Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer isn't optimistic that his team will reach the necessary COVID-19 vaccine threshold to have relaxed protocols. 

Speaking to reporters prior to Thursday's game against the Washington Nationals, Hoyer said it's "disappointing" the Cubs are unlikely to reach the 85 percent threshold required by Major League Baseball.

"We've worked hard to try and convince or educate the people that have been reluctant," said Hoyer. "We're at a place right now—I'm not going to give up hope we're going to get there—my level of optimism is waning. It is disappointing."

Per ESPN's Jesse Rogers, around half of MLB teams have reached the 85 percent threshold to qualify for reduced restrictions. 

While it's unclear how many members of the Cubs have been vaccinated, Hoyer did note they "aren't a player away" from reaching the threshold. 

All-Star shortstop Javier Baez has been open about encouraging others to get vaccinated. He recently did a PSA for Walgreens' "This is Our Shot" campaign to promote the vaccine. 

“We want to be safe out there," Baez told Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. "We obviously want to end this pandemic. The smart thing to do right now is to get vaccinated.”

In an internal memo issued to teams in March, MLB said fully vaccinated players, coaches and other Tier 1 staff members would have relaxed COVID-19 protocols. 

The relaxed protocols include gathering in indoor spaces without masks, social distancing, eat in restaurants, bring vaccinated family members on road trips, and the ability to opt out of some testing. 

The New York Mets have reportedly acquired outfielder Cameron Maybin in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reported the Cubs will receive cash in return.

Maybin has spent 14 seasons in the majors but was playing for the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa this year. In 10 games, the 34-year-old had a .103 batting average with one home run and one stolen base.

The veteran hit .247 with a .307 on-base percentage in 2020 while splitting time with the Cubs and Detroit Tigers. He was a valuable part of the New York Yankees in 2019 when he finished with a .285 average, .858 OPS, 11 home runs and nine stolen bases while playing all three outfield spots.

The Mets will hope for a return to that level of production and likely look for him to add to his 186 career stolen bases.

Of course, New York was desperate for an outfielder after dealing with significant injuries.

Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr. are all on the injured list. Opening Day starters Jeff McNeil (second base) and J.D. Davis (third) have played in the outfield in past seasons but are also on the IL.

The Mets' lineup against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday featured two outfielders—Johneshwy Fargas and Khalil Lee—with just one major league game on their resumes.

Maybin will add much-needed experience until the unit returns to full strength.

The Chicago Cubs placed starting pitcher Jake Arrieta (right thumb abrasion), utility man Nico Hoerner (left forearm strain) and reliever Dan Winkler (right biceps tendinitis) on the injured list on Tuesday, recalling southpaw Kyle Ryan, right-hander Keegan Thompson and infielder Ildemaro Vargas.

Both Arrieta and Winkler were placed on the IL retroactively to May 3.

Arrieta has been fairly durable of late and made at least 24 starts six years in a row from 2014 through 2019, although his 2019 campaign was cut short because of elbow surgery.

The right-hander signed with the Cubs this past offseason after spending three years with the Philadelphia Phillies. His best seasons came during his first stint in Chicago when he won the National League Cy Young in 2015, finished in the top 10 of Cy Young voting three straight years from 2014-16, and he was an All-Star and Silver Slugger in 2016.

The 35-year-old also helped the Cubs snap their 108-year championship drought in 2016.

Arrieta was not the same for the Phillies and posted a 5.08 ERA during the shortened 2020 campaign.

However, he had shown signs of improvement early on in 2021, as he went 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA through his first five starts of the year, holding his opponents to three runs or less in each outing. Unfortunately for him, he was roughed up to the tune of seven runs in 3.1 innings in an 8-6 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in his most recent start.

Hoerner, meanwhile, has impressed early on this season, slashing .389/.500/.556 through his first 11 appearances. Of note, the 23-year-old was involved in a scary collision with Ian Happ during Sunday's contest against Cincinnati. Happ was carted off the field after the collision, though Hoerner was able to remain in the game.

Winkler has been one of the Cubs' top relievers to this point in the season, posting a 0.84 ERA through his first 13 appearances. The right-hander has struck out 12 batters in 10.2 innings, though he has issued seven walks. 

Chicago Cubs center fielder Ian Happ left Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds following a collision with teammate Nico Hoerner. 

Hoerner and Happ were both attempting to catch a shallow fly ball to center. While Happ returned to his feet, Cubs trainers helped place him onto a cart.

#Cubs Ian Happ carted off after a hard collision in center field. pic.twitter.com/twvlcxgmxo

— Sam Greene (@SGdoesit) May 2, 2021

NBC Sports Chicago's Gordon Wittenmyer noted that after the collision Happ had a bloody nose and "did not appear to suffer any injuries to his extremities."

Cubs manager David Ross addressed the situation following his team's 13-12 defeat.

"I checked in," Ross told reporters. "I talked to Ian. He feels fine. Pretty good blow to the face. I haven't heard the doctor's report yet, but I did talk to Ian and he's in good spirits."

Happ went 3-for-5 at the plate with three RBI and three runs scored. As part of a four-run eighth inning for Chicago, he homered to right to tie the score at 12 runs apiece.

The 10th home run of the game ties things up, 12-12! 🤯#CubTogether pic.twitter.com/jNb8WmKZvh

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 2, 2021

The 26-year-old has struggled to open the 2021 season. Entering Sunday, he was batting .139 with 32 strikeouts in 97 plate appearances.

Chicago has already been without Joc Pederson since a 3-1 win over the New York Mets on April 20 because of a wrist injury, and right thigh tightness kept Contreras on the bench Sunday before Happ's exit required him to enter the game.

While Happ hasn't performed up to expectations, missing him for an extended stretch would be another setback for the Cubs, who are five games back of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.

The Chicago Cubs placed outfielder Joc Pederson on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Wednesday because of left wrist tendinitis.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported the news, noting the National League Central team called up second baseman Nico Hoerner in a corresponding move.

While Pederson played just 102 games in 2017, he bounced back the next two seasons and appeared in 148 in 2018 and 149 in 2019 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 29-year-old drilled 26 home runs during his 2015 All-Star campaign and slashed .249/.339/.538 with 36 long balls and 74 RBI in 2019. He has hit 25 or more homers in four of the last five seasons not counting the shortened 2020 campaign but has struggled in the early going this year with a .137/.262/.235 slash line.

While he has struggled from a batting average perspective throughout his career, it will be difficult for the Cubs to replicate his expected power while he is sidelined.

Chicago can still rely on the combination of Ian Happ, Jason Heyward, Jake Marisnick and even Kris Bryant to play outfield while Pederson is sidelined, but the lineup is more dangerous when the left-handed slugger is healthy.

With 15 games played, the Chicago Cubs are only through about 10 percent of their 2021 season. By all rights, it should be too soon for definitive judgments.

It's not looking so good, however.

After winning the division for the third time in five years in 2020, the Cubs now find themselves in last place in the National League Central with a 6-9 record. They're specifically struggling at the plate, where they're hitting an MLB-low .192 and scoring just 3.4 runs per game.

Of course, this is happening on the heels of the Cubs taking their first steps into a rebuild over the winter by waving goodbye to chief executive Theo Epstein and stars like Yu Darvish, Jon Lester and Kyle Schwarber.

It's therefore hard not to consider which steps the Cubs might take next, and when.

      

NL Central Standings

• 1. Cincinnati Reds: 9-6
• 2. Milwaukee Brewers: 9-7
• 3. St. Louis Cardinals: 8-8
• 4. Pittsburgh Pirates: 7-9
• 5. Chicago Cubs: 6-9

      

The Cubs Have Very Real Problems

After the coronavirus pandemic delayed the start of the 2020 season until late July, the Cubs started last year hot with 13 wins in 16 games. It looked then like they might be capable of returning to the World Series after winning it and thereby snapping a 108-year curse in 2016.

What actually happened was that the Cubs went 21-23 over their last 44 games, in large part because their offense flatlined with a .678 OPS and 4.1 runs per game. Those offensive struggles continued in the NL Wild Card Series, as the Cubs scored just one run in a two-game sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins.

Given the contest of last season combined with the offseason departures of Schwarber, Victor Caratini and others, it's not the biggest surprise that Chicago's offensive issues have carried into 2021. It also shows in peripheral stats, such as the NL's lowest contact rate and a league-low .137 average with runners in scoring position.

Most alarming, though, is how Cubs hitters are failing to hit good heat.

The league-wide percentage of fastballs that clock at 95 mph or higher has recently been trending up and now stands at 24.6 percent. Yet if any Cubs hitters are thinking that number sounds low, it's probably because 31 percent of the fastballs they've seen so far this season have been at least 95 mph.

Those very fastballs are a problem the Cubs have yet to solve. Their weighted on-base average—which is basically a fancy version of OPS—against 95-plus heat is just .195, the worst such mark in baseball.

Lest anyone think the Cubs offense is entirely to blame for the team's slow start, its starting rotation ranks 28th with a 5.91 ERA and has a fastball problem in its own right.

With Darvish out of the equation, the Cubs are short on starters who can light up the radar gun. Mainly courtesy of soft-tossers Kyle Hendricks and Zach Davies, their rotation's average fastball is just 89.6 mph. That's on track for the lowest mark of any group of starters over the past five seasons.

You can say that velocity alone doesn't make or break a fastball, but it does help. Since Cubs starters rank 25th in wOBA against their heaters, they can vouch.

Alas, the Cubs can't exactly make their starters throw harder. And while there might be a way for manager David Ross and hitting coach Anthony Iapoce to fix the offense's fastball problem, it doesn't bode well that its roots go back to last year's modest .304 wOBA (tied for 20th) against 95-plus heat.

      

There Is a Silver Lining Here

Suffice it to say, the Cubs aren't the only team in the NL Central that has issues.

Though the Cincinnati Reds sit atop the division, the offensive surge that helped them win six of their first seven games has faded. In losing five of their past eight, they've conjured up memories of last year's historically bad offense by hitting just .218/.283/.368 with 3.5 runs per game.

The Milwaukee Brewers also have offensive problems, so much so that their collective .206/.296/.357 line works out to a 78 OPS+ that actually ranks them below the Cubs. Unless Christian Yelich both recovers from his bad back and turns his clock back to 2018/2019, that problem won't have an easy fix.

For their part, the St. Louis Cardinals are one team that actually has a worse rotation ERA than the Cubs at 5.97. And there isn't much hope of an immediate turnaround. Young right-hander Dakota Hudson (Tommy John surgery) is out for the season. Veteran righty Miles Mikolas (shoulder soreness) should be back, but his last competitive pitch was all the way back in October 2019.

This just leaves the Pittsburgh Pirates, who came into this year hoping for any sign of progress after going an MLB-worst 19-41 last year. Their 7-9 record actually makes the grade in that respect, but there's little reason to think it's the start of a Cinderella run.

All this is to say that the NL Central still looks as winnable now as it did coming into the year. Even if the Cubs so much as tread water for the rest of the season, they might still back into their fourth division title since 2016.

It is nonetheless noteworthy that the odds didn't favor them to begin with and, naturally, haven't improved. FanGraphs, for example, has the Cubs' chances of winning the NL Central down from 19 percent on Opening Day to nine percent now. 

     

The Cubs Could Have Some Valuable Trade Chips

If the Cubs continue to lose games and force their playoff chances further south in the process, they could look to finish what they started over the winter at this year's July 30 trade deadline.

With only Hendricks, Jason Heyward and David Bote guaranteed any money beyond 2021, it's not as if the Cubs' current roster is built for the long haul. What's more, a farm system that we ranked at No. 18 in MLB at the outset of the year could use a substantial infusion of talent.

At the least, the Cubs could look to rent out their pending free agents if they're out of it come July. Namely, long-time lineup mainstays Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez.

With a vintage 177 OPS+ to his name so far, Bryant is reclaiming much of the trade value that he lost amid a career-worst season in 2020. By way of a 133 OPS+, Rizzo is also boosting his trade value.

Because he's struck out a league-high 27 times while posting a .214 average and a .267 OBP, Baez is hewing too close for comfort to the .203 and .238 marks he had in those departments last season. But in his power (four home runs), speed (five stolen bases) and Gold Glove-winning defense at shortstop, he still has at least three things that could draw a crowd at the trade deadline.

Given that his $16 million option for 2022 is unlikely to vest, the Cubs could also interest teams in closer Craig Kimbrel. He was having a hard time for a while dating back to last year, but he's looked a lot more like his All-Star self as he's whiffed 24 batters and allowed three hits and no runs in 14 appearances since last September.

Right-hander Jake Arrieta and outfielder Joc Pederson, both of whom have $10 million mutual options for 2022, could also become trade bait under the right circumstances.

Arrieta would merely need to keep up the warm start that's led him to a 3.18 ERA through three outings. For his part, Pederson would have to leave behind his frigid start (7-for-47) and hit more like he did in spring training, when he a 1.431 OPS and eight long balls.

Even though he's under their control through next season, the Cubs would also have to consider moving catcher Willson Contreras if he stays hot after starting this year with a 179 OPS+ and five home runs. After all, a lot of teams would love to have a bat like that behind the plate.

Again, a trade deadline fire sale might not happen if the Cubs can so much as hang around in an NL Central that doesn't have a true favorite.

But between their potentially unfixable flaws and their less-than-clear future beyond 2021, such a sale is beginning to feel less like a possibility and more like an inevitability.

           

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Ryan Tepera has been suspended three games for throwing at Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff Tuesday, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Tepera throws behind Brandon Woodruff pic.twitter.com/TBs9w1ZLyE

— FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin (@FanDuelSN_WI) April 14, 2021

Manager David Ross was suspended one game as well for the incident.

Tepera is appealing his suspension while Ross will serve his punishment Friday, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

The incident came a week after benches cleared in another game between the two teams after Cubs catcher Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch:

The benches have cleared in the Brewers-Cubs game after Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch.

(via @BallySportWI)pic.twitter.com/1EPrd89oOT

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 7, 2021

Contreras was hit by Woodruff again in Tuesday's matchup.

Not only would throwing at the pitcher serve as retaliation, Woodruff had also dominated the Cubs in two starts this year.

The right-hander allowed zero runs with just one hit in seven innings during a Milwaukee win April 7. On Tuesday, Woodruff finished with one run allowed in six innings.

Even if Tepera didn't hit his counterpart with his pitch, MLB clearly thought the throw was intentional and took necessary action.

The Chicago Cubs announced Monday that pitchers Jason Adam, Dan Winkler and Brandon Workman were each placed on the COVID-19 injury list.

The team added that pitchers Justin Steele and Brad Wieck were recalled from the South Bend Alternate Training Site and Pedro Strop would serve as a replacement player. 

Adam, 29, has made four appearances out of the bullpen this season, posting an 0-0 record with a 2.45 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and seven strikeouts in 3.2 innings. He's in his second season with the Cubs after starting his career with the Kansas City Royals (2018) and Toronto Blue Jays (2019). 

Winkler, 31, is 0-0 this season with a 2.25 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and five strikeouts in four innings (five appearances). He's also in his second season with the Cubs after five years with the Atlanta Braves. 

Workman, 32, is 0-1 in four appearances (3.2 innings) with a 4.91 ERA, 1.90 WHIP and five strikeouts. He's in his first season with the Cubs after stints with the Boston Red Sox (2013-14, 2017-20) and Philadelphia Phillies (2020). 

Any MLB player who tests positive for the coronavirus faces a mandatory and minimum 10-day quarantine, while players found to have been in close contact with a person who tested positive for the coronavirus face a mandatory seven-day quarantine. 

As for the players being called up, Steele has yet to make an MLB appearance, while Wieck has spent the past two years with the Cubs organization, pitching in 15 games out of the bullpen during that time. He's also pitched for the San Diego Padres (2018-19). 

And the 35-year-old Strop has played for four teams in a career dating back to 2009, including the Cubs between 2013-19. He pitched for the Cincinnati Reds last season, making four total appearances. 

Chicago Cubs star Javier Baez can become a free agent next offseason and is happy fellow shortstop Francisco Lindor is off the board after agreeing to a 10-year, $341 million extension with the New York Mets.

“It helps everybody," Baez said, per Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. "It helps other free-agent shortstops. No one was going to get more than Lindor, and you got to be honest about it. He opens the door for a lot of people."

Next year's free-agent class has several exciting options at shortstop, including Corey Seager, Trevor Story, Carlos Correa and Marcus Semien. With Lindor no longer an option for teams, there could be more of a bidding war for those still available.

The lofty contract—along with the 14-year, $340 million deal signed by Francisco Tatis Jr.—also sets a high market for teams trying to sign top players at the position.

Lindor arguably had the best resume of the bunch with four All-Star selections and two Gold Glove awards, but Baez will also be a hot commodity based on his production. 

The 28-year-old has made two All-Star games, won a Gold Glove last year and a Silver Slugger in 2018. He finished second in MVP voting in 2018 when he hit .290 with 34 home runs and a league-high 111 RBI, losing out on the award to Christian Yelich.

Baez still has a chance to stay with the Cubs, but the organization has to also worry about Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant hitting free agency next winter.

"We have a lot of great players that are in contract years," Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. "Certainly, our hope is that we can have some of those players beyond 2021."

Baez should get paid handsomely regardless of his 2021 destination.

With Anthony Rizzo heading into the final season of his current contract, Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer hopes to re-sign the three-time All-Star. 

Hoyer told reporters on Wednesday that he will "respect" Rizzo's decision to put a deadline on negotiations for Opening Day, but the team hopes to keep the lines of communication open. 

Hoyer on Rizzo:

"I respect his decision to put a(n opening-day) deadline on it. That's his decision. And one I respect completely. But our door is open. ... I am optimistic we'll we'll end up reaching agreement."

— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) March 31, 2021

Rizzo addressed his contract situation during a Zoom meeting with reporters on Monday.

"It doesn't look like at this time anything is going to be finalized," he said. "With [the] Opening Day deadline, we feel really strong about it. We've had enough time to talk and figure it out. I've told my agents not to talk to me about it anymore."

Per Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, the Cubs presented Rizzo with a front-loaded contract offer of five years and $70 million that also included escalators for him to earn more on the back end of the deal. 

Rosenthal and Mooney didn't specify what Rizzo is looking for on his next deal, but they did cite the extension that Paul Goldschmidt received from the St. Louis Cardinals in March 2019 as one possible starting point. 

Goldschmidt, who was 31 at the time, signed a five-year, $130 million deal with the Cardinals. 

Rizzo is currently 31 years old, though he is coming off a down year in 2020. The four-time Gold Glove winner had a .222/.342/.414 slash line with 11 homers and 24 RBI in 58 games. 

The Cubs have been cutting costs over the past two years as they remake their roster. Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini were traded to the San Diego Padres in December for Zach Davies and four prospects. 

Rizzo's $16.5 million salary is the third-highest on the Cubs in 2021. Only Jason Heyward ($23.5 million) and Kris Bryant ($19.5 million) will earn more. 

The Cubs originally acquired Rizzo in a January 2012 trade with the Padres. He's been one of the best players for the franchise since becoming a regular and was instrumental in their World Series win in 2016. He has hit .274/.374/.492 with 228 homers and 744 RBI in 1,216 games with the team.