The Cubs announced a series of roster moves to add some fresh arms to the bullpen after their recent pair of extra-inning games taxed the relief corps. Right-handers Hayden Wesneski and Colten Brewer are up from Triple-A Iowa — the latter of whom had his contract selected to the 40-man roster. Chicago optioned righty Daniel Palencia and lefty Luke Little to open a pair of spots on the active roster. Right-hander Julian Merryweather, already shelved with a stress fracture in his ribcage, was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot for Brewer on the 40-man roster. He’s been on the IL since April 6, meaning he’ll now be out until at least June 6.
The Cubs will be the fourth big league club for Brewer, 31. The right-hander tossed 8 1/3 innings with the Yankees in 2023 and has previously spent time with the Padres and Red Sox. He’s logged a combined 99 1/3 innings across parts of five MLB campaigns, pitching to a 4.98 ERA with a 19.7% strikeout rate, 13.1% walk rate and 51.3% grounder rate. Brewer also spent time with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball last year, hurling 11 1/3 innings while allowing three runs on six hits and six walks (one intentional) with 14 strikeouts.
Brewer signed with Chicago on a minor league pact over the winter and had a strong spring training (seven innings, one run, eight strikeouts, no walks). He’s posted quite similar numbers in Des Moines so far: 7 2/3 innings pitched, three hits, one earned run, two walks, nine strikeouts. The 6’4″ righty is no stranger pitching to working in a long-relief role and could give the Cubs multiple innings if needed.
A protracted absence for Merryweather stings for the Cubs. The 32-year-old joined the organization as a waiver claim out of Toronto in January 2023 and quickly became one of their most important relievers. Since Opening Day ’23, Merryweather touts a 3.29 ERA (3.46 FIP, 3.41 SIERA) with a huge 32.1% strikeout rate. His 11.7% walk rate could rather obviously stand to improve, but Merryweather has done a nice job keeping the ball in the yard and frequently overpowering opponents with a heater that’s averaged 98.1 mph as a Cub. Among the 244 big league pitchers to toss at least 70 innings since Opening Day 2023, Merryweather’s 15.4% swinging-strike rate ranks 11th, placing him right between Mariners setup stud Matt Brash and reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell.
The Chicago Cubs: The Dynasty That Never Was.
And tare down the dump of a stadium.
WHITE SOX- the superiors on the South Side (the real Chicago and the real stadium/fanbase/history).
troll muted
Remind everyone what’s the White Sox record again.
Somebody got their evening started early…
Looks like 5 o’clock came a little early today
Please seek some help. It may not be too late. That stuff is killing your brain cells.
Agreed, they need a new stadium and remove those pillars that block the game. Once the A’s get a new stadium the cubs will have the worse stadium in MLB. I have been to all 30 parks and the only good thing about the stadium is the bars outside.
I wish you a speedy recovery on your brain injury.
Another Sox fan having his stroke in installments.
1. Tear*
2. Comiskey Park allows people to get shot at.
3. The White Sox are 2-15, definitely aren’t the “real Chicago team”
4. The white Sox are the 7th most populat team in Chicago
Bears
Cubs
Blackhawks
Bulls
Red Stars(women’s football/ or soccer for the layman)
Sky
White Sox
Nice try though.
@logjammer Comiskey Park? It was demolished and over 30 years ago. Unless you mean the parking lot of Guaranteed Rate Field?
I’m never going to call it that. I still say Jacobs Field and Bank One Balllpark.
It was designated as Comiskey Park from when it opended in 1991 til the end of the 2003 season before US Cellular bought the naming rights. It has only been Guarenteed Rate Field since 2017. I think many of us still call ballparks by the names we remember. I find myself still calling T-Mobile Park Safeco Field
I just went to a Mariners/ Cubd game at Safeco Field.
Guaranteed Rate Field is such an awful name. Also I’ll still call the Brewers stadium Miller Park or Wrigley North. It was so dumb how they changed it. They should’ve renewed their deal with Miller beer.
Just say no.
I would love to see Brewer catch on with Milwaukee. Kind of like when Johnny Podres played for San Diego.
Podres was also their pitching coach in 1973. SD let a good one get away there.
Brewer will probably be DFA’d soon enough unless he still has options left which I doubt. They can’t send him down without waiving him so you might get to see that yet. If the Cubs starters don’t start tossing some innings it’s going to be a parade back and forth. I’m curious as to how much rope they’ll give Hendricks and how much say CC has in the matter.
Or maybe he’ll be a surprise addition like Julian Merriweather last year. Who was a massive loss for at least 60 days. Going on the 60Day IL today.
As long as the new ‘surprise’ isn’t like Cuas. Especially giving up Velasquez for Cuas.
There was no spot for Velasquez unfortunately. They definitely should’ve and could’ve got more for him..
True Jammer. Velasquez was even behind Brennen Davis who is now like the Cubs 8th best OF. By the way have you seen Velasquez lately? I saw him play in the Sox series and he looks like he’s put on 25 lbs. He might be trying to eat his way out of the league. Velasquez wasn’t a huge loss but Cuas wasn’t a huge gain either. Maybe they should convert him back into an infielder.
Wicks looks like he’s pressing a little bit. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Taillon added tomorrow and Wicks go down for a little refresher course. Wesneski doing an awesome job giving the pen a rest. If Taillon, Brown, Assad, Imanaga and Hendricks can at least straighten himself out until Steele comes back it good be an awesome thing.
I think Kyle may finally be toast. I’ve loved him on the team for years but jeez Jed… After all the pontificating in the offseason about the bullpen being what killed em last season, this is what you thought would work? And you could’ve signed Montgomery for a song and you didn’t- and don’t give me that ‘too many LH starters bs- He’s a winner and would’ve been a godsend for them right now.. rant over..
This is what happens when the Cubs owner is worse than John Fisher. Didn’t think that was possible. Joe Ricketts is an awful owner. And his silver spoon kids aren’t much better suited to own the cubs franchise.
Rondon-I might have been a year premature in posting Hendricks obituary last year. I was all for walking away from Hendricks 16 million this year and getting a bit deeper in the pen. I still think the pen will be fine eventually but I thought one decent BP arm would have more economical than a starter that tosses 90 MPH on a good day. Sentimentality won out, Reason walked out the door.
Time to move on from Hendricks.
He needs to be perfect when he’s out there, and he hasn’t been for a while now.
Cubs need another starter who can throw pellets, not a soft tosser.
Love everything about Hendricks, classy, no excuses guy, but…….
He has shown he can still be effective. Last year he had a no hitter against the Giants at AT&T Park into the 8th inning
Only like 3 years ago. He had an 81 pitch complete game shutout against the Cardinals.
Doesn’t matter who the opponent is, thar just doesn’t happen anymore.
Unfortunately those days are far and very few between. And likely long gone.
Hendricks has been stinking it up in April for a while now. I expect him to get better the warmer it gets.
I’m with ya on this one Mike. I also agree with you about Wisdom too.
Unfortunately for both of us Wisdom might also be making his appearance again tomorrow. That doesn’t bode well for Cooper who I also think is better than Wisdom. But Hoyer has this Love-Love affair with Wisdom.
1.405
.844
1.167
1.093
.947
Drasco, I’ll ask, those are OPS numbers for…?
Wisdom against the NL Central last year as well as his second half.
Wisdom crushed finesse pitchers last season and it just so happens, the Central is filled with finesse pitchers again this season. His worse ops+ was against the Brewers who were led by two power pitchers and that are no longer in their rotation.
Many people are on here/have been on here bashing Wisdom but when you are building a bench, you fill it with speciality weapons, especially if that specialty weapon can provide versatility.
Wisdom can play four positions, that gives you a little flexibility if a guy is banged up but not necessarily in need of a IL stint. He can provide match up problems when teams are throwing a finesse style pitcher. He also can go on absolute tears on occasion. Dude has value.
Yeah you can put Wisdom at 4 positions. same way you can David Bote. Doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
Short sighted Mike, since this is actually fairly likely situation, Madrigal starts at third, Morel is DH, if something happens to either Madrigal, Swanson or Nico, Wisdom can step in for the rest of the game at third, shifting other guys around and you keep your dh. That’s why he has value with his versatility. Sure, Mastrobouni can do the same but he cannot hit at all.
Given that you get practically no versatility from Cooper or Amaya and Morel often DHs, you need a guy similar to Wisdom in a just in case role.
The only thing I need Wisdom for is that on rainy days and they need an extra coat rack he can put his arms out and hold an extra 20 or so ponchos so they dry out.
Says the guy who wanted to keep Miles Mastrobuoni.
And DFA Leiter…