NL Central

[Frisbee Slider]

Not rooting for injury but I would not want my ace saying he is unfazed by velo dip after getting shelled by White Sox.

https://www.mlb.com/news/shota-imanaga-lasts-three-plus-innings-against-white-sox

[Brian]

The Cubs lost two of their last three games including a significant 12-5 loss to the White Sox. Their record in the last 10 games is 5-5. While they had some strong victories in that stretch, the recent losses are causing worry among fans and observers. So are the Cubs in panic mode with there recent transactions of the past 5 days? 

07/25/25	Chicago Cubs signed RHP Riely Hunsaker.
07/24/25	Chicago Cubs signed RHP Connor Spencer.
07/24/25	Chicago Cubs signed C Logan Poteet.
07/24/25	Chicago Cubs signed OF Josiah Hartshorn.
07/24/25	Chicago Cubs signed RHP Freddy Rodriguez.
07/24/25	Chicago Cubs signed RHP Kaemyn Franklin.
07/24/25	Chicago Cubs signed RHP Connor Knox.
07/24/25	Chicago Cubs signed RHP Kaleb Wing.
07/24/25	Chicago Cubs sent RHP Javier Assad on a rehab assignment to ACL Cubs.
07/24/25	Chicago Cubs signed RHP Nate Williams.
07/22/25	Chicago Cubs sent C Miguel Amaya on a rehab assignment to ACL Cubs.
07/22/25	Chicago Cubs signed free agent RHP Zach Pop to a minor league contract.
07/21/25	Chicago Cubs signed RHP Jake Knapp.
07/21/25	Chicago Cubs signed RHP Dominick Reid.
07/21/25	Chicago Cubs signed C Justin Stransky.
07/21/25	Chicago Cubs signed RHP Eli Jerzembeck.
07/21/25	Chicago Cubs signed LHP Colton Book.
07/21/25	Chicago Cubs signed LHP Pierce Coppola.
07/21/25	Chicago Cubs signed RHP Noah Edders.

[Frisbee Slider]

31 minutes ago, Brian said:

So are the Cubs in panic mode with there recent transactions of the past 5 days? 

I perceive a lot of worry on the north side. However, those transactions appear to be signing 2025 draft picks.

if Shota is injured again, it is difficult to imagine how the Cubs piece together an effective rotation without meaningfully diminishing their farm system.

[Brian]

8 minutes ago, Frisbee Slider said:

I perceive a lot of worry on the north side. However, those transactions appear to be signing 2025 draft picks.

if Shota is injured again, it is difficult to imagine how the Cubs piece together an effective rotation without meaningfully diminishing their farm system.

I was wondering why I only recognized a few of the names. That makes more sense now with your insight. 

[Frisbee Slider]

I guess Cubs will get Taillon and Assad back from injuries In August 🤷‍♂️

[Brian]

Cubs given a run on an interference call that wasn't interference and Cubs win the game by one over sox. 

https://www.mlb.com/cubs/video/mike-vasil-ball-to-matt-shaw

[JCREW]

1 hour ago, Brian said:

Cubs given a run on an interference call that wasn't interference and Cubs win the game by one over sox. 

https://www.mlb.com/cubs/video/mike-vasil-ball-to-matt-shaw

Yeah. The throw put him in that spot. Pretty obvious that there is no obstruction in that situation. 

[zurch1818]

As a Brewer fan, I 100% agree.

As a baseball fan...that's way too many throws for a rundown. My little league coach would have been irate. The White Sox deserved it.

 

[markedman5]

White Sox being the White Sox today too

 

[HarveysWBs]

I don’t think we should count on anybody else in the Cubs’ second half schedule to be doing our dirty work besides us. Time to take care of business.

[Underachiever]

12 hours ago, markedman5 said:

White Sox being the White Sox today too

 

The guy who originally tweeted this must never have heard of the infield fly rule if he's got googly eyes over the play.

[Brewer77]

The Cubs gave Hoyer a multi year extension. Interesting timing for it

[JCREW]

6 hours ago, Underachiever said:

The guy who originally tweeted this must never have heard of the infield fly rule if he's got googly eyes over the play.

When did the Sox runner leave from second? Did he not realize that the Infield Fly rule had been called?

[Underachiever]

1 hour ago, JCREW said:

When did the Sox runner leave from second? Did he not realize that the Infield Fly rule had been called?

I just think he took a chance, and lost. Hoerner’s back was to him.

[Fear The Chorizo]

2 hours ago, Brewer77 said:

The Cubs gave Hoyer a multi year extension. Interesting timing for it

Yeah, I think there are far more things that are likelier to happen on the field and with contracts/roster management between now and the end of this year that would make Cub fans want Hoyer to go away after his deal ends, not extended.

 

I view this news as a good thing for Brewers fans

[markedman5]

Reds were down 11-3 in the 8th and just scored 8 runs without making an out.

Baseball is a crazy game 

[Zad Fnark]

3 minutes ago, markedman5 said:

Reds were down 11-3 in the 8th and just scored 8 runs without making an out.

Baseball is a crazy game 

Watching it now.  I generally root for them if they're not playing Milwaukee.  Exciting game.

[markedman5]

Reds lose in 10 innings 

Now 9 games behind us in the loss column……they are the first team out of the WC

[Frisbee Slider]

Reds bullpen seems inadequate, irrespective of last night’s game. Red’s pen did allow eight earned runs yesterday, though.

[markedman5]

Pirates were up 9-0 in the first at Colorado………it didn’t end well.

[Underachiever]

Great tribute to Ryne Sandberg by the Cubs. Losing 4-3. That’s what you write in the scorebook on a groundout to 2nd. It’s almost poetic 

[SF70]

On 7/28/2025 at 6:57 PM, Fear The Chorizo said:

Yeah, I think there are far more things that are likelier to happen on the field and with contracts/roster management between now and the end of this year that would make Cub fans want Hoyer to go away after his deal ends, not extended.

 

I view this news as a good thing for Brewers fans

Absolutely is.

Hoyer & Counsell are perfect for each other. Arnold can continue to school Jed, while Murphy can continue to do the same with Counsell.

Counsell thinking the grass was greener in Chicago will go down as an epic mistake in judgement.

[Lathund]

Hoyer extenstion is pretty good news. It's not that the Hoyer front office is awful or anything, but it's also not one of the elite organizations in the league. If they had gotten whatever todays equivalent of Friedman at the time he was hired by the Dodgers, combined with a top 5 (or top 3) revenue, the division would get significantly harder. The Hoyer regime is ... fine. But their player acquisitions and roster management is all very traditional. They sign mid-market FAs, they go for veterans. They're a team that'll go for those players with the flashy surface stats but underlying worrying numbers (Montero, Pressly to take some reliever examples). 

They've made some bigger signings (Swanson), they've done some big trades (Tucker in particular). But it's like they are active without really being decisive or really impactful. Trade for Tucker and start the season like they did, and you kinda have to go big or else the trade would be wasted. Otherwise they could've just kept Paredes, Smith, Wesneski and Bellinger instead. 

A high-revenue team coming out of a 4-year rebuild should be super scary. Cubs are good, but they're an old team with a somewhat underwhelming farm. All of their MLB-ready guys have question marks. The pitching in the upper minors is uninspiring. They'll have a good lineup next year too, but they'll have to make a lot of acqusitions to build depth, particularly pitching. And a lot of impending FAs after 2026. 

I think if the Cubs had a budget like the Yankees or Dodgers had at times, they'd be a dangerous team. But as it is, they build their roster as if they did, but then run out of money partway through. 

[82brewcrew82]

I get the Cubs got off to a hot start but they have been pretty average since that payed out.  The top four in the lineup are very good, maybe not as good as they were in April/May but good.  Having said that, what else about that team inspires fear?  Bullpen...no (even after the trades), rotation, no (not a playoff rotation in my mind).  The rest of the offense is pretty meh.  They are good, no doubt, but I'd rather face them than say a Marlins team that sneaks in during the first round.

[Frisbee Slider]

5 minutes ago, 82brewcrew82 said:

I get the Cubs got off to a hot start but they have been pretty average since that payed out. 

Rea is below replacement level entering today. Faces an even more below replacement level starter today for Baltimore.

Tomorrow, Soroka makes his Cubs debut with 4.87 ERA. Soroka has potential but hasn’t been a tremendous difference maker since his age 21 season back in 2019.