As Kyle Hendricks struggled again it's time..

[RuszBron1]

..to cut the cord, He no longer have the stuff to compete.. It's time to give some else chance. He is DONE.
Thoughts..

 

[TL1961]

I believe you are right.

 

[Discus fish salesman]

Love hendricks for what he's meant to the cubs, but I think he might have until Wicks is healthy to figure it out

 

[CSF77]

Wicks is a possibility but after Craig's after game talk I believe that the game a has passed Hendricks. Avg fastball in the league is around 95 and he struggles to get 90.

I've said it before but he is a 2 pitch pitcher and the league can sit on the sinker. He needed to go to the curve as a primary pitch and when he does he has success. As a 2 pitch guy with low velocity it is just a change up and a slower change up to these hitters.

Time to move on. Wesneski should be starting and when Wicks gets back then go 6 man until the ASG. At that point settle on a 5 man.

Horton is putting up a 9 ERA in Iowa so he is in a struggle phase. I would not look to him at this point.


With Steele also having issues and this is a topic in itself, Craig can not expect to compete with 2/5 auto loss and having 2 better options in the pen.


Regarding Steele. Last year most hitters could not figure his 4 seam. It had unpredictable movement and Steele painted it. This year he lacks that command.

He has said that he feels healthy and his velocity is normal for him. It is more about focusing on making a good pitch every time.

Now I do think that he will need to focus on a change or a split in the off-season. 2 pitch pitchers rarely have long term success against MLB hitting.


So to paraphrase this:

They are in a winning window and they need to cut and add to make it happen.

Even if it means Steele goes into the closer role and he can readdress a 3rd pitch in the winter.

It is about winning not making players happy. Winning makes players happy not cock service

 

[CSF77]

Cubs Moving Kyle Hendricks To Bullpen​

By Anthony Franco | May 21, 2024 at 5:57pm CDT

The Cubs are moving Kyle Hendricks to the bullpen for the time being, manager Craig Counsell told the team’s beat (X link via Patrick Mooney of the Athletic). Counsell indicated the team is hopeful that the veteran right-hander will be able to move back to the rotation in the future, but he’ll first need to improve his results.
Hendricks has been a starting pitcher for his entire career. For the first seven years of his MLB tenure, he was an unconventional top-of-the-rotation arm. Hendricks’ pristine command and ability to keep the ball on the ground more than overcame middling velocity and strikeout totals. He won the ERA title during Chicago’s curse-breaking 2016 season and picked up a pair of top 10 finishes in Cy Young balloting.
Things haven’t gone as smoothly over the last three and a half years. Hendricks posted a near-5.00 ERA in both 2021 and ’22. He returned from a capsule tear in his shoulder to turn in a 3.74 ERA over 24 starts a year ago. That convinced the Cubs to trigger a $16.5MM option for this season. While it wasn’t a particularly surprising move at the time, that’s a decision the front office surely wishes it could have back.
Opposing lineups have teed off on Hendricks through his first seven starts of 2024. He has allowed 37 runs over 30 2/3 innings. Hendricks has conceded 10 home runs and has a career-low 7.7% swinging strike rate. His 48.2% grounder percentage and 7.3% walk rate are each respectable, but opponents have put together a massive .362/.411/.638 slash line over 151 plate appearances.
A lower back issue sent Hendricks to the injured list at the end of April. Following a three-week absence, he returned to start a pair of games against the Pirates. Hendricks tossed five innings of one-run ball in his first outing back but was tagged for eight runs in 4 2/3 frames last week. Counsell acknowledged after the game that the Cubs needed better production from that rotation spot.
They’ll try to patch that together for the time being. The Cubs are planning a bullpen game on Thursday against the Braves in what would have been Hendricks’ spot. They’ll eventually need to settle on a fifth starter behind a strong front four of Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad. Righties Ben Brown and Hayden Wesneski are capable of logging multiple innings, and the Cubs could welcome back left-hander Jordan Wicks before too long.
A forearm strain sent Wicks to the injured list on April 28. Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune tweets that the former first-round pick will soon head on a rehab assignment after getting through a bullpen session this afternoon. While Wicks had a 4.70 ERA through his first five starts, a strong 25.9% strikeout rate offers reason for optimism that he can manage better results after being reinstated.
The injury news wasn’t all positive. Montemurro adds that reliever Adbert Alzolay is headed for a second opinion after being diagnosed with a flexor strain last week. Alzolay saved 22 games with a 2.67 ERA over 64 innings a year ago. He has had a much tougher start to the 2024 campaign, allowing 13 runs (nine earned) over 17 1/3 frames.

 

[RuszBron1]

Did anyone watched Kyle Hendricks pitching out of ballpen?.. Nothing changed, it's time to say thanks for the memories, and move on..

 

[Discus fish salesman]

Wicks is a possibility but after Craig's after game talk I believe that the game a has passed Hendricks. Avg fastball in the league is around 95 and he struggles to get 90.

I've said it before but he is a 2 pitch pitcher and the league can sit on the sinker. He needed to go to the curve as a primary pitch and when he does he has success. As a 2 pitch guy with low velocity it is just a change up and a slower change up to these hitters.

Time to move on. Wesneski should be starting and when Wicks gets back then go 6 man until the ASG. At that point settle on a 5 man.

Horton is putting up a 9 ERA in Iowa so he is in a struggle phase. I would not look to him at this point.


With Steele also having issues and this is a topic in itself, Craig can not expect to compete with 2/5 auto loss and having 2 better options in the pen.


Regarding Steele. Last year most hitters could not figure his 4 seam. It had unpredictable movement and Steele painted it. This year he lacks that command.

He has said that he feels healthy and his velocity is normal for him. It is more about focusing on making a good pitch every time.

Now I do think that he will need to focus on a change or a split in the off-season. 2 pitch pitchers rarely have long term success against MLB hitting.


So to paraphrase this:

They are in a winning window and they need to cut and add to make it happen.

Even if it means Steele goes into the closer role and he can readdress a 3rd pitch in the winter.

It is about winning not making players happy. Winning makes players happy not cock service

Cubs aren't in a winning window. Mostly because they're awful at making appropriate offseason additions

 

[CSF77]

Cubs aren't in a winning window. Mostly because they're awful at making appropriate offseason additions

I will disagree on this topic

I believe that they will rebound and at 100% the talent can play against any team.

But they will need a few things to happen.

1. Steele has to get back to his cy self. This version is not cutting it. This last game tells us that he is close

2. They need a legit #3 starter. Of the rest of the rotation all are back end arms. Now this should be internal ie Horton coming up.

3. They need a closer. TBH they should give it to Brown. His stuff is suited for it.

This alone stabilizes the staff. I really don't want to get into ass canning Hendricks. I would not put him in winnable games. Inning eater sure

The the real issue. O production.

They need a middle of the order bat that has a 400 OBA.

It really comes down to that. You can build around a player like that

I did see the Guerrero JR stuff. They have the talent to pull it. For a year plus I don't see Horton or PCA. Centered around Caissie. Yes and he is Canadian so the appeal for the Jays would be there. Having a national hero type

Then it would be mostly AA and AAA types. I could see Jed offering Assad if Horton is on the rotation. He has to pitch Taillon and Wicks Assad becomes the odd man out.

So I see the talent there to pull just about any MLB player but Jed is not going to sell the whole farm to do so. Guerrero Jr slots as the DH and can fill 1B vs lefties. It affects Tauchman. Happ also. But to get a bat like that you do it and not worry about it


But if it was me as the GM:

Hoerner 2B
Suzuki RF
Bellinger LF
Guerrero JR DH
Busch 1B
Morel 3B
Swanson SS
Gomes/Amaya C
PCA CF

I would push Happ into utility with Tauchman as OF. Luis retain for SS back up. I would dabble with Happ and Busch at 2B. Busch honestly has a solid glove and I could see some 2B down the road. Guys get banged up

 

[jooo83]

He hits his 10 years of MLB service next month. Which means he will qualify for a full pension. It will be interesting to see if he's still a member of the team after that.

 

[CSF77]

He hits his 10 years of MLB service next month. Which means he will qualify for a full pension. It will be interesting to see if he's still a member of the team after that.

Interesting. I could see some turn over pending around the ASG. If Kyle is shitting the bed at that point you need to cut. Cubs in it or out of it. Blocking development or blocking a upgrade to the pen.

I don't like the feel good bull crap in pro sports. They are too concerned with the reaction vs giving the fans a better product on the field.

Loyalty can bite ya in the ass.

 

[CSF77]

Also PCA is done with the window on being brought back up. I think it is 10 days unless a injury happens that forces it

The way he is playing and how Suzuki is struggling you have to bring up PCA l, move Bellinger to RF and get Suzuki out of there to clear his head. If he has a lingering issue post injury get it dealt with. And just get back to the guy that he was over the 2nd half last year.


Oohhh.

05/30/24Chicago Cubs optioned SS Luis Vazquez to Iowa Cubs.
05/30/24Chicago Cubs recalled OF Pete Crow-Armstrong from Iowa Cubs

Ya about time. First day available boom.