Good Morning Starshine and Other Bullets

It feels like I’m doing Bullets at night, which just isn’t right. I might take flight. Ew. I’m sorry for that.

  • On last night’s moves, the Paul Maholm/Reed Johnson trade has been announced by the Cubs, but the Geovany Soto deal (to the Rangers for AA pitcher Jacob Brigham) hasn’t yet been officially announced (it involves a threshold amount of money going to the Rangers, so it requires Bud Selig’s perfunctory sign-off). When everything is said and done, on the roster move front, you can expect Casey Coleman to come up, as well as Welington Castillo. The Cubs will probably bring up a 4o-man roster outfielder, which may or may not be Brett Jackson. He was pulled from last night’s game at the same time the Maholm/Johnson deal went down, but apparently the Cubs have suggested he’s not getting called up just yet. Instead, you might look for someone like Dave Sappelt to come up.
  • Ryan Dempster says there are no hard feelings between he and the front office over last week’s failed trade to the Atlanta Braves (about which GM Jed Hoyer laughed a bit with reporters late last night). “Not at all,” Dempster told reporters. “They’ve got a job to do. They’re trying to do what’s best for the Chicago Cubs and I understand that. They’ve been honest with me, it seems like. I’m just trying to do what I can to continue to do my job as a player, and that’s to get ready to pitch.”
  • Dempster further humanized himself, discussing the trade season’s impact. “The thing is, there are tons of rumors and tons of speculation all the time,” Dempster said. “This is something that I have tried to keep very close to me just so that it gets handled the best it can. Sometimes there are rumors that are true and sometimes there are rumors that aren’t, but I can’t control that. I can just control what I can do that that’s be as prepared as I can to do my job and try to handle things the best I can. I’m not perfect. I’m a human being and will make mistakes. I won’t handle everything the right way every time, but hopefully I can learn from any mistakes I do make and try to be better for it next time.”
  • Darwin Barney has won the “Heart and Hustle Award,” which I can only assume is another name for the “Scrappy Award.” I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve it, of course, because he’s been all kinds of full of heart and hustle this year.
  • I mentioned it last evening, but here’s Dale Sveum’s full quote on Matt Garza’s bullpen session yesterday: “It was better than I imagined. It was a normal bullpen. He threw all his pitches, [had] velocity, extended himself with his slider and curveball and changeups. It went extremely, extremely well.” Extremely!
  • Jeff Passan – have I mentioned I like reading this guy? – draws up a nice Theo/Cubs/deadline/fire sale/rebuilding piece for your perusal throughout the day.
  • SCarlosenfreude: Carlos Zambrano has been moved to the bullpen in Miami. There isn’t a Gatorade cooler within 45 miles that is safe.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Now We Know Why Ian Happ Was Removed Mid-game

    In the top of the seventh inning of today's 8-3 win over the Miami Marlins, Alexander Canario trotted out to left field in place of Ian Happ. At first, we thought (or maybe just hoped) that Craig Counsell was giving...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 8, Marlins 3 – April 19, 2024

    And just like that the Chicago Cubs are the first team in the NL Central to reach 12 wins! They're not technically in first place yet because the Brewers (11-6) have played fewer games, but we're talking about a matter...

    Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson with Back-to-Back Slick Defensive Plays

    With a lefty Marlins starter on the mound this afternoon, Nico Hoerner lead off today's game for the Chicago Cubs. And he did it in style, ripping a leadoff double to the left-center field wall, before coming into score a...

    Pre-Gamin’: Marlins at Cubs – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *The Cubs were rained out yesterday, but today? Today, we've got a Friday 1:20 start at Wrigley Field, and that means all is right in the world. Before you take a look at the Cubs lineup against Miami, check out...

    MLBits: The White Sox Might be the Worst Team Ever, What Games I’m Watching this Weekend, More

    Happy Friday! Well, for everyone except for the pilots who were supposed to be manning the Colorado Rockies flight last week but instead allowed a member of the Rockies coaching staff to hop in the pilot's seat for a fun...

    Can I Interest You in a Positive Injury-Update on Justin Steele?

    Justin Steele, arguably the single most irreplaceable player on the Chicago Cubs 2024 roster, went down with a hamstring injury just 4.2 innings into his Opening Day start against the Rangers on March 28. In his place, the Cubs sixth...

    FAA Reportedly Investigating How a Passenger on Colorado Rockies Team Flight Was Seen Accessing the Cockpit

    If you do this job long enough, it's really wild to see the range of topics that can somehow become attached to sports. That is to say, I did not envision myself at some point writing about flight safety, cockpit...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 19, 2024: Kevin Alcántara is Heating Up!

    The Iowa Cubs were rained out, but the rest of the farm was in action, and so was Kevin Alcántara, who picked up four hits and now has seven in his last three games as he breaks out of an...

    It’s Not Kyle Hendricks Last Chance (But…), Ben Brown, Jameson Taillon, and Other Cubs Bullets

    Well, the rain stole one from us yesterday, which is a blessing and a curse. On the bright side, the bullpen gets an extra day of rest (on top of the day Hayden Wesneski bought them). But on the flip...

    The Chicago Cubs Are Not Stealing Bases So Far This Year

    The Chicago Cubs are against theft. Of bases: https://twitter.com/codifybaseball/status/1781046629103231339 The Chicago Cubs this year have stolen just three bases, the fewest in all of baseball. Dansby Swanson has stolen two bases, Nick Madrigal has stolen one. That's it. I don't...

    Latest News

    Brewers vs. Cardinals: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Milwaukee Brewers (11-6), led by William Contreras, visit Brendan Donovan and the St. Louis Cardinals (9-10) on Saturday at 2:15 PM ET.The article below will give you everything you need to watch Milwaukee play St. Louis.When is Brewers vs....

    How to Watch Cubs vs. Marlins: Live Stream or on TV

    On Saturday, Michael Busch and the Chicago Cubs (12-7) play Luis Arraez and the Miami Marlins (4-16), with first pitch scheduled for 2:20 PM ET at Wrigley Field.If you're intending to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and TV...

    Twins vs. Tigers: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Minnesota Twins (6-11), with Bailey Ober on the hill, host the Detroit Tigers (10-9) who will start Reese Olson, at 2:10 PM ET on Saturday in a series opener.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to...

    How to Watch Yankees vs. Rays: Live Stream or on TV

    The New York Yankees (13-6), led by Juan Soto, host Isaac Paredes and the Tampa Bay Rays (11-9) at 1:05 PM ET on Saturday.Find out how to watch the New York-Tampa Bay matchup below.When is Yankees vs. Rays and when...

    Reds vs. Angels: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Cincinnati Reds (9-9), led by Spencer Steer, host Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels (9-10) at 6:40 PM ET on Saturday.See how to watch the Cincinnati-Los Angeles matchup below.When is Reds vs. Angels and when does it start?This...

    Guardians vs. Athletics: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    In a series opener on Saturday, Logan Allen will take the mound for the Cleveland Guardians (13-6) against Alex Wood and the Oakland Athletics (8-11), with first pitch scheduled for 6:10 PM ET at Progressive Field.Keep reading to find out...

    Mariners vs. Rockies: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    In a series opener on Saturday, Mitch Haniger and the Seattle Mariners (9-10) face Ryan McMahon and the Colorado Rockies (4-15), with first pitch scheduled for 8:10 PM ET at Coors Field.Find out how to watch the Seattle-Colorado matchup below.When...

    How to Watch Orioles vs. Royals: Live Stream or on TV

    Corbin Burnes will take the mound for the Baltimore Orioles (12-6) when they visit starter Cole Ragans and the Kansas City Royals (12-7) on Saturday, with first pitch at 7:10 PM ET.Keep reading to see how to watch the Baltimore-Kansas...

    Braves vs. Rangers: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Atlanta Braves (12-5), with Charlie Morton on the mound, host the Texas Rangers (11-9) who will start Nathan Eovaldi, at 7:20 PM ET on Saturday in a series opener.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to...

    How to Watch Astros vs. Nationals: Live Stream or on TV

    On Saturday, Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros (6-14) play C.J. Abrams and the Washington Nationals (8-10), with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 PM ET at Nationals Park.Find out how to watch the Houston-Washington matchup below.When is Astros vs. Nationals...

    more cubs news