The Cubs are set to select the contract of veteran right-hander Shane Greene from Triple-A Iowa, reports ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. He adds that outfield prospect Alexander Canario, who’s already on the 40-man roster, will also be recalled for his Major League debut.
Greene, 34, has pitched in the Majors every year since 2014, albeit for just three innings in 2022. The former All-Star reliever experienced a stark dip in performance back in 2021 and has tallied just 26 2/3 innings from 2021-22, posting a 7.09 ERA in that time. He signed a minor league deal with the Cubs earlier in the summer and has since appeared in five games — all of them starts, interestingly — pitching to a 2.16 ERA with a 28.6% strikeout rate and 12.9% walk rate in a still-tiny sample of 16 2/3 innings. The Cubs have built him up since signing, and he’s totaled nine shutout innings with 12 strikeouts against three walks in his past two starts.
Whether Greene is used as a starter or initially added to the bullpen as a long reliever isn’t yet clear. The fact that he’s been starting and is stretched out enough to have thrown five innings in a recent start, however, gives the Cubs some options to consider in the season’s final month.
As for the 23-year-old Canario, he’ll make his big league debut just over two years after being acquired from the Giants in the trade that sent former Rookie of the Year and NL MVP Kris Bryant to San Francisco. While he’s not generally considered to be among the game’s very best prospects, Canario ranks 12th within the Cubs’ system at Baseball America, 14th at MLB.com and 24th at FanGraphs. He draws praise for his impressive raw power, above-average speed and strong throwing arm, but there are also concerns about Canario’s hit tool and penchant for strikeouts.
Shoulder and ankle injuries have limited Canario to 161 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this year, but he’s slashed .276/.342/.524 when healthy. He’s swatted eight homers in that time and popped 37 long balls across three levels (High-A, Double-A, Triple-A) during the 2022 season. However, Canario also fanned in 27.5% percent of his plate appearances last year and has struck out at a 28% clip so far in Triple-A this season.
As a Giants fan, I’ve been keeping my eye on Killian and Canario that we gave up for a rental of Bryant, time will tell
Hey even if just one of them pans out, you got Bryant when was still productive and Farhan didn’t give his current contract, which is looking like Anthony Rendon 2.0 in year 2.
Luke Little is the one that should be added to the Cubs roster. He has the makings of a lights out reliever. Look at his numbers!
Cubs need a long reliever or a spot starter right now to get them through the next week or so, I assume that’s more of what they’re going for. I think Greene will be a one and done.
There is probably still some roster gymnastics left to play Ray—but the bullpen is not the concern….getting something out of any starter consistently other than Hendricks, Steele and Assad is paramount right now. Can’t be running with 60% efficiency from the staff…..gotta go for lightning in a bottle at the beginning of games right now.
I don’t disagree with you on Little but with only two expansion spots they have to go elsewhere right now.
When I saw they were pitching Greene in Iowa I figured this was a strong likelihood if Taillon and Smyly kept looking totally lost!! And both sure look lost.
It does put Morel on notice, but he’s a long way from being buried. Being only 24, he’s likely to be a strong trade candidate this off season. The only thing I don’t like, is Wisdom being on this Sept roster instead of Mervis.
Mike- There’s probably going to be a lot of juggling this whole month. Greene has looked pretty good from the games I saw. If he’s anything like his old self even for the month, He could be pretty valuable. At least Ross has some new toys to play with, Let’s see if he knows what to do with them. Canario won’t get enough AB’s to make this a decent experience , But at this point any MLB AB’s can’t hurt him and it’s cool he gets to have a full off season to get ready. There’s no sense starting Little and Crow-Armstrong closer to Arbitration because they’re still very young. They’ll both get a shot next spring. Wisdom is a head scratcher all right.
Plus Anthony Kay is easily removed from the 40-man to make room for Little. But just like PCA, they are not going to want to be in a position where they bring Little up and then there’s a crunch and they have to option him.
Don’t be surprised if Little comes up for the last 10 games of the season.
Cubs only have like 38 guys on the 40 man WITH Greene. 4o man spots aren’t an issue.
I figure that Boxberger will come off the 60 at some point, with Palencia going back to Iowa.
Uncle Mike, I don’t think bringing up PCA starts his clock now, changes made recently.
Minors run longer this year, so better to have PCA getting regular playing time than getting sporadic at bats for a few weeks.
I don’t think it would be a big thing to option either one of them. I think Little needs to come up as soon as possible.
If he can help the MLB team now in a playoff race, you have to bring him up. His defense and speed can help, even if his offense is not great.
They could send a Cuas or Rucker down to make room for Little. They could definitely use a lefty in the bullpen.
I hope they option Mastrobuoni again for Luke Little and send Wisdom down for PCA. Luis Vazquez is also someone to keep an eye on. He’s been raking in Triple A. Plus he can play 3rd and SS.
Vazquez isn’t on the 40 man. I do think that he will have every chance to compete with Mastrobuoni for the backup 2B/3B role next spring, if they don’t extend Candelario.
Matt Shaw could be playing 3rd he’s already jumped 3 levels of minor leagues. He seems to be the real deal. The talking heads say he has a weak arm. Well Nick Madrigal had never played anything but 2nd his entire career. Including Little League. He’s been solid at 3rd. Proving you don’t need the strongest arm to play 3rd.
Played 3rd last night. His arm looked fine. I think the “arm strength” issue are evaluations on him staying at short, not moving to 3rd.
Cubs moving Shaw to 3rd probably indicates what the organization thinks of him. His rapid rise may keep Hoyer from spending money at 3rd during the offseason. Maybe they don’t roster Shaw in April, but mid-May if things go right.
He’s gonna likely be called up well before Dansby’s deal is up. And Nico isn’t going anywhere. (And hopefully they extend nico again before his new year deal is up. Which off8cally starts nexr year. I’d love it if Nico was a Cub for life
As it stands today they cannot option Mastrobuoni for a pitcher. The 28 man roster rules limit the number of pitchers on the active roster to 14. That is what they have.
When Cuas returns from bereavement he will have to take the spot back from a pitcher—most likely the Anthony Kay shuttle.
If Canario can stay anywhere near the 28% strike out rate (still not a flattering number) this is a direct message to Morel that the honeymoon is on hold and to Wisdom that the clock has struck midnight.
This is not a September “hey, let’s see how this kid is”. This is trial by fire and every at bat, every bit of wild swinging, every base running blunder is far too important now.
Without the brutal injury Canario would have probably been here much quicker.
Lol Morel and Wisdom should never see the lights in a stadium after this season unless they buy tickets
Huh? Morel will be a long term MLB player. Wisdom probably not. Morel is still young, and learning how to play the game.
Morel has had stretches of playing great. It’s not every day you see someone hit 12 homeruns in a 15 game stretch. Acuna Jr nor Ohtani has done that this year. Mid August he hit a walk off homerun. He’s there to stay. He can play just about any position. He’s not great on defense but there’s been far worse than him.
It’s quite possible that without the injury they would never have signed Tauchman in the off-season.
Morel certainly has had his moments, but he slashed .149/.222/.324 with a 40% K rate in 75 ABs in August. There’s a reason we haven’t been seeing him in the lineup everyday.
I agree with Mike, if Canario does well, Morel and Wisdom (post All-star .256/.340/.744 .33% K 48ABs) will lose even more playing time. Defensively, Wisdom and Morel are equally bad. For whatever reason, Ross has more faith in Wisdom in the field.
MLB pitchers have adjusted, Morel has not. For 2 months pitchers have been attacking Morel low off the plate at the outside corner. It repeats itself. 1st pitch low outside corner, 2nd inside off the plate, then 2 swing and misses on low pitches off the plate on the outside corner. If they make a mistake, he punishes it. Otherwise he’s in trouble.
I was a big Morel fan last year and defender during the offseason. But this slide feels the same as last year.
Pet peeves.
Using the term “Recalled” when it’s a players Major League debut. It’s called “Promoted” folks.
And also the term “postive regression”. Thank goodness that term is not bandied about the way it used to. It’s called “progression” folks!
Agree totally. Never got that whole ‘recalled for his major league debut’ thing. Makes no sense. I would also add using ‘re-aggravate’. Aggravate means to reinjure, so using re-aggravate is unclear. Did the writer misuse the term, or was the guy actually re-injured again? In which case, IMO, re-injured again is a better choice than re-aggravate.
He was already on the 40-man roster is the reason they used the word “recalled.” Players who are on the 40-man roster are automatically given invites to major league spring training. Those that don’t make the team are “optioned’ to the minors. That is what happened to Canario. He is now being “recalled” to the majors.
You can be on the 40 man roster and not be in the majors. It still makes no sense to be recalled to the majors when a guy has never been on a major league (26 man) roster. How can he be recalled to a place he’s never been?
I know that’s how the term is used, but the point is that linguistically it makes no sense to be recalled for a debut.
Because you are drafted by the big league club and then “optioned” to the minors or rookie league to begin your career.
Exceptions would be players signed directly to minor league contracts after not being drafted.
I don’t need it explained. I understand the terminology. Again the point is, from a language perspective, it makes zero sense to be recalled to somewhere you’ve never been. The basis for that logic is being on the 40-man with the inclusion of major league spring training somehow makes a guy a major-leaguer, despite never having been on a 26 man roster or been in a game at the major league level
And, given that terminology then, the only players to be promoted to the majors have to be guys not on the 40-man roster. Otherwise, every debut of a guy on the 40 man is a recall. IMO it would be much more clear to call a debut a promotion, and a recall for someone who was optioned after their debut.
He has been there. Spring Training counts and players on the 40-man roster are automatically given invites to major league Spring Training.
No s___ Sherlock. You really just don’t get the concept… obviously, so never mind. Have a nice evening.
I get it and got it. I’m explaining to you why you’re wrong. It’s ok.
You keep explaining something that I already knew. I didn’t need to have it repeatedly explained. I knew the reason. What you’re not getting is that, IMO, the reason itself is nonsensical, on a language use basis.
My point is the reason itself is a bit of linguistic twisted logic. For example, people will say they recall someone from their past. The way recalled is used in baseball is like recalling someone that they never knew, or where ever aware of; an impossibility.
You probably have a real problem with the word “inflammable” huh.
I don’t make the rules. Go take that up with the people that coined baseball terminology. Maybe write them a letter to the editor.
There’s no reason to be sarcastic or exaggerate my stance. I’m not railing against the terminology, nor demanding it be changed. Simply commenting on the odd use of the language for a player’s debut. Sorry that you didn’t get the gist of my comment, and felt the need to endlessly explain what was already understood.
I don’t have a problem with ‘inflammable’. But, are you suggesting that if one were to simply comment on the fact that it’s odd that ‘flammable’ and inflammable’ both mean the same thing, that that comment should be called into question?
I agree on “recalled” however progression and positive regression are not the same thing in a statistical context.
Progression is defined as: the process of developing or moving gradually towards a more advanced state
regression is: a statistical technique that relates a dependent variable to one or more independent (explanatory) variables. A regression model is able to show whether changes observed in the dependent variable are associated with changes in one or more of the explanatory variables.
In statistics regression is not in itself positive or negative.
Rynoshield, Thanks for that explanation. I was one of those that thought regression was always a negative, so positive regression seemed like an oxymoron. I learned something new today.
Pitcher being recalled possibly as 27th man for DH tomorrow.
The 27th man doesn’t matter since rosters expand tomorrow anyway.