Theo Epstein On Cubs’ Struggles, Front Office, Trades
The good news for the Cubs is that they’re in first place in the NL Central at the All-Star break. The bad news is that the Cubs are hardly playing like a first-place team, with only a 22-29 record over their last 51 games. Chicago holds a half-game lead over second-place Milwaukee and, remarkably, a lead of only 4.5 games over last-place Cincinnati — with so little room for error, the Cubs can’t afford many more struggles.
President of baseball operations Theo Epstein has been vocal about his displeasure with his team’s recent performance, and Epstein continued to discuss the subject this weekend with reporters (including ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers and 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine). Subpar defense, fundamental mistakes, and general “sloppiness” continue to be an issue for the team on the field, though Epstein felt these aren’t the sole problems.
“Right now, we are in a collective slump. We are not playing in a way I feel represents who we are,” Epstein said. “It has gone on for a while. So we are all searching for answers. We are looking for every lever we can pull to get the thing going in the right direction.”
Epstein’s remarks earlier this week led to speculation that Joe Maddon’s job could potentially be in jeopardy, though the front office boss stated Saturday that “Joe has been remarkably consistent. I’m not going to sit and say this is about him. I look at it collectively.”
To this end, Epstein also directed blame at himself and the front office as a whole: “Ultimately, everything in baseball operations is my responsibility. If we are not getting the results we wanted, in every meaningful way that ends with me. It is my job. I selected the players and coaches. I selected Joe….If we are underperforming, that is absolutely on me.”
“Front offices can go in slumps. Sometimes you go through Murphy’s law period — everything that can go wrong does go wrong. The same thing can happen with front offices. I believe in this group. I believe in this organization. I think good times are ahead. There are cycles that come and go. The key is not to let the down periods cut at the fabric of the organization.”
The break may well have come at the perfect time for the Cubs, who can use the next few days off to regroup and refocus on the an improved second half of the season. The July 31 trade deadline also looms as a way of shaking up the roster, as while Epstein said the team isn’t yet close to making any moves, the Cubs are “in a proactive stance” about possible deals: “We’re looking for things we can make happen just because we haven’t playing that well for a while now.”
Pitching would seem to be the most obvious areas of need for Chicago, both in the rotation and the bullpen. That said, if Epstein, Maddon and company continue to be dissatisfied with the quality of the position players, there is also room for potential upgrades on that front. While Ben Zobrist wasn’t hitting well before going on the restricted list in May, his possible return could help both second base and left field, as Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber have both underachieved. If the Cubs aren’t certain about Zobrist’s return, they could pursue a similar type of utility player at the deadline who could fill holes on the bench, essentially taking the role earmarked for Zobrist and David Descalso prior to the season.
Poll: Who’s Going To Play In The World Series?
There’s a ton of baseball yet to be played, and the trade deadline is likely to result in some drastically-changed rosters. But since we’re now at the All-Star break, the season’s unofficial halfway point, it seems as good a time as any to ask the readership about their picks for the Fall Classic.
We’ll break the questions down by American League and National League, and even this deep into the season, there aren’t that many teams who seem firmly out of the race. The NL is particularly crowded, to the point that while the Giants seem like major postseason longshots and will likely be deadline sellers, they’re still only 5.5 games back of the wild card. In the AL, the White Sox face longer odds to get into the playoffs (seven games back of the wild card, 12.5 games behind Minnesota in the Central), but they also have a respectable 42-44 record.
With apologies to the Orioles, Tigers, Royals, Blue Jays, Marlins, Mariners, and Mets, they’ve all been left out of the polls. (If any of these teams goes on a Miracle Braves type of run and ends up winning the pennant, I am fully aware that fans of this team will throw this post back in my face for the rest of time.) That leaves a whopping 23 teams still technically in the mix, and while a lot would have to go right for some of these clubs to develop into true contenders, there’s always still a chance.
Who do you think will be representing their league in the World Series? (For Trade Rumors app users, here are the links to the AL poll and the NL poll)
Who Will Win The AL Pennant?
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Yankees 45% (8,654)
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Astros 28% (5,266)
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Twins 11% (2,120)
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Rays 4% (724)
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Red Sox 4% (715)
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Indians 3% (507)
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Athletics 2% (351)
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Angels 2% (290)
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White Sox 1% (222)
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Rangers 1% (172)
Total votes: 19,021
Who Will Win The NL Pennant?
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Dodgers 56% (11,062)
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Braves 17% (3,413)
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Brewers 6% (1,148)
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Cubs 5% (1,007)
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Nationals 3% (594)
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Cardinals 2% (467)
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Phillies 2% (424)
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Pirates 2% (393)
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Padres 2% (349)
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Giants 2% (297)
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Reds 1% (259)
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Rockies 0% (96)
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Diamondbacks 0% (95)
Total votes: 19,604
MLBTR Chat Transcript: Bumgarner, Cubs, Boyd, Greene, Cards
Click here to read the transcript of tonight’s baseball chat, moderated by MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/7/19
Here are the latest moves from around the minors…
- Cody Decker is retiring from pro baseball, as officially confirmed by the Triple-A Reno Aces. The 32-year-old Decker ended his career on a remarkable high note, hitting a walkoff homer on Friday to end his final game. A UCLA product who was selected in the 22nd round of the 2009 draft by the Padres, Decker logged 3843 plate appearances over 1033 games in the minor leagues. After spending his first seven years in San Diego’s farm system, Decker bounced around to five other organizations within the last four seasons, including two years in Reno, the Diamondbacks‘ top affiliate. Though Decker’s only MLB experience consisted of eight games for the Padres in 2015 (that saw him go hitless in 11 at-bats), his lengthy minor league career and colorful personality made him something of a folk hero to teammates and fans. Decker hit .260/.341/.517 in the minors, and his 204 homers were the most of any active minor leaguer. We at MLBTR wish Decker the best in his post-playing career!
- The Rays have signed right-hander Jason Garcia to a minor league deal. The move was announced by the Twitter feed of the independent American Association, as Garcia had been pitching for the Sioux City team since being let go by the Rockies’ Double-A affiliate last season. Originally a 17th-round pick for the Red Sox in 2010, Garcia has a 4.94 ERA, 1.58 K/BB rate, and a 7.2 K/9 over 526 career innings in the minors, though he had posted some strong numbers for Sioux City (including a 2.73 ERA over 56 frames this season). Garcia’s only taste of the big leagues was back in 2015, when he posted a 4.25 ERA over 29 2/3 relief innings for the Orioles.
Nick Senzel Leaves Game With Right Ankle Sprain
5:22PM: Senzel’s sprain doesn’t seem to be particularly serious, as Reds manager David Bell told reporters (including C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic) that he believes Senzel will be ready to go after the All-Star break. This sprain is in a different area than the ankle injury that previously took Senzel out of action in Spring Training, Bell noted.
3:13PM: Reds outfielder Nick Senzel exited Sunday’s game prematurely after suffering a right ankle sprain, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The rookie appeared to snag a cleat on the center field fence while he was going after a Carlos Santana fly ball in the first inning. He played out the rest of the first inning and went on to take an at-bat in the bottom of the inning, but did not take the field for the second inning.
The severity of the sprain is not yet clear—ankle sprains can vary in seriousness and recovery timetable, though it’s notable that the injury wasn’t reported as a high ankle sprain, which tend to be more worrisome. At any rate, the timing of the injury is probably a best-case scenario, with the All-Star break affording Senzel and the Reds the next handful of days off.
Senzel, just 24 years old, has emerged as a key cog in the Reds’ lineup after debuting in May. In addition to slotting into the all-important leadoff spot and providing passable offensive output, Senzel has played exclusively in center field, a premium defensive position, in the Majors.
In Sunday’s game, Senzel was replaced in center field by Jesse Winker, who started the game in left field. Moving forward, the Reds should have several options to fill in for Senzel, should he require an IL stint. Phil Ervin has excelled as a reserve and could get starts in left field with Winker moving to center. Otherwise, Derek Dietrich, Jose Peraza, and Josh Vanmeter all have experience in the outfield. Scott Schebler, whom Senzel replaced in center following the former’s abysmal April showing, remains in the minors and is an option in center field.
Tigers Designate Austin Adams For Assignment
The Tigers have designated right-handed pitcher Austin Adams for assignment, tweets Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. A corresponding move has yet to be announced and will likely come after the All-Star break. The move will clear a spot on Detroit’s 40-man roster.
Claimed by the Tigers off waivers in May, Adams got a chance to earn a spot in a Major League bullpen with Detroit, but it now appears that his time with the club is nearing its end. Splitting 2019 between the Twins and the Tigers, this season is the first time Adams has pithed in the Majors since 2016.
Adams has pitched 14 innings with Detroit this season, largely failing to produce in that small sample. He’s walked more batters than he has struck out, contributing to a below-average 5.14 ERA. His minor-league numbers have been much more impressive this season, having struck out 28 batters in 18 innings at the Triple-A level. He may remain in the Tigers organization if he goes unclaimed on waivers, and could otherwise be traded or released.
AL West Notes: Astros, Pence, Harvey, Mariners
The Astros will have a difficult decision to make after the All-Star break, when they will need to find a fifth starter to join the current group. As The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan writes (subscription required), Houston has gotten by with only four starters lately, thanks to a schedule that has afforded the team some well-timed off days. Corbin Martin would ideally be the guy to step up, but his season was cut short by an elbow injury. As Kaplan notes, the Astros are widely expected to target starting pitching at the trade deadline, so whoever is chosen will only need to hold down the fort for the next few weeks. With the addition of a fifth starter, of course, someone will lose their roster spot, and that may just be Tony Kemp. Kemp has seen his role diminish of late, receiving only sparing playing time while fellow bench bats Myles Straw and Tyler White fill more essential spots. Notably, Kemp is out of options, meaning that he will need to clear waivers if the Astros would like to demote him while keeping him in the organization.
- It doesn’t look like Rangers designated hitter Hunter Pence will be ready to return to game action immediately following the All-Star break, according to TR Sullivan of MLB.com. As Sullivan notes, Pence, who is recovering from a right groin strain, has yet to get to back to running full speed. Pence hasn’t appeared in a game for the Rangers since the middle of June, when he landed on the injured list. A minor-league signing last winter, Pence has been a revelation for Texas, emerging as a force in the middle of the lineup. His efforts earned him a spot on the All-Star roster, though he won’t be able to participate thanks to the injury.
- After the break, the Angels expect to welcome Matt Harvey back to the starting rotation, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group. On Sunday, he made a start for Triple-A Salt Lake, striking out seven batters in 3 1/3 innings of work. An upper back strain has prevented the veteran from pitching in the Majors since late May. When he has pitched for the Halos, though, the results have not been good: he’s worked to an unsightly 7.50 ERA in 10 starts and has thus far failed to live up to the $11MM contract he received in the offseason. Of course, he’ll have the rest of the season to reverse that, and he certainly has the talent to boost the playoff-hopeful Angels into the Wild Card conversation.
- Mariners right-handed pitcher Dan Altavilla will avoid Tommy John surgery after receiving the results from an MRI, tweets Greg Johns of MLB.com. That MRI showed no damage to Altavilla’s UCL, though he did endure a flexor strain in his elbow. To be sure, there’s nothing encouraging about elbow injuries, but the silver lining is that Altavilla won’t need to undergo Tommy John. Altavilla landed on the injured list after he “felt something in his forearm” while pitching on Friday.
Mariners Outright Mike Wright
According to an official team announcement, the Mariners have outrighted right-handed pitcher Mike Wright, who cleared waivers after he was designated for assignment last week, to Triple-A.
This marks the second time that Wright has been designated and outrighted by the M’s, who acquired the 29-year-old from the Orioles in April. Not long thereafter, he was demoted, but a strong showing in Triple-A earned him a second chance at claiming a spot in the Mariners’ bullpen, though evidently that tryout has not gone his way.
Wright, who has pitched 29 1/3 innings between Baltimore and Seattle this season, has done well to miss bats, striking out more than one batter per inning on average, but hitters have otherwise had their way against the right-hander. He has mustered a mere 8.28 ERA, fueled in large part by a proneness to the long ball. To his credit, though, the home run has gashed him far less often since he was acquired by the Mariners: he’s conceded one home run in 16 innings with Seattle, contributing to a far more serviceable 3.14 FIP, albeit one that still has not translated to results, as evidenced by his 7.31 ERA.
Madison Bumgarner Suffers Elbow Contusion
SUNDAY: Baggarly adds on Twitter that Bumgarner remains on track to start on Saturday for the Giants.
SATURDAY, 10:50pm: X-rays on Bumgarner came back negative, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic tweets. He suffered an elbow contusion.
SATURDAY, 10:12pm: Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner exited his start against the Cardinals on Saturday after two innings. Bumgarner took a first-inning comebacker to the left elbow off the bat of Jose Martinez, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to report. The 29-year-old stayed in immediately after, but his “elbow was really swollen,” Anne Rogers of MLB.com tweets. The Giants opted to pull Bumgarner early as a result.
The severity of the injury is unknown at this time, though removing Bumgarner may have been a precautionary move on the Giants’ part. As Schulman notes, San Francisco doesn’t have any real reason to take a chance with Bumgarner. After all, the multi-time playoff hero stands out as a premier trade chip going into the July 31 deadline.
Bumgarner, possibly the best rental starter on the block, has logged a 4.03 ERA/3.91 FIP with tremendous strikeout and walk rates (9.27 K/9, 1.93 BB/9) over 111 2/3 innings this season. If healthy, plenty of contenders will inquire about Bumgarner this month. At least two already have in recent weeks.
Max Scherzer Dealing With Back Tightness
Max Scherzer‘s spot on the All-Star roster has been filled by a replacement, and Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reports (via Twitter) that the three-time Cy Young Award winner has elected not to participate in the exhibition because of a minor back issue that dates back to his start against the Tigers a week ago.
As Dougherty notes, the injury is not especially serious; Scherzer expects to make his next regular-season start without issue, hopefully benefitting from the extended rest period. The back issue flared up in yesterday’s game, so it’s no surprise that Scherzer and the Nationals will take precaution in hopes that nothing gets worse over the break.
Though he won’t be playing in the Midsummer Classic, Scherzer will still travel to Cleveland to partake in the All-Star festivities. It’s the seventh time that the 34-year-old has been named an All-Star, all of which have come since 2013, when he broke out with the Tigers. Scherzer has been a model of durability in his career, having made 30 or more starts in every season since 2009, and as of now there’s no reason to believe that streak will end in 2019.
For what it’s worth, Scherzer seems to have been unfazed by the injury: he followed up his 14-strikeout outing in Comerica Park with seven innings of shutout ball on Saturday, looking as electric as ever. Of course, that’s easy to say from the outside looking in, and recent performance shouldn’t discount the injury.
Still, it’s promising for baseball fans that Scherzer, who has been an iron man throughout his career, has shown that he can pitch through the injury if needed, and doesn’t expect to miss any meaningful games for the playoff-hopeful Nationals. Washington has ridden Scherzer’s excellence to a 46-42 record that lands the club on the brink of playoff contention. Since a dreadful start that saw the team fall to a 19-31 record, they’ve reversed their fortune on the back of stellar performances from Scherzer and Anthony Rendon, among others.