The Chicago Cubs entrance workplace believes on this crew’s potential.
That’s the message they despatched to the gamers and workers with their first transfer forward of Tuesday’s 5 p.m. commerce deadline, buying infielder Jeimer Candelario and a money consideration from the Washington Nationals. In return, the Cubs despatched two prospects, left-handed pitcher DJ Herz and infielder Kevin Made, to Washington within the deal earlier than Monday’s 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
The Cubs have two months to benefit from Candelario’s return to Chicago, the place he spent the primary two seasons of his big-league profession. He reunites together with his fellow World Series championship teammates Kyle Hendricks and now supervisor David Ross. Ian Happ performed with Candelario at Triple-A Iowa in 2017, and their call-ups to the Cubs that season had been inside 4 days of one another.
“I’m excited to have him back and a part of this group and hit right in the middle of our lineup, it’ll be great,” Happ stated. “I’m excited for what he brings, good defense at third and obviously the bat; he has great at-bats.”
For gamers who’ve been a part of the crew for the final couple of years, Monday’s transfer for one of the best rental bat on the commerce market was a welcomed change.
“It’s been a bit of a loaded month in a lot of ways between the direction of what this team is doing and obviously not the results we wanted the last two days, but I think the confidence within this room is really strong and we’re excited to see what that looks like,” Nico Hoerner stated. “I think we’re still figuring out what the best version of ourselves is and I think that’s OK and really exciting and I don’t really want to put a ceiling or limits on this group.”
Added Happ: “That’s what all of us in this clubhouse really want is to have a chance to go play for the division and I think we have the guys in the room to do it.”
Marcus Stroman’s struggles continued in Monday’s 6-5 loss to the first-place Cincinnati Reds, placing the Cubs (53-53) in an early deficit after surrendering six runs in three innings. Stroman, who didn’t converse to the media after the sport, owns a 9.00 ERA over his final six begins.
“We tried to grind,” catcher Yan Gomes stated. “They capitalized on some of the pitches we made, getting behind a little bit and they showed why they’re a pretty good team right now. … I still feel like he’s got elite pitches. Every time he comes out there we’re still expecting to have a good game and right now we’ve had a little bit of a hiccup, but we can definitely count on him to bounce back.”
The arrival of switch-hitting Candelario offers the Cubs much-needed energy. In 99 video games with the Nationals this yr, Candelario, who’s a free agent after the season, has hit 30 doubles and 16 house runs with a 128 OPS+.
Although Candelario has predominately performed third base throughout his eight big-league seasons, he’s additionally began 60 video games at first base, most not too long ago for the Tigers in 2020. His defensive flexibility on the nook infield spots may also help the Cubs’ two weakest offensive positions. Ross didn’t wish to speculate after Monday’s recreation about how Candelario could be used.
The Cubs have particularly struggled with high quality manufacturing at first base. Five gamers have been used there this yr, combining for minus-2.7 Wins Above Replacement with Trey Mancini proudly owning a team-worst minus-1.3 WAR. Candelario’s addition to the lineup makes it deeper and provides the Cubs an extra-base risk.
With a logjam of outfielders at Triple-A Iowa, the Cubs reallocated their depth in a separate transfer Monday evening by buying and selling outfielder Nelson Velázquez to the Kansas City Royals for right-hander José Cuas.
Velázquez, 24, was one among three Triple-A outfielders on the Cubs’ 40-man roster, and the Iowa outfield is including the Cubs’ high prospect following the promotion of outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong on Monday. Velázquez didn’t have a transparent path to common taking part in time for the Cubs with the three beginning spots locked in and the consistency they’ve been getting from Mike Tauchman.
Velázquez appeared in 90 video games for the Cubs over the past two seasons, hitting .210 with a .290 on-base share and 92 OPS+. Five of his seven hits this yr went for additional bases, most memorably a grand slam that helped erase a seven-run deficit within the Cubs’ comeback win April 11 versus the Seattle Mariners.
Cuas owns a 4.54 ERA, 27.1 Ok%, 10.9 BB% and 98 ERA+ over 41 2/3 innings in 45 appearances for the Royals this season. The 29-year-old right-hander depends closely on a sinker-slider mixture.
Candelario, 29, was initially signed by the Cubs as an newbie free agent in 2010 and appeared in 16 video games between 2016-17 earlier than getting traded to Detroit in July 2017 for Alex Avila and Justin Wilson.
The depth the Cubs have constructed of their minor-league system set them up with an asset on the commerce deadline and preemptively deal with looming offseason choices. Herz and Made are each eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December if they aren’t added to a 40-man roster. MLB.com had rated Herz (No. 16) and Made (No. 14) inside the Cubs’ high 20 prospects whereas Baseball America put Herz at No. 19 of their top-30 checklist. Made was unranked.
The Cubs get a lift as they start an essential four-game sequence at Wrigley Field towards the division-leading Cincinnati Reds. During the remaining hours earlier than Tuesday’s 5 p.m. commerce deadline, the group may nonetheless bolster the again finish of the bullpen.
“I think everybody’s aware, right?” Dansby Swanson stated Monday of the commerce deadline. “I mean, you can sit here and we can say all we want about how we don’t pay any attention to it. It’s our livelihoods and it surrounds us every step of the way. But we know that no matter what that the guys upstairs are going to do their job, do what’s best for our team and we’re going to continue to go out there and prepare and play the way we can.”
Standing at his locker Monday afternoon earlier than the Candelario commerce was introduced, Swanson described the “positive reinforcement” that comes from a entrance workplace including gamers on the deadline.
“We feel like we can always improve in certain areas and whether that’s just continuing to get better or add a piece here or there, we just boost the morale … and it injects a little bit of confidence and positivity.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com