Cubs Bullpen Thoughts Aplenty, Rucker, Pelham, Kimbrel, Miley, Ortega, Reyes, and Other Cubs Bullets

Aug 17, 2022

The kids have their first day of school, which always brings the range of emotions. Time just keeps on marching. I’m really proud of all three of them, and that’s what I’ll try to hang onto most today, in between swallowed sobs.

The Cubs saw great outings last night from Michael Rucker, Brandon Hughes, and Mark Leiter Jr., all of whom have seen increased late-inning work following the Trade Deadline for obvious reasons. The Cubs had the best bullpen ERA in baseball in July, and have stepped back to middle-of-the-pack in August. That said, I do like that these guys are getting this time, which will help the Cubs sort out some role planning for next year (i.e., someone like Hughes, who is definitely going to be a key arm), and some roster planning for the offseason (i.e., guys like Rucker and Leiter, whom the Cubs may have on the fence for 40-man roster decisions).

Special shout to Rucker, whose bad outings have come in such highly-visible moments that I think some have the wrong idea about his ability. When he’s good – like last night – he flashes a good four-seamer that reaches 96 mph and a hard slider at 88 mph that behaves more like a really brutal cutter. In his 15 pitches last night, he got five whiffs, four of ’em on that slider. It’s a great pitch when paired with that four-seamer. Leiter’s changeup, too, is a great pitch now that I think of it, and he was showing it a lot last night for whiffs. Them being on the 40-man bubble this offseason is going to be so much more about the extreme depth on that side than about their ability. They are big league pitchers, or at LEAST quality up-down guys. (Contrast them with just-optioned Anderson Espinoza, who has not yet shown me that same big-league-caliber stuff.)

Wade Miley threw five effective innings at Iowa last night, so you’ve gotta assume he’s coming back to the big league team the next time through the rotation. The Cubs might use it as an opportunity to go to a six-man, or could use it to skip a start here and there for Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele as they blow past their career highs in innings. It’s also not impossible that the Cubs waive Drew Smyly to open up innings and save some cash (he’s got a buyout coming on his mutual option after the season, which he’s definitely not going to exercise, so he’s hitting free agency no matter what).

The reliever promotion chain bumped Zac Leigh from South Bend to Tennessee, and CD Pelham from Tennessee to Iowa. We’ve heard a lot about Leigh this year – his stuff rates very highly and his results have been outstanding – but not much about Pelham, who you might recall has been with the Cubs for years but hasn’t actually PITCHED in the org until this year.

Last appearing in pro baseball back in 2019 with the Rangers, Pelham has been working on various rehabs in Arizona with the Cubs, and finally debuted at Double-A in late May. After a couple hiccups initially, he’s dominated since early June: 2.20 ERA, 27.4% K, 10.6% BB, with at least one strikeout in every single outing except one. Given his age (27) and his fastball (potentially triple digits), I am sure the Cubs wanted to get a look at Pelham facing Triple-A batters for as long as possible before the end of the season. He is due to be a minor league free agent if he’s not added to the 40-man roster or signed to a successor contract before that (but, if the latter, he’ll be Rule 5 eligible).

And you’re perhaps thinking through that whole bullet, “Man, I feel like I haven’t heard about Pelham at all this year, so how is it that he’s a legit guy who is pitching well and should be on my radar?” The answer, of course, is that the Cubs just have SO MANY legit relief prospects right now. At every level. Tons and tons of guys who really do have big league potential, which is not always the case, even among relievers. You want tons and tons of IMPACT starters and positional starters, of course, but it’s never bad to have this kind of assembly line of relievers.

Speaking of relievers, and how you still want to take your low-cost shots in free agency … It has been a rough year for Craig Kimbrel in LA (he blew another one last night), but his peripherals remain so much better than his results (the BABIP is near .400 despite the contact not being THAT good). All I can think about is (1) how the last place where he was his dominant self was back with the Cubs last year, and (2) the Cubs have a track record of bouncing back formerly great relievers. So, yeah, I’m already very much thinking about the Cubs adding him to their bullpen this offseason when he’s a free agent. He’s exactly the kind of guy the Cubs have picked up on modest one-year deals, and then they’ve exploded.

I think Bryan makes a good point here, and I have an additional one:

I don’t like being this guy, but you can’t reward mistakes like yesterday’s Ortega TOOTBLAN with a lineup spot today. Accountability has to be part of culture, imo. And a fourth outfielder needs to do the little things well; Ortega has done them really quite badly this yr.— Cubs Prospects – Bryan Smith (@cubprospects) August 17, 2022

For me, the bigger issue with continuing to start Ortega almost every day is that we already know by now that he’s a virtual lock to not stay on the 40-man all offseason. So that means it serves very little giving him those starts (it’s not like he’s helping the Cubs win games, which does have value, as Nico Hoerner pointed out). Just let Nelson Velazquez and Christopher Morel take those starts, and/or heck, let Ian Happ get back out there to see if he’s still passable.

Your ballpark is exceedingly stupid if that Franmil Reyes shot would not have been a home run:

Franmil Reyes vs Patrick Corbin#ItsDifferentHere

Home Run 💣

Exit velo: 107.1 mph
Launch angle: 25 deg
Proj. distance: 418 ft

This would have been a home run in 29/30 MLB ballparks.
Only Oracle Park would've held this one in.

CHC (4) @ WAS (0)
🔺 6th pic.twitter.com/BA0kKwLoEP— Would it dong? (@would_it_dong) August 17, 2022

Speaking of Reyes, it’s fun to me that he has increased his wRC+ by a full 10 points (69 to 79) in just a single August week with the Cubs.

Just for fun …

Since he arrived with the Cubs on August 9, Franmil Reyes has been the 27th best hitter in baseball by wRC+ (184).

In that same period, the 9th best hitter in baseball?

It's actually a tie between Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ (226).— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) August 17, 2022

How much does nobody know the balk rules? Even when the pitcher does the most balk-iest thing he can possibly do, the umps still have to conference:

ICYMI this happened six days ago also with Bregman on second base. pic.twitter.com/YDSR6jTwQr
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 17, 2022

That is the definition of an intentional balk, and both times it was like, “uh, wait, is that … do we … I think maybe … OK, yes, yeah, that’s a balk, I see it now!” (Also, Alex Bregman both times, eh? I guess teams think the Astros are still doing their thing, even in the PitchCom era. That’s pretty interesting, isn’t it? Maybe it’s not sign-stealing, but is pitch-tipping based on how the pitcher holds his hands pre-pitch?)

Obviously the teams can’t do this for athletes in their own sports (right?), but this is a cool way to support Chicago athletes, and I wouldn’t mind seeing the Cubs get into it:

🚨 THIS JUST IN 🚨

The #WhiteSox are proud to introduce CHISOX Athlete – an NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) program created to help empower student-athletes, their voices and careers both on and off the field. pic.twitter.com/ZVyhDngB8m— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 17, 2022

written by

Brett Taylor

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

Chicago Cubs

Dansby Swanson with a First Inning Three-Run Homer

For the second straight night, the Cubs are jumping all over the Astros in the first inning. After a couple hits from Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to get things going, Michael Busch hit a sac fly, Christopher Morel walked,...

Brett Taylor

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Welcome Back to Iowa, Brennen Davis: Rocket Homer in His First Game Post-Rehab

What a road it's been - continues to be - for Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis. The former top prospect was on a rocket ship to Triple-A in 2021, and then mostly lost the last two years to various injuries....

Brett Taylor

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

CRAAAAAP: Cody Bellinger to the Injured List (UPDATES)

So much for all those words of optimism and negative X-rays. After colliding with the outfield wall last night, Cody Bellinger fractured his rib (Update: It's actually TWO fractured right ribs) and will hit the injured list today. Chicago Cubs...

Michael Cerami

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs Lineup: What is it, June 2023?

CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs took Game 1 against the Houston Astros in convincing fashion last night. So tonight, they'll go for the quick series win against Spencer Arrighetti at Wrigley Field (it'd be a good idea to win...

Michael Cerami

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Bellinger Optimistic Post-Injury, Busch’s Defense, Almonte Stock Rising, Tauchman Slugging, and Other Cubs Bullets

Ed. Note: Since this article was published, a CT scan revealed a rib fracture for Cody Bellinger, who is now on the Injured List. You can find all the details of that news in our most recent article right here....

Michael Cerami

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Cubs Outfield Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong Coming Up

With Cody Bellinger headed to the Injured List with a rib fracture, the Cubs are in need of another outfielder: center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is coming back up to the big leagues for the second time. https://twitter.com/670TheScore/status/1783217891195625709 Crow-Armstrong, 22,...

Brett Taylor

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Is Mike Tauchman the Best Player in Baseball? An Exploration

Hey, we're just having some early-season fun. So allow me to present the 'Mike Tauchman Is Clearly Better Than' list. As of this moment, Mike Tauchman has ... ... a higher wRC+ (151) than Pete Alonso, Fernando Tatis Jr., and...

Brett Taylor

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Cubs Farm Report | April 24, 2024: Kevin Alcántara Cannot Miss Right Now

Name a player hotter than Kevin Alcántara right now. Go ahead, I'll wait. (He's already raking again today. Literally as I type this.) More on Alcántara's big day and the Smokies home run parade last night in today's Cubs Farm...

Patrick K. Flowers

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Oof: Blake Snell to the Injured List Just Three Horrible Starts into His Giants Career

Just three starts into his San Francisco Giants career, Blake Snell is heading to the injured list with a left-adductor strain. Oof. You hate to even say it — and who really knows if this was related — but early...

Michael Cerami

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

It’s Gotten Impossible to Not Comment on the White Sox Making Futility History

In 1997, I was a miserable Chicago Cubs fan. I mean, that was true a lot of the time, but I mean it in a very specific way that year: the Cubs had started the season 0-14. They had literally...

Brett Taylor

Apr 24, 2024

How to Watch

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

Triston McKenzie takes the mound for the Cleveland Guardians (17-7) when they host starter Chase Anderson and the Boston Red Sox (14-11) at 1:10 PM ET on Thursday.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to watch Cleveland...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

Picks

Maple Leafs vs. Bruins NHL Playoffs First Round Game 4 Prediction: Picks, Live Odds and Moneyline – Saturday, April 27, 2024

The bookmakers are expecting a close game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins when they meet on Saturday at 8:00 PM ET, with the Maple Leafs at -112 on the moneyline, and the Bruins at -108.Maple Leafs vs....

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

How to Watch

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

On Thursday, looking for a series sweep, Caleb Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners (12-11) face Adolis Garcia and the Texas Rangers (12-12), with first pitch scheduled for 2:35 PM ET at Globe Life Field.If you're planning on watching this game,...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

How to Watch

How to Watch Padres vs. Rockies: Live Stream or on TV

The San Diego Padres (13-13), with Randy Vasquez on the mound, visit the Colorado Rockies (6-18) who will counter with Dakota Hudson, at 3:10 PM ET on Thursday.If you're planning on watching this game, keep reading for TV and streaming...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

NFL

2024 Las Vegas Raiders Big Board: Potential First-Round Fits Including Tackle & Cornerback

The desert heat is rising in Las Vegas, and so are the expectations for the Raiders. The 2024 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and the Silver and Black hold the 13th overall pick. Will they prioritize shoring up the offensive...

Brian Twining

Apr 24, 2024

How to Watch

Twins vs. White Sox: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Minnesota Twins (9-13), led by Ryan Jeffers, host Gavin Sheets and the Chicago White Sox (3-20) at 1:10 PM ET on Thursday.If you're intending to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and TV options for the Minnesota-Chicago matchup.When...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

How to Watch

Astros vs. Cubs: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

Justin Verlander takes the ball for the Houston Astros (7-17) when they visit starter Javier Assad and the Chicago Cubs (14-9) at 2:20 PM ET on Thursday.Keep reading to see how to watch the Houston-Chicago matchup below.When is Astros vs....

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

How to Watch

Royals vs. Blue Jays: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

Cole Ragans will take the mound for the Kansas City Royals (14-10) when they host starter Jose Berrios and the Toronto Blue Jays (13-11) in a rubber match on Thursday, with first pitch at 2:10 PM ET.If you're trying to...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

How to Watch

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

Juan Soto and the New York Yankees (17-8) host Abraham Toro and the Oakland Athletics (9-16) on Thursday, with first pitch at 7:05 PM ET.If you're intending to watch this game, keep reading for TV and streaming options for the...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Dansby Swanson with a First Inning Three-Run Homer

Brett Taylor

Apr 24, 2024

Cubs Bullpen Thoughts Aplenty, Rucker, Pelham, Kimbrel, Miley, Ortega, Reyes, and Other Cubs Bullets

Read More

more cubs news

Latest News

more cubs news

Most Popular

Most Popular

Latest News

Most Popular

Most Popular