The Plan Remains the Plan with Kyle Schwarber and Other Bullets

kyle schwarber cubs catcherThe Brother-In-Law is getting married tomorrow, and the various wedding things start today. The whole Taylor Family is in the wedding, so that means there’s a fair bit for us to do today and tomorrow. In turn, that means you might not see me around here as much as usual the next couple days. You should see normal posting, though. Be good.

  • The Cubs outscored the Indians in that series 20-10, but lost two of three games. That’s just baseball, and it’s also what happens when you score 17, but also score three runs in two games. Such is the Cubs’ inconsistent offense, even with Kyle Schwarber in tow.
  • Speaking of which, yes, it’s still the plan for him to go to AAA Iowa after Sunday’s game, and, no, I don’t think anything Schwarber does with the bat in the interim will change things. It’s not like it’s a surprise that he can hit (through just two starts, by the way). Remember: this is a guy whose AA performance compared favorably to that of Kris Bryant. The front office knew there was a chance he would come up and hit very well – indeed, they were hoping he would! that was the whole point! – and they still were unequivocal in the plan for Schwarber. He’s coming up to help out and to get a taste of the bigs while the Cubs are in AL parks, and then he’s heading to AAA Iowa to keep working on catching. Absent a couple surprise catching injuries, I don’t think anything could (or should) change that plan. The only change you could see is that the Cubs might want Schwarber back up sooner rather than later in, say, mid-August. But even that might have more to do with how his work at Iowa is progressing over a two month stretch than a few games in mid-June.
  • This quote from Jason Hammel at ESPN made me chuckle: “This is the best group of young kids I’ve ever been around, for sure. When you’re bad for so long, you get the cream of the crop.” Drafting high has certainly helped the Cubs, though the front office continues to deserve credit for targeting the right young players when they had opportunities.
  • Two Cubs prospects in the Dominican Republic have been suspended for testing positive for a PED: right-handed pitcher Assael Aquino and right-handed pitcher Luiz Escanio. Each player will turn 23 next month (i.e., likely not significant prospects), and neither was a major signing that I’m aware of.
  • Joe Maddon says the effective velocity of Tsuyoshi Wada’s fastball is much higher than the actual velocity when he throws it in the right spot (CSN) – and that’s probably why he threw so many fastballs in his successful start on Wednesday.
  • Oh, Anthony Rizzo, you’re so silly.
  • Speaking of silly, Pablo Sandoval was scratched yesterday because he was caught liking pictures on Instagram during a game while in the bathroom. Yes, that’s a real sentence. Technically, Sandoval’s actions weren’t a violation of MLB’s social media policy, because he didn’t make any posts, he just clicked like. Yup, that’s also a real sentence. Joe Maddon’s thoughts on the subject include not doing it, using good judgment, and not getting caught (CSN).
  • 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

    Wrigley Field is Gonna Be Lit This Year (As in New Colored Lights!)

    Last year, the Cubs started using their new LED outfield lights to do a little dancing display during 'Go Cubs Go,' lighting along with the song and throwing in a W. It was very fun and I liked it. This...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    Why Craig Counsell Wanted Miles Mastrobuoni on the Cubs’ Bench

    I don't know why Miles Mastrobuoni bugs some folks, but it's probably heavily-weighted toward his small-sample, bad-batted-ball-luck start last year, and that time he didn't dive while playing in right field. It can be hard to shake initial impressions, I...

    Kinda Sounds Like Craig Counsell May Have a Set Top Three in the Batting Order

    New Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell has said, generally, his batting order philosophy is the very simplistic (and very correct): just get your best hitters the most at bats. Sure, there's some play in that to set up good match-ups,...

    Los Angeles Dodgers Signing Will Smith to a TEN-YEAR Extension

    The Los Angeles Dodgers have done it again. And by it, I mean they have signed a funkily-structured contract that is going to leave some folks annoyed. The Dodgers are extending catcher Will Smith on a DECADE-long deal with a...

    The Stretch: 2024 MLB Season Preview

    On Monday, during a team-building conversation with some of the Bleacher Nation and Betsperts Media Group folks, we discussed sports—shocking, I know—and Brian Twining asked the group what their favorite sport was. For me, it's baseball. There's no debate. I...

    We Have to Talk About Some of the “Deals” the Cubs Sat Out in Free Agency

    This week, in a conversation with Jon Greenberg at The Athletic, Cubs President Jed Hoyer made an honest and sober (but also moderately disappointing) admission about the 2024 Chicago Cubs: "We need to perform probably at or a little bit...

    The Chicago Cubs Are Reportedly Now Worth Over $5 Billion

    Given all the tumult in the baseball broadcasting world, and the uncertain future for that portion of revenues, you'd be forgiven for expecting that MLB franchise valuations would slow their recent surge. But, according to Sportico at least, you'd be...

    Reds Second Baseman Matt McLain Had Shoulder Surgery

    The injury to Matt McLain's shoulder issue obviously wound up being worse than he and the Cincinnati Reds had been hoping. The damage to his left (non-throwing) labrum ultimately required surgery: https://twitter.com/m_sheldon/status/1772993402604339478 When the hope is that a guy can...

    Cubs Actually Getting a Whole Lot of Votes to Win the NL Central

    ESPN dropped its big season preview, and included were a set of divisional predictions by way of their writers, editors, and analysts voting. There's nothing in the way of proof or certainty there, but with 26 voters, I do like...

    Latest News

    Orioles vs. Angels Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Baltimore Orioles begin their season as -192 favorites in a home tilt against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday at 3:05 PM ET, live on BSW.Baltimore's Corbin Burnes and Los Angeles' Patrick Sandoval have been named the starters for...

    Wyoming vs South Dakota Women’s College Basketball Odds and Prediction – March 29

    The South Dakota Coyotes (23-12) will try to break a three-game road losing streak when they square off against the Wyoming Cowgirls (17-14) on March 29, 2024 at Arena-Auditorium.Wyoming vs. South Dakota NCAA Game InfoDate: Friday, March 29, 2024Time: 8:30...

    Minnesota vs North Dakota State Women’s College Basketball Odds and Prediction – March 29

    The Minnesota Golden Gophers (17-15) face the North Dakota State Bison (22-11) on March 29, 2024.Minnesota vs. North Dakota State NCAA Game InfoDate: Friday, March 29, 2024Time: 8:00 PM ETWhere: Minneapolis, MinnesotaVenue: Williams ArenaLast Game For Each TeamMinnesota enters this...

    Rays vs. Blue Jays Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Tampa Bay Rays (0-0) and the Toronto Blue Jays (0-0) face off on Thursday at Tropicana Field for Opening Day. First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET.The Rays will call on Zach Eflin versus the Blue Jays and Jose...

    Dodgers vs. Cardinals Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Los Angeles Dodgers (1-1) and the St. Louis Cardinals (0-0) face off at Dodger Stadium on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET, starting a four-game series.The Dodgers will look to Tyler Glasnow versus the Cardinals and Miles Mikolas.Dodgers vs. Cardinals...

    Padres vs. Giants Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The San Francisco Giants (0-0) begin a four-game series against the San Diego Padres (1-1) on Thursday at PETCO Park. First pitch is at 4:10 PM.The Padres will look to Yu Darvish versus the Giants and Logan Webb.Padres vs. Giants...

    Astros vs. Yankees Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Houston Astros (0-0) and the New York Yankees (0-0) face off on Thursday at Minute Maid Park for Opening Day. First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET.The Astros will call on Framber Valdez against the Yankees and Nestor Cortes...

    Reds vs. Nationals Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Cincinnati Reds (0-0) and the Washington Nationals (0-0) face off on Thursday at Great American Ball Park for Opening Day. First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET.The Reds will call on Frankie Montas against the Nationals and Josiah Gray.Reds...

    Marlins vs. Pirates Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Miami Marlins (0-0) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (0-0) match up on Thursday at LoanDepot park for Opening Day. First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET.The Marlins will look to Jesus Luzardo versus the Pirates and Mitch Keller.Marlins vs. Pirates...

    Twins vs. Royals Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Kansas City Royals (0-0) host the Minnesota Twins (0-0) in an Opening Day contest at 4:10 PM ET on Thursday.The Twins will call on Pablo Lopez versus the Royals and Cole Ragans.Twins vs. Royals Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen:...

    more cubs news