The Cubs announced a trio of roster moves this morning, including the news that left-hander Kyle Ryan’s contract has been selected from Triple-A. To create roster space for Ryan, righty Cory Abbott was optioned to Triple-A and right-hander Robert Stock was designated for assignment.
Ryan returns to the active roster after being DFA’ed and then outrighted to Triple-A earlier this season. After being a major part of Chicago’s bullpen in 2019, Ryan struggled to a 5.17 ERA over 15 2/3 innings in 2020, thanks in large part to six homers allowed in that brief amount of work. However, the southpaw has given up only one homer in 21 1/3 combined innings for the Cubs and at Triple-A Iowa this year — while another small sample size, it looks like Ryan has gotten his homer problem under control.
He’ll be a fresh arm for a Chicago bullpen that also features three other lefties (Andrew Chafin, Brad Wieck, Rex Brothers), and Ryan will also contribute to a Cubs pitching staff that has prioritized keeping the ball on the ground this season. The Cubs rank fourth in the majors in pitcher groundball rate, and Ryan has a 54.5% grounder rate over his seven MLB seasons.
Stock was only selected to the active roster earlier this week, and he allowed five runs over four innings in a spot start — his first start in 53 career games in the big leagues. The Cubs claimed Stock off waivers from the Red Sox in December and already designated him and outrighted him off the 40-man earlier this season, so Stock has the option to elect free agency.
Despite getting off to a decent start, and playing in a winnable division – this season now has the distinct smell of a tear down and rebuild for the Cubs. Thank you Ricketts family. You tipped your hand last off-season when the reports came out, that you weren’t happy with the (ROI) Return on Investment. Then came the Darvish trade.
Connect the dots.
What a stupid take.
Dogbone- it ain’t over yet. I still think Cubs will hold firm and win division with Cardinals second.
Thanks Pete, your more optimistic than I am, lol. I guess I’m hoping for more than a team that just backs into the playoffs. Once Darvish was traded for players that are at most, 3 to 4 years away, Ricketts lost me. There isn’t much choice, except for blowing this all up and moving on. Hoping Ricketts sells to an owner that knows what they’re getting into.
Poetically, what they need most right now is what they gave away. Darvish. Watch and see if Hoyer has to give up more to get a starter at the deadline than he got in the Darvish debacle.
I am a lifelong cubs fan and understand the business. The owners made a decision to cut payroll this year and in the future when they let Darvish go for very little in return.
I assume they won’t upgrade and spend to improve our team ?
So they just move forward as the 4-6 best national league team and lose maybe 7-9. Players to free agency then they fill in a cheap as possible and we officially have an awful team next year?
No matter what it seems we lose most of the stars this winter for zero return …
The last 5 years the cubs on paper have had the best roster I have ever know for a cubs team. Even the 1969 cubs as Ernie was at the end of his career…Its all going away as they will be rebuilding !!! So I would trade now seems crazy to say but if others like the White Sox for instance part with some real talent they should deal a few player ??
No true #1 starter and no one on the starting staff has an ERA under 4,the bullpen is already overworked before the ASG. All the excitement being in 1st this time of year will be replaced by the idiots buying $15 watered down beer to make a cup snake in August and September.
Are you honestly saying you’ve never paid for a beer at a ball games? Maybe you pregame first but if you look at It. 15$ for a tall boy isn’t that bad. That’s $7.50 a beer because tallboys equals 2 beers. . No matter where you go restaurants and bars alike charge $6-8 a beer.
No doubt a winnable division. The reality is that the lack of starting pitching depth for the Cubs is beginning to catch up with them. Another concern for the Cubs is how much longer can the bull pen maintain the level of surprising effectiveness they have demonstrated the 1st 1/3 or so of the season. Definitely some rough times for the Cubs the past several games. GM Hoyer will need to access if this is merely a typical part of the ups and downs of a long season or what this team actually is. He has about a month to make a logical determination.
Kyle Ryan sounds like the name of the lead in a generic Michael Bay shoot-em-up film.
Jack Ryan’s son? I can hear the Father’s Day preview already…
Looks like Stock has really fallen after finally being up this week.
Money never sleeps, pal.
Why does Robert Stock keep getting chances? It’s an Unsolved Mystery.
Stack-ing up the chances: he throws hard. Teams like the fastball velo…
If you haven’t seen his Twitter feed, he is a character. I’m for all the opportunities he can get to be around baseball.
Division up for grabs. Other than the Pirates, anyone could win.