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Chicago Notes: Stroman, Hendriks, Clevinger

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Cubs ace Marcus Stroman exited his start against the Cardinals in London this morning after just 3 1/3 innings of work due to a blister on his right index finger. Fortunately, as noted by Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, the injury is not currently considered to be particularly serious. In conversation with reporters following the game, Stroman pointed out that this wasn’t the first time he’s dealt with blisters in his career, likely referencing his 2018 trip to the IL with a blister on his right middle finger. That stint on the shelf ultimately lasted two weeks, but Stroman says that he’s optimistic he’ll be able to make his next start, which would likely be slated for next weekend’s series against the Guardians.

It’s hard to overstate Stroman’s importance in keeping the Cubs afloat this season. After today’s loss to the Cardinals in London, the north siders sport a 37-39 record that leaves them just three games back of the Reds for the division title in a weak NL Central. That the club remains within striking distance in the division can be attributed heavily to the performance of Stroman, whose 2.28 ERA entering play today led the NL, while his 196 ERA+ led the majors.

Stroman’s dominant performance so far this season has made it seem like a no-brainer for him to decline a $21MM player option following the 2023 campaign and test the open market. Despite that, he’s been vocal about his desire to stay in Chicago even as the lack of extension discussions have led to trade speculation. Whether the Cubs ultimately fall out of contention as the calendar flips to July and the trade rumors intensify or the club cements itself as contenders who will continue to lean on their best pitcher down the stretch\, the club is surely hoping for a quick return to the mound for the veteran right-hander. In the event Stroman does miss time, the Cubs seem likely to rely on the services of youngster Hayden Wesneski in his stead.
More from Chicago…

  • Speaking of veteran right-handers who could draw interest from clubs ahead of the trade deadline on August 1, the White Sox might welcome Mike Clevinger back to the active roster prior to the All Star break. Manager Pedro Grifol indicated to reporters, including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, that a return prior to the midsummer classic was possible, but that he won’t return in a relief role and will be held out until he can be built back up to rotation-length outings. Clevinger has offered solid if uninspiring consistency at the back of the south side’s rotation this season, pitching to a 3.88 ERA and 4.88 FIP in 62 2/3 innings of work. A return before the All Star break could give potential suitors additional confidence in Clevinger’s health ahead of the trade deadline, when the 34-45 White Sox seem likely to sell off rental assets.
  • Sticking with the White Sox, one hurler who Grifol asserts will definitely not return prior to the All Star break is closer Liam Hendriks, who is on the shelf with right elbow inflammation. While Hendriks initially expressed optimism he could return in a couple of weeks, citing a similar injury last season that cost him three weeks, Grifol’s updated timeline would put the right-hander out of action for over a month. Hendriks has pitched just five innings this season between his current stint on the IL and his recovery from a battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. With Hendriks on the shelf, Kendall Graveman has stepped in as the closer for the White Sox this season.

Cubs’ Codi Heuer, Brandon Hughes Undergo Season-Ending Surgeries

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Cubs right-hander Codi Heuer has undergone his second season-ending surgery in as many years, as Heuer underwent a procedure yesterday to address an elbow fracture suffered earlier this week during a Triple-A rehab start.  Left-hander Brandon Hughes will also go under the knife for a distal femoral osteotomy on his left knee that will keep him out of action until at least Spring Training.  (Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times was among those who reported the news.)

It’s another brutal setback for Heuer, who didn’t pitch at all in 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.  His outing on Tuesday was the 15th appearance of his rehab assignment, and it seemed like he was approaching a return to the Cubs bullpen before suffering his latest injury.  While Lee notes that while Heuer’s UCL was at least unharmed by the fracture, there’s “a less definite timeline” for this injury than there is for a Tommy John procedure, since “recover requires immobilization, which adds a wrinkle in the rehab process.”

The 26-year-old Heuer was a sixth-round pick for the White Sox in the 2018 draft, and he went to the other end of the Windy City at the 2021 trade deadline when the Sox sent Heuer and Nick Madrigal to the Cubs in exchange for Craig Kimbrel.  Heuer had made his MLB debut in posting a 1.52 ERA over 23 2/3 relief innings for the White Sox in 2020, and while he ran into some more struggles in his first full MLB season, his 2021 numbers were at least respectable — a 4.28 ERA over 67 1/3 total innings with the Sox and Cubs, albeit with a low 19.9% strikeout rate.

Unfortunately for Heuer, it’ll be an even longer wait before he gets an opportunity to bounce back from that 2021 performance.  He did have a 7.82 ERA over his 12 2/3 Triple-A innings this season, though given how Heuer’s focus was on simply rebuilding arm strength and ramping up for regular pitching work, the lack of results wasn’t necessarily a red flag (though a big 17.5% walk rate is naturally cause for concern).

Hughes posted a 3.12 ERA over 57 2/3 innings in his 2022 rookie season, but also had a sophomore slump, with a 7.24 ERA over 13 2/3 innings this season.  It appears as though his knee issue was a cause, as Lee writes that a past knee surgery from 2015 was leading to some renewed pain for Hughes, and the decision was finally made that another surgery was required.

As Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told Lee and other reporters, Hughes has “never really gotten consistently to where he was last year with mechanics because of his knee.  And he’s fought so hard to get out there.  He’s such a competitor.  But it finally got to a point where it’s like, we’re just going to keep [taking] one step forward, one step back over and over.”

It should take roughly six months for Hughes to recover and then at least a couple more months of rehab time, Lee writes, so Hughes could miss most or all of Spring Training 2024.  It seems very probable that Hughes will start the 2024 season on the injured list in order to give him time to both finish off his recovery, or simply to take part in extended Spring Training in April to make up for lost time.

Ricketts: Cubs Are “Buyers Right Now”

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Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts made an appearance at a fan event in London yesterday, ahead of the club’s matchup against the Cardinals as part of the London Series, and was asked whether the club would be buyers or sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. “Obviously we’re buyers right now,” Ricketts said, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. “Things can come off the rails, but I don’t think they will. I think what we have is a core that can compete for the division and compete for the playoffs and now it’s finding the missing parts to add to it.”

It’s been pointed out by many observers that this year’s trade deadline could potentially have a different alignment than many in years’ past. Due to the expanded postseason and weak Central divisions, very few clubs can be firmly categorized as true sellers and situations can change quickly. As of just two weeks ago, the Cubs were 26-36 and 7.5 games back of of the Brewers while the Reds were 29-34 and five games back. Both clubs have been on hot streaks since then and flipped the script. The Reds are now 40-35 and atop the division, putting them into the buyers camp. The Cubs are 36-38 and just 3.5 games behind and now seem to be thinking of buying as well.

As of just a few weeks ago, there was much speculation about the Cubs potentially trading away rental players like Cody Bellinger or Marcus Stroman, the latter of whom having one year remaining on his contract but the ability to opt out this fall. Putting those names on the market could have put the Cubs in position to reap huge prospect returns but their recent string of victories could now take those names off the table.

The situation is certainly fluid, something that Ricketts made clear in his comments. But it is still interesting to highlight the reality that this summer’s trades might end up being different than other years. The most common type of deal in years past would see a contending club give up prospects in order to acquire a win-now piece from a team buried in the standings. With so few clubs clearly out of contention this year, there may be more deals where contending clubs are on both ends, each trading from a surplus.

As a recent example of one such deal, the Yankees and Cardinals swapped Harrison Bader and Jordan Montgomery at last year’s deadline. The Yankees felt they had enough pitching that they could part with Montgomery in order to upgrade their outfield, while the Cardinals clearly felt the inverse.

All of that is to say that the Cubs could still look to trade pieces from their current roster even if they stay in the race, but it seems their overall approach will be one of gearing up for a postseason push, as opposed to making moves about future seasons. Which part of the roster they look to bolster will obviously depend upon health and performance in the weeks to come.

The bullpen would be an obvious target as the club’s relievers have a collective 4.29 ERA that places them 22nd out of the 30 clubs in the league. The rotation is in good shape right now with Stroman, Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly and Jameson Taillon lined up every five days, but an injury or two could always change the picture in a hurry.

The lineup has some strengths but the infield corners stand out as weak spots right now. The third base combo of Nick Madrigal and Miles Mastrobuoni hasn’t hit much while first basemen Eric Hosmer and Matt Mervis were disappointing enough that each is now off the active roster. Center fielder Cody Bellinger was hurried back from his rehab in order to take over at first but has hit just .105/.182/.158 since being activated.

All told, it will be a fascinating few weeks for the Cubs and for the baseball world as a whole. The club has already shown that a hot stretch can quickly flip the narrative upside-down, though the reverse is also true. Each game in June and July will take on magnified importance as each team tries to calculate their best path forward. For now, it seems the Cubs have put themselves in a position to get back into contention and they hope to keep it that way.

MLBTR Trade Rumors Podcast: Exciting Youth Movements in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, Bad Central Divisions and the Dodgers Want Pitching

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

  • the Pirates promote Henry Davis (1:20)
  • the scorching-hot Reds designate Wil Myers for assignment (7:35)
  • Guardians promote Gavin Williams (10:40)
  • White Sox want to sell rental pieces only (16:20)
  • Dodgers need pitching (19:15)

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • Do you think the Cubs will deal Christopher Morel at the deadline? (22:45)
  • What are the chances the Diamondbacks promote Jordan Lawlar later this season? (25:50)
  • If Rangers make a blockbuster trade who would you think it would be? Obviously bullpen is a need but what is something blockbuster worthy? (29:45)

Check out our past episodes!

George Frazier Passes Away

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Former major league player and analyst George Frazier has passed away, according to an announcement from the Rockies. He was 68.

After playing at the University of Oklahoma, Frazier entered pro ball as a ninth-round pick of the Brewers in the 1976 draft. While still in the minor leagues, he was traded to the Cardinals in a swap that sent catcher Buck Martinez to Milwaukee. Frazier made his MLB debut with St. Louis in May 1978, eventually appearing in 14 games as a rookie. He bounced on and off the active roster for the next two seasons.

Midway through the ’81 campaign, the Cards dealt Frazier to the Yankees. He pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to help the Yanks past the A’s in that year’s AL Championship Series. He was charged with a trio of losses in their World Series defeat at the hands of the Dodgers, though, allowing seven runs in 3 2/3 frames over three outings.

Frazier put that rocky World Series showing behind him to establish himself as a key reliever by the following season. He surpassed 100 innings with a sub-3.50 ERA in each of the next two years. Over the 1983-84 offseason, New York dealt him to the Indians alongside outfielder Otis Nixon for All-Star infielder Toby Harrah. Frazier didn’t spend much time in Cleveland. Before the ’84 deadline, the Indians moved him to the Cubs with Rick Sutcliffe (who’d go on to win the NL Cy Young award that year) and Ron Hassey in a blockbuster that netted Cleveland Joe Carter and Mel Hall.

The right-handed Frazier tossed 63 2/3 innings for Chicago down the stretch to help them to the NLCS. He struggled over the next couple seasons but intrigued the Twins enough that they acquired him at the 1986 trade deadline. Frazier spent a season and a half in Minnesota to wrap up his MLB playing career. The ’87 Twins went on to win the World Series; Frazier’s last MLB outing was a two-inning scoreless appearance against the Cardinals in that year’s Fall Classic.

After his playing career came to a close, Frazier embarked on a lengthy run as a broadcaster. He worked as a color analyst for the Twins for a time before joining the Rockies’ booth for the 1998 season. He’d spend nearly two decades in Colorado, calling games there through 2015.

Frazier spent upwards of four decades in the game. As a player, he pitched in 415 big league contests. He posted a career 4.20 ERA through 675 2/3 innings, striking out 449 hitters. He was credited with 35 wins, finished 193 games and picked up 29 saves. He added six playoff games with three different franchises and won a World Series to close his career.

MLBTR joins others around the game in sending condolences to Frazier’s family, friends, former teammates and loved ones.

Cubs Activate Justin Steele, Place Patrick Wisdom On 10-Day IL

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As expected, the Cubs activated Justin Steele from the 15-day injured list, as the left-hander is scheduled to start today’s game against the Orioles.  Steele will take the place of Patrick Wisdom, as Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) reports that Wisdom is being placed on the 10-day IL due to a right wrist sprain.

Wisdom was replaced by pinch-hitter Ian Happ in the sixth inning of yesterday’s 10-3 Cubs win over Baltimore, a move that seemed like in-game strategy at the time but could have been related to Wisdom’s wrist problem.  The 31-year-old infielder also has only two hits in his last 36 plate appearances, so it is possible this wrist sprain might have occurred a while ago, and Wisdom was trying to play through the discomfort.

The recent slump has dropped Wisdom’s slash line to .196/.285/.467 for the season, with 14 homers over 208 plate appearances.  While that production still translates to a slightly above-average 102 wRC+, it continues Wisdom’s trend of being a power-centric bat who offers little beyond the long ball.  Wisdom has hit .213/.298/.465 with 67 homers over 1117 PA with Chicago since the start of the 2021 season.

Wisdom has played mostly third base this season, with a handful of appearances as first base and in both corner outfield spots.  Nick Madrigal has been seeing regular work at third base since being recalled from Triple-A a little over a week ago, and the Cubs might prefer to see what the 26-year-old Madrigal can do with more frequent playing time, which might make it tough for Wisdom to work his way back into the lineup once he returns from the IL.

Steele returns after missing only slightly more than the minimum 15 days, which is a great outcome given the ominous nature of forearm strains.  However, Steele’s strain didn’t involve any structural damage, so the southpaw was able to make a quick recovery.  Steele has been excellent in 2023, posting a 2.65 ERA over 68 innings while relying on outstanding control and one of the league’s best soft-contact rates.

Cubs Activate Cody Bellinger, Option Matt Mervis

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The Cubs reinstated Cody Bellinger from the 10-day injured list this afternoon. Highly-touted first baseman Matt Mervis was optioned to Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding transaction.

Bellinger is in the lineup tonight against Pittsburgh righty Johan Oviedo, hitting sixth and playing first base. It’s his first start there in two years. Bellinger came up as a first baseman but moved primarily to the outfield by 2019, as the Dodgers (and subsequently Chicago) wanted to take advantage of his elite athleticism. Bellinger has been a very good defensive outfielder but he’ll break back in at first base after losing nearly a month to a left knee contusion.

Manager David Ross suggested as much earlier this week. Sprinting is still causing Bellinger some issues, and while the Cubs feel he’s sufficiently healthy to return to the diamond, they’ll try to ease the stress by putting him at a less demanding position. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters yesterday the club is hopeful of getting Bellinger back in the outfield at some point but didn’t specify a timeline (relayed by Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune).

Bellinger will try to pick up where he left off before the injury. The former MVP has been enjoying something of a bounceback season in Chicago. He’s hitting .271/.343/.493 over 163 trips to the plate. That’s not peak form but far better than his results from his final two seasons in Los Angeles, largely attributable to him cutting his strikeout rate from around 27% to 19% this year.

His return displaces Mervis, who heads back to the minors for the first time since he was called up on May 5. The Duke product tore up minor league pitching in 2022 and started this season with a .286/.402/.560 showing in Triple-A. He couldn’t carry that success over in his first look at big league arms. Mervis hit .167/.242/.289 over his initial 27 MLB games, striking out in 32 of his 99 trips to the plate.

There’s little sense for the Cubs in relegating him to a bench role, as he’s still a potential key offensive piece for the organization moving forward. With Bellinger at first base and Chicago using a rotation at designated hitter — Trey Mancini, Christopher Morel, Patrick Wisdom, Miles Mastrobuoni and Ian Happ have split the last five starts there — the clearest path for Mervis to get consistent reps was by sending him back to Iowa.

MLBTR Trade Rumors Podcast: Stroman Lobbies for Extension, Mets’ Woes and Astros Seeking Bats

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

  • Marcus Stroman lobbying for an extension with the Cubs (1:40)
  • The struggling Mets lose Pete Alonso to the injured list (6:00)
  • The Astros seem more focused on getting bats than arms at the deadline (10:05)

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • Other than a pure prospect, I don’t see a difference making middle of the order bat being available at the trade deadline. Be it a 2 month rental or even someone with 1 or 2 years of control. Do you? If so please tell me about him. (14:45)
  • Could this be the year in which the O’s get a starter? They’re notoriously cheap when it comes to big contracts or giving up the farm, but I can’t see any team going deep into the playoffs with Kyle Gibson or Tyler Wells as their Game One ace. If so, who are the top candidates, knowing that the O’s will have to compete on the market with any team with a winning percentage over .500? (19:45)
  • The Cardinals are full of young players that may not be stars in the making, but probably get a fairer shot at regular playing time on many other rosters to prove their worth. If the Cards ultimately become sellers at the deadline, do they really get much value in moving guys like Iván Herrera, Juan Yepez, Luken Baker, Moises Gomez, and/or one of their outfielders? Or are they content to have that depth if the returns are minimal? (22:35)

Check out our past episodes!

Cody Bellinger Begins Minor League Rehab, Plays First Base

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Cody Bellinger made three plate appearances for Triple-A Iowa last night, marking the first game of his minor league rehab assignment.  The former NL MVP has been out of action since May 16 due to a left knee contusion, but appears to be making good progress towards returning after close to a month on the 10-day injured list.

Bellinger played first base for Iowa, which Cubs manager David Ross said (to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Maddie Lee and other reporters) was partially due to Bellinger still having some difficulty fully extending his knee during all-out sprinting.  Even when Bellinger returns to the Cubs lineup, Ross left the door open for the outfielder to see more time at first base, noting that “[Mike] Tauchman’s swinging the bat really well and held down center field pretty well.  So [we’re] just trying to find the best lineup whenever Belli gets back.”

First base isn’t at all an unfamiliar position for Bellinger, as he has 262 career appearances as a first baseman during his seven MLB seasons.  However, he made only four appearances at first base in 2021 and none at all in 2022.  Bellinger’s injuries and struggles late in his stint with the Dodgers obviously factored into this decreased usage, not to mention the fact that Freddie Freeman took over full-time first base duty in 2022.

But, using Bellinger at first base was also something of a waste of a strong outfield glove, as Bellinger won a Gold Glove and Fielding Bible Award for his right field work in 2019, and has been an above-average defender in center field.  This glovework and strong baserunning helped Bellinger continue to earn playing time in Los Angeles even amidst his two-year funk at the plate in 2021-22.

The Dodgers opted to non-tender Bellinger this past offseason, and the Cubs inked him to a one-year deal worth $17.5MM in guaranteed money.  That includes a $5MM buyout of a $25MM mutual option, but it would seem quite unlikely that both sides would choose to exercise their option, as Bellinger was prioritizing one-year contract offers in order to return to the open market next winter with a better platform season on his resume.

Chicago’s bet on a Bellinger rebound has to some extent paid off, as prior to the month-long IL stint, Bellinger hit .271/.337/.493 with seven homers in his first 163 PA in a Cubs uniform.  The sample size is still too small to draw an overall conclusion about a bounce-back, however, and Bellinger did have only a .512 OPS in the 49 PA prior to his IL placement, so some regression might have already been at play.

There hasn’t been any indication that Bellinger’s knee problem could prevent him from returning to the outfield altogether, so the first base usage might indeed be just the Cubs’ way of getting him onto the field a bit earlier and start ramping up for his eventual return to the Major League roster.  Tauchman has also been solid (.274/.403/.323 in 78 PA) for the Cubs since his minor league contract was selected on the same day as Bellinger’s IL placement.

In the bigger picture, the 29-37 Cubs aren’t too far out of the picture in the weak NL Central, but the team might again be looking at being sellers at the trade deadline.  A 32-year-old journeyman like Tauchman probably isn’t in the Cubs’ long-term plans, so Tauchman in center field might be a preview of what Chicago’s post-deadline outfield could look like if Bellinger is dealt elsewhere.

Assuming Bellinger returns healthy and keeps hitting, he’ll be a very interesting trade chip for the Cubs to offer at the deadline, and there’s bound to be plenty of interest given how many teams explored signing Bellinger last winter.  Bellinger as a center fielder naturally has a lot more value than Bellinger as a first baseman, yet if sprinting continues to be any kind of an issue, first base is at least a fall-back position that allows him to contribute in some capacity.

Cubs Select Anthony Kay

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The Cubs have announced to reporters, including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, that they have selected the contract of left-hander Anthony Kay. Right-hander Nick Burdi was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster while righty Jeremiah Estrada was optioned to open a spot on the active roster. Earlier today, the club also placed lefty Brandon Hughes on the 15-day injured list due to left knee inflammation while recalling infielder Miles Mastrobuoni in a corresponding move, with Jordan Bastian of MLB.com among those to relay those moves.

Kay, 28, came to the Cubs in December when they claimed him off waivers from the Blue Jays. They put him back on waivers about a month later but were able to get him through, keeping him in the organization. He’s spent the year in Triple-A so far, tossing 28 innings over 23 appearances. He has a 4.50 ERA, 27.4% strikeout rate, 12.8% walk rate and 54.4% ground ball rate.

Prior to joining the Cubs, Kay got some big league experience with the Jays. From 2019 to 2022, he got into 28 games and logged 70 2/3 innings with a 5.48 ERA. He struck out a solid 23.5% of opponents and got grounders at a 44.4% rate but walked 11.6% of batters faced.

The Cubs had been operating for a while with Hughes as their only left-handed reliever. Now that this knee inflammation will put him out of action for a while, Kay will get another shot in the big leagues as the team’s lone southpaw in the bullpen. He has one option year remaining and could be sent back to Iowa at some point while still holding onto his spot on the 40-man. He has between one and two years of service time and could be cheaply retained for future seasons if he does indeed hang onto that spot.

As for Burdi, he had his contract selected in the middle of May but then went on the injured list May 24 due to appendicitis. He’ll now be ineligible to return until 60 days from that initial IL placement, or late July.

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