Injured List Change, Pirates Get Their GM, Klutch Bryant, Patterson’s Journey, and Other Cubs Bullets

It has been quite a 24 hours. Whew. I did manage to watch the first episode of ‘The Mandalorian’ last night, though, and it was definitely as good as people were saying. It feels very much “in the Star Wars world,” so that’s key. Very high production value for a TV show, interesting characters, and lots of questions so far. I’m hooked. I expected to be, but yeah, I’m very hooked. (A reminder that you can sign up here for a free trial of Disney+ to watch stuff like that – and signing up supports BN via a commission, too, so thanks for that!)

  • One of the rumored rules changes to come in 2020 now sounds like (post-GM Meetings) like it is going to happen, according to Jon Heyman: the minimum injured list stay for position players will stay at 10 games, but for pitchers, it’s going to increase (back to the original) 15 games. The idea is that teams were unreasonably BS’ing about pitcher injuries so that they could effectively carry enormous bullpens. The Cubs never really took full advantage of the 10-day rule with pitchers anyway, so even for entirely selfish purposes, I support this rule change. Now if someone could just convince them to actually start using the IL for position players once in a while …
  • The Pirates finally have their new GM, and it’s Billy Corgan Ben Cherington, the former Red Sox GM who came just after Theo Epstein:
  • More coming for the Pirates, and you wonder if a deep rebuild is now coming (though they’re a bit behind the 8-ball with it already being mid-November) – and they still need a manager:
  • This is a nice reminder from Jordan Bastian:
  • This is SO good, and provides so much crucial context for Jack Patterson’s atypical prospect path:
  • Thanks to that time having to step away from baseball, Patterson undoubtedly matured, and also was in a position to rise so rapidly in 2019: he started out as a 23-year-old reliever in extended Spring Training (a profile that rarely leads to the upper levels of the minors, much less hyped prospect consideration) … but he ended the year a 24-year-old starter at AA Tennessee. Basically, once he showed where he was developmentally at A-ball to open the season, the Cubs simply pushed and pushed and pushed him until he found his level by the end of the year. And a guy with so little experience, reaching AA as a starter in his first full pro season? Yeah. You’re reasonable to dream big on him. Read more at CI for Patterson’s story, his stuff, and his impressive pitch mix.
  • Holiday goodies, cleaning supplies, office supplies, and (big recommendation) weighted blankets are among the Deals of the Day at Amazon today. #ad
  • Miscellaneous notes and bits from Jayson Stark about the trends we saw in the 2019 season:
  • Virtually all the trends are exactly what you’d expect, and exactly as strong as you’d expect. Still, the one that just SCREAMS at you is total strikeouts, which have climbed every single year for the last 15 years, and in that span, have gone from a league-wide mark of 30,644 to almost 43,000 this past year! Good God. That’s nearly a 50% increase in strikeouts in just 15 years, with no signs of slowing – the last four years have been some of the largest increases in the bunch!
  • That, by the way, is part of the reason the Cubs are so interested in improving contact from their hitters and improving strikeout rates from their pitchers. They are falling behind the industry.
  • 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

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    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...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    Latest News

    Washington State vs. Illinois Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Two hot teams meet when the Washington State Cougars (21-14) host the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-15) on April 1, 2024. The Cougars will put their three-game win streak on the line against the Fighting Illini, who have won three straight.On...

    Villanova vs. Penn State Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Villanova Wildcats (21-12) will try to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Penn State Lady Lions (22-12) on April 1, 2024. The Lady Lions have also won three games in a row.In its previous game, Villanova...

    Brewers vs. Mets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Milwaukee Brewers are moneyline favorites (-110) to begin their season with a road win over the New York Mets on Friday at 1:40 PM ET, live on SNY.Freddy Peralta takes the mound for Milwaukee while Jose Quintana is New...

    Braves vs. Phillies Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) host the Atlanta Braves (0-0) in an Opening Day game at 3:05 PM ET on Friday.The Braves will look to Spencer Strider against the Phillies and Zack Wheeler.Braves vs. Phillies Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen: Friday,...

    Suns vs. Thunder Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The game starts at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The matchup's point total is...

    Brewers vs. Mets Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Milwaukee Brewers (0-0) begin their 2024 season with a road matchup against the New York Mets (0-0) on Friday, with first pitch at 1:40 PM ET.The Brewers will give the nod to Freddy Peralta versus the Mets and Jose...

    Cavaliers vs. 76ers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) are 8-point underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday, March 29, 2024. The game starts at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup's point total is set at 212.5.Our computer predictions...

    Heat vs. Trail Blazers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Portland Trail Blazers (19-54) will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat (39-33) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at FTX Arena as heavy, 14-point underdogs. The contest airs at 8:00 PM ET on...

    Rockets vs. Jazz Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Utah Jazz (29-44) will try to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets (37-35) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Vivint Smart Home Arena as 7.5-point underdogs. The contest airs at 9:30 PM ET on...

    Bulls vs. Nets Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Chicago Bulls (35-38) hit the court against the Brooklyn Nets (28-45) as 5.5-point favorites on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup has an over/under set at 214.5 points.Before you place an informed wager...

    more cubs news