move to a 6 man when Assad/Taillon comeback as they also have Soroka now.
I think they will send Horton down when both Taillon and Assad come back, just to manage his innings. Then they will eventually bring him up to be the 5th starter the last couple of weeks of the season.
Cassie remains because they aren’t sure to resign Tucker. If they do, he is gone.
Aloha uncle, thank you for that information. I haven’t wanted to support Manchild (Manfred), so out of state, I figured out a way to subscribe to the Marquee network but consider that deal as I live watching our minor league teams. Mahalo
Dog….knee jerk guess… 1. Brown, 2. Pomeranz.
Brown does have options left, I believe.
Definitely Brown and you’re probably right with Pomeranz unless he magically turns it on. Wouldn’t mind a “IL” stint for Pom and a rehab stint to see if they can get him back on track he was so valuable early in the season.
Ben Brown better be one of them. He sucks as a starting pitcher.No real contender should have a guy in their rotation with a 5+ ERA. Two-pitch guys belong in the bullpen.
They can’t afford to let Brown “figure it out” during this stretch run. He needs to get regular work in Iowa. Not Wrigley.
You can’t really use Brown out of the pen. His worst inning is his first inning which defeats the purpose. Wiggins could be a MLB reliever right now but I’m finding out a little more about why he’s not pitching. They taught him a new way to throw one of his pitches and it worked great but apparently wasn’t great for his shoulder so he was partially shut down. Horton could even be used as a Closer if Palencia fades or ends up on the IL. He was good at that in college and would limit his innings. There is literally a ton of ways the rest of this can go and I’ll be watching and looking forward to it.
UncleMike, totally different starting the first inning vs coming in middle of the game. You don’t have all night and day to think about the 6/7th inning. Get up, get ready quick and come in firing. It probably would work well for someone like Ben and remove some of the overthinking, not to mention his stuff playing up a little.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Seattle has interest in him and/or Pressly
If you’re a Seattle fan Stevil, be careful what your hoping for, when it comes to Pressly lol.
Yeah, I get it. But Seattle is good with implementing adjustments and pitch useage.
One of the oddest things about this deadline for Seattle is that their biggest need was relief pitching and they actually entered August with one less arm on the 40.
Now, they’re down another as Thornton is out for the season.
I think there’s better recent DFA options for Seattle than Pressly. He’s really struggling and advanced numbers are even more worrisome.
Highly doubt Pressly will pitch again this season.
It was a very drawn out process and negotation to get him to agree to leave Houston in the first place and uproot the family to Chicago.
@Stevil what do you think of the idea of using Bryce Miller in the bullpen once he gets back??
They need him as a starter.
Remember when Evans was optioned in May? They said they wanted to control his innings. He’s already thrown as much as he threw last year. How is he going to have the gas to make it another two months, let alone the postseason? I expect him to be optioned
But one they’re in the postseason (if they’re in), they can probably go to a four-man rotation and use Miller in relief.
He wouldn’t likely be a high leverage option, but anything would help.
Miller threw 52 or 53 pitches in his first rehab start and looked great. I don’t think there’s any thought of him not returning as a starter.
King tuck’s expected price continuing to fall by the day!
Bigger news now will be him much king tuck’s expected asking price falls!
I’m guessing he will wind up with one of those “pillow contracts” from some team, possibly the Cubs. One year with an option, to try to rebuild his value.
The signs are becoming more and more prevalent each and every day as we enter August and September hot days that even with Castro thus team will wilt under the game to game strain. The brewers will win it all going away despite their injuries.
Reds bombs away against Soroka tonight!
On another topic, at least, and it’s very little indeed, the Cubs broadcasters have begun to acknowledge that Tucker isn’t doing much. It only took them two months longer than it took me to notice it–but some of you haven’t noticed it yet!
At first, Boog and JD tried out the line that, well, he still is walking a lot! But now they have made a subtle shift and admitted he is in a slump.
I have to admit, each time he comes up I find myself thinking: he has to hit another home run SOMETIME. But maybe he won’t. After all, Mick Kelleher, who he reminds me of a bit, never did.