The Cubs have spent much of this season hunting for pitching help, and that search has already pushed them into a handful of different bets. The biggest move so far was the trade for David Peterson, but the front office has also kept taking swings on arms with loud velocity.
That approach fits what the organization has leaned into lately, even if velocity has not exactly been the calling card of the Cubs’ big-league pitching philosophy. Still, it has been the common thread in the gambles they’ve made.
One of the latest names to pop is Antoine Kelly. The Cubs sent cash considerations to the Los Angeles Dodgers for the left-handed reliever last month, and the former second-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019 has yet to make his MLB debut.
Since landing with Iowa, though, he has looked the part of a fast-moving bullpen arm. His fastball is approaching triple digits, and he has been dominant with the I-Cubs, posting a 0.71 ERA in just under 13 innings while striking out more than 27% of the hitters he’s faced.
With the Cubs bullpen turning into a revolving door in recent weeks, Kelly looks like a strong candidate to be next in line for the big-league club. That may only be a temporary answer until a larger move comes at the deadline, but his performance has put him firmly in the mix.
Another prospect worth tracking as the deadline approaches is Jonathon Long. The Cubs may have waited too long to move him, because his path has started to get crowded.
When he was drafted in 2023, there was some belief he could grow into a super utility option off the bench, and at times it looked like he might be one Michael Busch injury away from reaching the majors. That picture has changed.
Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez now appear to be ahead of him, and while a trade involving Shaw or Ramirez could alter the outlook, the more likely outcome is that Long is moved at the deadline.
Long has also taken a step back at Iowa this season, hitting .266/.346/.419 with a 95 wRC+. That is his lowest mark since entering the Cubs’ system, and with the way the big-league roster looks, it’s difficult to picture him still in the organization by this time next year.
Moises Ballesteros, meanwhile, has not yet found the reset the Cubs were hoping for after sending him back to the minors. His offensive slump has followed him there. Since the demotion, he is slashing .229/.355/.292 with a 69 wRC+, a rare rough stretch for him in the Cubs’ system.
The sample is still small - 62 plate appearances over 14 games - so there is no reason for alarm yet. But anyone expecting Ballesteros to be back in the majors within the next week or two will probably have to wait longer than they thought.
In Other News...
Cubs Face A Draft Risk They Really Cannot Afford Again
The Cubs head into the upcoming MLB Draft with a familiar need hanging over the board: pitching, and especially pitching that can actually move the needle in an organization light on high-end arms. That urgency makes the first round feel less like a luxury pick and more like a chance to start fixing a long-running problem, even if the pool of college arms comes with the usual medical questions.
Chicagos caution is understandable after recent swings on injured pitchers such as Cade Horton and Jaxon Wiggins, and it has left the club wary of repeating the same mistake. One of the names drawing attention comes with enough arm-related concern to make the Cubs think twice, which is exactly the kind of draft crossroad they can ill afford to get wrong again. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Finally Got The Boyd And Bregman Boost They Needed
The Cubs opened their three-game set in Baltimore with a 5-2 win, and the night had the kind of shape they have been looking for from two of their bigger additions. Matthew Boyd gave them six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, his most extended outing since coming off the injured list, while Alex Bregman came through with the sort of timely contact that can change a game when runners are on base.
Boyds line was the bigger story, especially after he worked through a couple of baserunners and still kept the Orioles off the board, and manager Craig Counsell made clear afterward how much that mattered. Bregman also helped push the Cubs into control with an RBI single and another run-producing play later, giving Chicago a needed boost from the middle of the order even as some of the lineups struggles continued to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Deadline Pressure Is Growing Around One Problem They Can't Escape
With the amateur draft still occupying most front offices, the trade market has not fully come into focus yet, but the Cubs already know the kind of problem they will be trying to solve. Chicagos pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries, leaving the club in a spot where the need is less about sorting starters from relievers and more about simply finding healthy arms. Craig Counsell has framed the deadline ask in broad terms, and that makes sense with so many pieces unavailable.
The list of sidelined pitchers is long enough to shape how the Cubs think about July, from Justin Steele and Cade Horton to Hoby Milner and Daniel Palencia. Jameson Taillon is at least moving in the right direction after a rehab outing in which he worked 3 1/3 innings and 45 pitches, and he is expected to make one more rehab start before rejoining the rotation after the All-Star break. Even then, Chicago may have to manage him carefully early on, which only underscores why the deadline pressure around pitching keeps building. [Read more 🡒]