Cubs Rumors

Outrighted: Farmer, Ryan

By Connor Byrne | May 11, 2021 at 10:03pm CDT

The latest outrights from around the majors…

The Tigers have outrighted reliever Buck Farmer to Triple-A Toledo, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. The team designated the right-hander for assignment last week, but he cleared waivers and will stay with the organization. Farmer had the best two-year run of his major league career from 2019-20 – an 89-inning stretch in which he logged a 3.74 ERA with a 23.1 percent strikeout rate, a 7.7 percent walk rate and a 48.6 percent groundball rate. But this season has been a nightmare for Farmer, whom hitters have lit up for 13 earned runs on 12 hits – including a whopping eight home runs – in 9 2/3 innings. The 30-year-old also put up almost as many walks (eight) as strikeouts (10) before the Tigers demoted him.
The Cubs have outrighted left-hander Kyle Ryan, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune was among those to report. Ryan has been added to Triple-A Iowa’s roster, Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register tweets. Although Ryan led Cubs relievers with 76 2/3 innings from 2019-20, he opened this season at their alternate site after a stint on the COVID-19 list delayed him in spring training. The Cubs called up the 29-year-old in late April, and he went on to pitch 2 2/3 innings of one-run ball with five hits allowed, two walks and two strikeouts prior to his designation. Overall as a Cub, Ryan has notched a 3.86 ERA in 79 1/3 frames with a stellar 55.7 percent groundball rate but less inspiring strikeout and walk percentages of 20.8 and 10.9, respectively.

Cubs Acquire Trayce Thompson

By Connor Byrne | May 11, 2021 at 8:37pm CDT

The Cubs have acquired outfielder Trayce Thompson from the Diamondbacks for cash considerations, per Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register. Thompson is now with Triple-A Iowa.

Thompson began his professional career with another Chicago organization – the White Sox – who chose him in the second round of the 2009 draft. He climbed to the majors in 2015 and wowed over 135 plate appearances with a .295/.363/.533 line and five home runs, though that wasn’t enough for the White Sox to keep him in the fold. In the ensuing offseason, they traded Thompson to the Dodgers in a three-team deal that also involved the Reds and featured some other notable names (including Todd Frazier, Frankie Montas and Scott Schebler).

Now 30 years old, Thompson hasn’t been able to replicate the success he had during his initial MLB action. His time with the Dodgers ran out after two seasons, and he most recently appeared in the majors in 2018 with the Athletics and his first team, the White Sox. In all, Thompson has amassed 589 plate appearances at the game’s highest level and batted .206/.276/.389 with 22 home runs. Thompson has posted fairly similar numbers in Triple-A, where he has hit .229/.288/.417 with 50 long balls in 1,373 PA.

Cubs Notes: Marisnick, Heyward, Arrieta

By Mark Polishuk | May 9, 2021 at 6:26pm CDT

Cubs center fielder Jake Marisnick made an early exit from Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Pirates, as a right hamstring strain forced Marisnick to depart during the top of the first inning. While pursuing a Wilmer Difo fly ball to left-center field, Marisnick seemingly took a bad step and then fell to the ground as Difo’s hit fell for a single. Marisnick was immediately removed from the game, with Kris Bryant taking over in center field and Joc Pederson replacing Bryant in left field.

Manager David Ross told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian (Twitter link) and other reporters that Marisnick will undergo further tests tomorrow to determine the extent of the strain. Hamstring problems were a recurring issue for Marisnick last season when he played for the Mets, as separate injuries to both hamstrings led to two separate trips to the injured list, and he ended up playing only 16 games in 2020.

Signed to a one-year free agent deal worth $1.5MM in guaranteed money, Marisnick was ticketed for a fourth outfielder role for Chicago. With Ian Happ injured, however, Marisnick has seen more regular duty in center field, and delivered in something of an unexpected way. Known for his defense more than his hitting over nine MLB seasons, Marisnick’s defense hasn’t been great (-1 Defensive Run Saved, -35.7 UZR/150) over 118 innings in center field, but he is hitting .264/.350/.623 over 60 plate appearances.

If Marisnick’s absence wasn’t enough, Jason Heyward was also removed from the game for a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning due to what Ross described as a problem with his right hand. Heyward is also undergoing examination from team trainers. It’s been a tough start to the season for the veteran outfielder, as Heyward is hitting just .173/.239/.317 over his first 113 PA.

The Cubs don’t play on Monday and they also have an off-day on Thursday, so it’s possible Heyward and Marisnick might have enough time to recuperate without a trip to the IL. That being said, being down two outfielders would leave Chicago pretty short-handed with Happ and Nico Hoerner also sidelined, and it would leave Bryant as the team’s top center field option. Cameron Maybin, Ian Miller, and Rafael Ortega are all available at Triple-A, though none are on the Cubs’ 40-man roster.

In better injury news for the Cubs, Jake Arrieta is tentatively scheduled to return from the injured list for a start against the Tigers on Friday. In a pregame chat with reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago), Ross said that Arrieta felt good after a bullpen session yesterday, and would throw another bullpen on Tuesday or Wednesday. A right thumb abrasion sent Arrieta to the 10-day IL on May 4, so he would miss only the minimum 10 days if he was activated on Friday. Arrieta has a 4.31 ERA/4.63 SIERA and a below-average 20.7% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate over 31 1/3 innings for Chicago this season.

NL Central Notes: Moran, Brewers, Baez, CarMar

By Mark Polishuk | May 8, 2021 at 8:46pm CDT

Colin Moran left in the first inning of today’s 3-2 Pirates loss to the Cubs, as Moran experienced some left groin discomfort while making a play at first base. Moran snagged a line drive and then dove at the bag in an attempt to double Willson Contreras off of first base. Moran is officially day-to-day, and an injured-list placement would cost the Pirates their top offensive performer of the last two seasons.

Moran is hitting .297/.352/.468 with four home runs thus far in 2021. Given the forgettable state of his hard-hit ball numbers, it’s safe to say Moran has benefited greatly from his .392 BABIP, though he has been an above-average hitter (103 wRC+, 104 OPS+) since coming to Pittsburgh prior to the 2018 season. Moran has seen almost all of the action at first base this season, and Todd Frazier is probably the likeliest candidate to fill in should Moran indeed require an IL stint.

NL Notes: Rockies, Cubs, Marlins, Nationals

By TC Zencka | May 7, 2021 at 10:11pm CDT

The Rockies announced a pair of corresponding roster moves today. They selected the contract of Connor Joe from Triple-A, while right-handed pitcher Jose Mujica was optioned to Triple-A. It’s good to see Joe back in the Majors. The 28-year-old opted out of 2020 after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, writes MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The Rockies like Joe as a possibility at first base or left off the bench. Joe was a first round draft pick of the Pirates back in 2014. Mujica will be a long-term rotation possibility for the Rockies, though he came out of the bullpen for both of his appearances this season. Elsewhere in the NL…

Cubs southpaw Brailyn Marquez has been about six weeks behind in his conditioning after testing positive for COVID-19. The Cubs’ top pitching prospect doesn’t have an official assignment yet, but it’s believed that he’ll soon head to Double-A, per Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). Marquez doesn’t turn 22 years old until September.
Both Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jorge Alfaro hope to begin their rehab assignments next week and return from the injured list by next weekend, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Marlins fans eagerly await Chisholm’s return after the infielder posted a 154 wRC+ in 80 plate appearances this season.
Wander Suero will begin his own rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. The Nationals’ reliever has been out since April 18th with an oblique strain. Stephen Strasburg, meanwhile, will soon pitch his second simulated game since landing on the injured list. Presumably, that means the Nats are still in an evaluation stage, and it might take some time yet before Strasburg can return to the diamond.

Cubs Designate Kyle Ryan, Select Nick Martini, Place Ian Happ On 10-Day IL

By Steve Adams | May 7, 2021 at 12:04pm CDT

The Cubs announced a series of roster moves Friday, most notably designating lefty Kyle Ryan for assignment and placing center fielder Ian Happ on the 10-day injured list due to a rib contusion stemming from his recent collision with infielder Nico Hoerner. To take their spots on the roster, the Cubs recalled righty Jason Adam and selected the contract of outfielder Nick Martini from Triple-A Iowa.

Ryan, 29, has been the Cubs’ most oft-used reliever since 2019, although he opened the 2021 season at the team’s alternate training site. He was called back up recently and yielded a run on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Since latching on with the Cubs in 2019, the former Tigers southpaw carries a 3.86 ERA, a 20.8 percent strikeout rate, a 10.9 percent walk rate and a hefty 55.7 percent ground-ball rate. He hasn’t dominated lefties in a way that so many southpaw relievers do (.240/.319/.368) but he also hasn’t been a total liability against righties either (.264/.347/.408).

Happ and Hoerner had a scary collision when the two converged on a pop fly to shallow center field. Hoerner made the catch but tumbled over Happ and kicked him squarely in the ribs in the process. Thankfully, both avoided a major injury, but Happ now joins Hoerner (forearm strain) on the 10-day injured list in the days since the collision. Perhaps the downtime will give the struggling Happ some time to reset; in 102 plate appearances this year he’s limped to a .167/.307/.250 batting line.

The 30-year-old Martini will be making his Cubs debut whenever he first gets into a game. The former Padres and A’s outfielder inked a minor league deal with Chicago over the winter. He’s capable of playing all three outfield spots and is known for a patient approach at the plate, evidenced by a career .269/.372/.380 batting line in 87 MLB games (288 plate appearances). Martini isn’t teeming with power, but he has an excellent track record in the upper minors, specifically Triple-A: .305/.401/.435 in more than 1400 plate appearances.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/5/21

By Anthony Franco | May 5, 2021 at 9:55pm CDT

The latest minor moves from around the game:

The Astros signed right-hander Ryan Eades to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Sugar Land, per an announcement from the Skeeters. Selected by the Twins in the second round of the 2013 draft out of LSU, Eades got to the majors in 2019. Across eight games with Minnesota and Baltimore, he worked 11 1/3 relief innings of three-run ball with ten strikeouts and six walks. He hasn’t pitched since being outrighted off the Orioles’ roster at the end of that season. For his career, Eades has a 3.93 ERA with strong strikeout and walk rates (28.9% and 7.1%, respectively) in 75 2/3 Triple-A frames.
The Cubs reinstated righty Tyson Miller from the COVID injured list before this evening’s game against the Dodgers (via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com). Miller was optioned to Triple-A Iowa, so no change to the active roster was needed. To create 40-man roster space, Chicago transferred catcher Austin Romine to the 60-day IL. Romine suffered a significant left wrist sprain and was known to be in for an extended absence. Tony Wolters was selected to the roster to back up Willson Contreras when Romine first went down. Prospect Miguel Amaya, assigned to Double-A Tennessee, is the only other catcher on the 40-man.

Cubs Grant Pedro Strop His Release

By Steve Adams | May 5, 2021 at 2:19pm CDT

Right-hander Pedro Strop has asked his release from the Cubs, who have granted the request, tweets Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. He’s still in good standing with the organization, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers adds, indicating this was an amicable parting of ways. MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets that the team remains open to bringing Strop back in the future.

Strop was away from the Cubs on a leave of absence due to personal reasons. Details surrounding that absence were not revealed, and it’s not clear at this point whether he’ll pursue an opportunity with another club. He pitched two shutout innings for the Cubs in 2021, but as of this weekend, Strop had returned to his home in the Dominican Republic.

Set to turn 36 next month, Strop has spent parts of 13 years in the Majors — eight of them with the Cubs. He came to the organization alongside Jake Arrieta in the franchise-altering deal that sent Scott Feldman to the Oriole and went on to become one of the team’s most vital relivers, pitching to a sub-3.00 ERA in his first six seasons in Chicago. Strop has tallied 375 innings in relief for the Cubs over the years and logged a 2.88 ERA while more than 28 percent of his opponents. He’s also been nails in the playoffs, logging a career 1.86 ERA in 19 1/3 postseason frames.

All told, Strop carries a lifetime 3.20 ERA through 505 2/3 big league innings split between the Cubs, Orioles, Rangers and Reds. If he indeed decides to explore other opportunities, there will no doubt be interest in him given his lengthy track record.

Amir Garrett Receives 7-Game Suspension

By Connor Byrne | May 4, 2021 at 10:59pm CDT

Major League Baseball announced that it has suspended Reds left-handed reliever Amir Garrett for seven games and fined him an undisclosed amount for “inciting a benches-clearing incident” in the eighth inning of last Saturday’s game against the Cubs. Garrett is appealing the suspension.

As video shows (via MLB.com), Garrett was quite animated after striking out Chicago first baseman Anthony Rizzo. The Cubs took offense to Garrett’s action, leading the two dugouts to clear. There were no punches thrown or ejections handed out, but there was plenty of jawing – especially between Garrett and Cubs shortstop Javier Baez (whom the league fined).

After the game, Baez said he wasn’t going to allow anyone to “disrespect my teammates or my team.” And Cubs manager David Ross took a shot at Garrett’s early season performance, saying, “I think that’s just him trying to fire himself up because he’s not throwing well now.”

It has indeed been a tough start to 2021 for Garrett, who entered the season off three straight effective years and proceeded to dominate during the spring. That excellence hasn’t carried over, though, as Garrett has yielded 10 earned runs on 10 hits (including four runs) in just 8 2/3 innings. Garrett has issued more walks (eight) than strikeouts (seven) along the way.

Cubs Announce Series Of Roster Moves

By Steve Adams | May 4, 2021 at 10:45am CDT

The Cubs announced a series of roster moves Tuesday, placing righty Jake Arrieta, infielder Nico Hoerner and reliever Dan Winkler on the 10-day injured list. Arrieta is dealing with a right thumb abrasion, while Hoerner has a left forearm strain and Winkler is being slowed by tendinitis in his right triceps. In their absence, the Cubs have recalled lefty Kyle Ryan and right-hander Keegan Thompson. They’ve also selected the contract of infielder Ildemaro Vargas, filling their 40-man roster.

Arrieta, 35, has had a decent rebound effort with the Cubs thus far, making six starts and logging a 4.31 ERA through 31 1/3 frames out of the rotation. He signed a one-year, $6.5MM deal to return to the team with which he won a Cy Young Award in 2015 and a World Series ring in 2016. He’d been slated to take the mound tomorrow, but it appears the cut on his pitching thumb hasn’t healed to the point where he’s able to properly throw all of his offerings. Given the nature of the injury, it seems likely to be a short-term stay on the IL.

The 23-year-old is out to a brilliant start in 2021, slashing .389/.500/.556 with six doubles, three steals and eight walks against seven strikeouts through 44 trips to the plate. Hoerner collided with center fielder Ian Happ when chasing down a shallow fly-ball during Sunday’s game against the Reds, though it’s not clear if that play is the source of his current injury. Happ remains day-to-day after that incident, with manager David Ross telling reporters he’s been diagnosed with a rib contusion after getting kicked “pretty hard” by Hoerner in the process. Hoerner tells reporters he expects to be back from the IL when he’s first eligible (Twitter link via Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago).

Winkler, meanwhile, has held opponents to just one run on five hits in 10 1/3 innings. It’s a strong start in terms of bottom-line results, but the fact that he’s walked seven batters, plunked another and snapped off a wild pitch suggest that he’ll need to improve his control if he’s to maintain anything close to that output. To his credit, Winkler has also punched out a dozen of the 44 hitters he’s faced, but this marks a second straight year of questionable command in the Cubs’ bullpen for the 31-year-old Illinois native.

Ryan leads Cubs relievers in innings pitched over the past few seasons and will give Ross another lefty to work with for the time being. Thompson, who made his MLB debut when he tossed an inning earlier this year, is slated to start the second game of today’s twin bill against the Dodgers. He’s a 26-year-old back-of-the-rotation/swingman candidate who ranks 14th among Cubs farmhands at MLB.com, 23rd at FanGraphs and 28th at Baseball America. The Cubs’ rotation doesn’t have room for him when it’s at full strength, but he’ll likely be called upon for multiple spot starts in situations just as this throughout the year, when injuries pop up among the team’s top few starters.

Vargas has appeared in eight games with the Cubs dating back to a 2020 waiver claim from the Twins. He’s spent the bulk of his career with the D-backs, primarily in a utility role, and is a lifetime .252/.280/.388 hitter in 300 trips to the plate as a big leaguer. He’ll factor into the mix at second base and off the bench while Hoerner is sidelined.

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